XPYRAMINX(6) | Games Manual | XPYRAMINX(6) |
NAME¶
xpyraminx - Pyramid X widgetSYNOPSIS¶
/usr/games/xpyraminx [-geometry [{width}][x{height}][{+-}{xoff}[{+-}{yoff}]]] [-display [{host}]:[{vs}]] [-[no]mono] [-[no]{reverse|rv}] [-{foreground|fg} {color}] [-{background|bg} {color}] [-face{0|1|2|3} {color}] [-{border|bd} {color}] [-delay msecs] [-[no]sound] [-moveSound {filename}] [-{font|fn} {fontname}] [-{size {int} | sticky}] [-{mode {int} | both}] [-[no]orient] [-[no]practice] [-userName {string}] [-scoreFile {filename}] [-scores] [-version]DESCRIPTION¶
The original puzzle has 9 triangles per face (size = 3) and has period 3 turning (i.e. the face or points turn in 120 degree intervals). The puzzle was designed by Uwe Meffert and called the Pyraminx. This has 2^5*3^8*6!/2 or 75,582,720 different combinations. Another puzzle Senior Pyraminx 3x3x3 exists only on paper, it has period 2 turning (i.e. edges turn with 180 degree intervals) but the corners would fall off unless it had some tricky mechanism. (This may be the same as the Master Pyraminx which has 446,965,972,992,000 different combinations). Another puzzle (which was not widely distributed), the Junior Pyraminx (and similarly the Junior Pyraminx Star, a octahedron formed by two tetrahedra, this has 7!*3^6 or 3,674,160 different combinations), has 4 triangles (size = 2) per face. This puzzle has been recently reissued by Meffert as Pyramorphix (http://www.mefferts-puzzles.com). At the time I designed this computer puzzle thought that it had only period 2 turning (i.e the edges rotate). It turns out the puzzle has a period 4 turning (edges turn with 90 degree intervals) which makes it analogous to the 2x2x2 Rubik's cube. This puzzle makes various non-tetrahedral shapes. The puzzle contained here has no period 4 turning flexability. One is able to simulate Halpern's Tetrahedron or Pyraminx Tetrahedron (period 3 turning and sticky mode). Also one is able to simulate one with variant turning (period 2 turning and sticky mode).FEATURES¶
Press " mouse-left" button to move a piece. Release " mouse-left" button on a piece on the same face and in the same row (but not an adjacent piece or the move is ambiguous). The pieces will then turn towards where the mouse button was released. Click " mouse-center", or press "P" or "p" keys to toggle the practice mode (in practice mode the record should say "practice"). This is good for learning moves and experimenting. Click " mouse-right", or press "Z" or "z" keys, to randomize the puzzle (this must be done first to set a new record). Press " R" or "r" keys to read a saved puzzle. Press " W" or "w" keys to save (write) a puzzle. Press " U" or "u" keys to undo a move. Press " E" or "e" keys to redo a move. Press " C" or "c" keys to clear the puzzle. Press " S" or "s" keys to start auto-solver. Only works on 1x1x1, 2x2x2, and 3x3x3 facets in Period 3 mode. Press " O" or "o" keys to toggle the orient mode. One has to orient the faces in orient mode, besides getting all the faces to be the same color. To do this one has to get the lines to be oriented in the same direction, this only matters with center pieces, if at all (i.e. those pieces not on a corner or edge). This does add complexity so there are 2 sets of records. Press " 2", "3", "B", or " b" keys (not the keypad 2, 3) to change modes to Period 2, Period 3, or Both. Press " Y" or "y" keys to toggle sticky mode (increase/decrease is disabled here if sticky mode is on)./ Counterclockwise
8 9 Up, Upper Right
^
v
xpyraminx.{2|3|both<turning modes>}:
{1|2|3|4|5|6|7|sticky<number of pieces per edge>} @ (<Number of
moves>/{<Record number of moves> <user name>|"NEVER
noaccess"|"practice"}) - <Comment>
If there is no record of the current puzzle, it displays "NEVER
noaccess".
OPTIONS¶
- -geometry {+|-}X{+|-}Y
- This option sets the initial position of the pyraminx window (resource name " geometry").
- -display host:dpy
- This option specifies the X server to contact.
- -[no]mono
- This option allows you to display the pyraminx window on a color screen as if it were monochrome (resource name " mono").
- -[no]{reverse|rv}
- This option allows you to see the pyraminx window in reverse video (resource name " reverseVideo").
