Message #4002

From: Joshua Daniels <jldanie5@ncsu.edu>
Subject: Re: [MC4D] Color modifier for MC4D
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2018 19:43:28 -0500

While the cube was solved, I wrote a series of commutators to swap 1 color
pieces between 2 faces. I attempted to make 2 cycle commutators, but ended
up with mostly 3 and 4 cycles (which messed up 2/3/4 color pieces that
haven’t been solved). By carefully applying these forwards and in reverse,
I could move the pieces around, but had trouble seeing the pieces clearly.
By making each color red in turn (never two at once), I would put all 26 1
color pieces around their corresponding center. When I swapped which color
was showing, I would never have a need to perform a swap with a completed
face. It wasn’t very efficient, but with 875 cubic stickers on screen all
at the same time, it was the best method I could come up with.

For example, with this program, I can quickly find the purple-red-blue
pieces while everything else is white, and either swap it into place or
save the orientation, and reload with all of the colors, with my desired
piece sitting in front.

Best,
Josh


JOSHUA L. DANIELS, C/1LT, AFROTC
595th AFROTC Cadet Wing, Alpha Flt/CC
North Carolina State University


On Tue, Feb 27, 2018 at 7:30 PM, Luna Harran scarecrowfish@gmail.com
[4D_Cubing] <4D_Cubing@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

>
>
> How does changing each colour to red help you solve it? Surely you’d end
> up either messing up what you already solved if you change it back to
> white, or confusing two colours if you make them both red? Am I missing
> something?
>
> I like the idea of the program though.
>
> ~Luna
>
> On 28 Feb 2018 00:21, "Joshua Daniels jldanie5@ncsu.edu [4D_Cubing]" <
> 4D_Cubing@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> Hello all!
>
> I have been working on and off with solving the 5^4, and discovered that I
> found it 10 times easier to work on the center pieces if I hid all of the
> other colors. I did this by manually modifying the facecolors.txt file,
> saving, and then re-opening the file in MC4D to update the colors. I got
> through the one color pieces by changing each color to red and the others
> to white, one by one. I quickly realized this wasn’t a workable solution
> for 2+ color pieces.
>
> So, in a burst of motivation (and avoiding some schoolwork I should’ve
> been doing) wrote myself a java file to edit the text file for me. I have
> a feeling python might have been easier, but I don’t know python and I
> worked in Java ~3 years ago and knew it could be done. I also managed to
> make the GUI entirely without using Swing, which was an absolute blessing.
> The only non-intuitive thing about the program is that to permanently
> change a color, you click the color and type the hex value you want. This
> new color will save to the text file on closing the window, making it
> permanent, while all other hiding and highlighting is manual. It will also
> create a text file with my default colors if you don’t have one already.
> Just place it in the same folder as MC4D. The code is messy and
> un-commented (I know I know) but I’m happy with it. I don’t know if I’m
> just looking to share or looking for advice, so I guess just let me know
> what you think! Here is an accessible Google Drive link since gmail blocks
> jar files or zip files with jar files: https://drive.google.co
> m/file/d/1nOjXMjtM0mbgmu_bmCtjZPhPJOoNooJE/view?usp=sharing
>
> I am constantly impressed with the crazy intellectual level this group
> operates at and I’m super happy to be a part.
>
> Best,
> Joshua Daniels
> North Carolina State University
> ​
> Color Modifier.jar
> <https://drive.google.com/a/ncsu.edu/file/d/1nOjXMjtM0mbgmu_bmCtjZPhPJOoNooJE/view?usp=drive_web>
> ​
>
>
>
>