- -{foreground|fg} color
- This option specifies the foreground of the pyraminx window (resource name " foreground").
- -{background|bg} color
- This option specifies the background of the pyraminx window (resource name " background").
- -face{0|1|2|3} <color>
- This option allows you to change the color of a face (resource name " faceColorN"). In mono-mode, color is represented as the first letter of the color name. The faces are ordered top to bottom and left to right. If you has two colors that begin with the same letter you should have one in uppercase and one in lowercase to distinguish them in mono-mode. You can change the colors of the faces to make a stupid pyraminx (i.e. all White or in mono-mode all "W"). Unfortunately, it will not normally say its solved when its randomized. This would be cheating.
- -{border|bd} color
- This option specifies the border color of the pieces in the pyraminx window (resource name " borderColor").
- -delay msecs
- This option specifies the number of milliseconds it takes to move pieces (1-50) (resource name " delay").
- -[no]sound
- This option specifies if sliding pieces should make a sound or not (resource name " sound").
- -moveSound filename
- This option specifies the file for the move sound for the twisting of the puzzle (resource name " moveSound").
- -{font|fn} ontname
- This option specifies the font that will be used (resource name " font").
- -size <int>
- This option allows you to change the number of pieces on a edge (resource name " size").
- -sticky
- This option allows you to set the sticky mode (resource name " sticky").
- -mode <int>
- This option allows you to set the turning mode (resource name " mode").
- -both
- This option allows you to set the turning mode to both period 2 and period 3 (resource name " mode" set at 4).
- -[no]orient
- This option allows you to access the orient mode (resource name " orient").
- -[no]practice
- This option allows you to access the practice mode (resource name " practice").
- -userName string
- This option specifies the user name for any records made or else it will get your login name (resource name " userName").
- -scoreFile filename
- Specify an alternative score file (resource name "scoreFile").
- -scores
- This option lists all the recorded scores and then exits.
- -version
- This option tells you what version of xpyraminx you have.
RECORDS¶
You must randomize the puzzle before a record is set, otherwise an assumption of cheating is made if it is solved after a get or an auto-solve.SAVE FORMAT¶
Here is the format for the xpyraminx configuration, starting position, and the movement of its pieces. The format is not standard. The reason for this is that this is simple to produce and the standard notation is not easily scalable for variable number of pieces and turning modes. Pyraminx with default colors, not randomized:1 R Red
3 G Green
size: 1-7 <number of triangles in the same orientation
as the face per row>
mode: 2-4 <period 2 turning, period 3 turning, or both (4)>
orient: 0-1 <0 false, 1 true; if 1 then lines on pieces to be oriented>
sticky: 0-1 <0 false, 1 true; if 1 then some pieces move together>
practice: 0-1 <0 false, 1 true>
moves: 0-MAXINT <total number of moves>
startingPosition: <2 dimensional array of face piece position, each face has
size * size pieces, if orient mode then orientation number follows face
number: 0 up, 1 upper right, 2 right, 3 down, 4 lower left, and 5
left>
This is then followed by the moves, starting from 1.
move #: <face> <position> <direction>
<control>
Each turn is with respect to a face and position.
REFERENCES¶
James G Nourse, The Simple Solutions to Cubic Puzzles, Bantam Books, New York, November 1981, pp 8-15. Mastering the Magic Pyramid by Tom Werneck, Evans Brothers Limited, London, 1981. pp 109-111. Douglas R. Hofstadter, Beyond Rubik's Cube: spheres, pyramids, dodecahedrons and God knows what else, Scientific American, July 1982, pp 16-31. John Ewing & Czes Kosniowski, Puzzle it Out: Cubes, Groups and Puzzles, Cambridge University Press, New York, 1982, pp 60-61. Magic Cubes 1996 Catalog of Dr. Christoph Bandelow.SEE ALSO¶
X(1), xcubes(6), xtriangles(6), xhexagons(6), xmlink(6), xbarrel(6), xpanex(6), xmball(6), xoct(6), xrubik(6), xskewb(6), xdino(6), xabacus(6)COPYRIGHTS¶
® Copyright 1994-2010, David A. BagleyBUG REPORTS AND PROGRAM UPDATES¶
Send bugs (or their reports, or fixes) to the author:David A. Bagley, <bagleyd@tux.org>
The latest version is currently at:
21 Jan 2010 | V7.6 |