| XOCT(6) | Games Manual | XOCT(6) |
xoct - Octahedron X widget
/usr/games/xoct [-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|4|5|6|7} {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]
The original puzzle has 9 triangles per face (size = 3) and has period 4 turning (i.e. the face or points turn with 90 degree intervals). The puzzle was designed by Uwe Meffert and called the Magic Octahedron (or Star Puzzler). The puzzle was not widely distributed but not exactly rare. This puzzle has some analogies to the Rubik's Cube and the solving techniques are the same to that of the Pyraminx. Christoph's Magic Jewel is similar except there are no trivial corners to solve. This has 2^22*12! or 2,009,078,326,886,400 different combinations.
Uwe Meffert also noticed that there could be an alternate twisting for the octahedron where it has period 3 turning (i.e. faces turn with 120 degree intervals).
One is able to simulate a Trajber's Octahedron (period 3 turning and sticky mode). Also one is able to simulate one with variant turning (period 4 turning and sticky mode).
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.
"S" or "s" keys to start auto-solver. Only works on 1x1x1, 2x2x2, and 3x3x3 facets in Period 4 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 "octas", if at all (i.e. those "octas" not on a corner or edge). This does add complexity so there are 2 sets of records.
Press "3", "4", "B", or "b" keys (not the keypad 3, 4) to change modes to Period 3, Period 4, or Both.
Press "Y" or "y" keys to toggle
sticky mode (increase/decrease is disabled here if sticky mode is on).
"Sticky" and "Period 3" turning allows only the faces to
turn, it is as if the middle cut of the three cuts did not exist.
"Sticky" and "Period 4" turning allows only the points to
turn, it is as if the middle cut of the three cuts did not exist.
Beware, the "Sticky" mode is a hack and much could be done to
improve its look.
Press "I" or "i" keys to increase the number of pieces.
Press "D" or "d" keys to decrease the number of pieces.
Press ">" or "." keys to speed up the movement of pieces.
Press "<" or "," keys to slow down the movement of pieces.
Press "@" key to toggle the sound.
Press "Esc" key to hide program.
Press "Q", "q", or "CTRL-C" keys to kill program.
Use the key pad or arrow keys to move without the mouse.
Key pad is defined for Oct as:
/ Counterclockwise
7 8 9 Upper Left, Up, Upper Right
^
4<5>6 Left, Clockwise, Right
v
1 2 3 Lower Left, Down, Lower Right
Use the shift keys to access "Period 4" turns from "Both" mode, otherwise it assumes "Period 3" turning. Points turn in "Period 4" and faces turn in "Period 3".
Use the control key and the left mouse button, keypad, or arrow keys to move the whole octahedron. This is not recorded as a turn.
The title is in the following format (non-motif version):
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.
Here is the format for the xoct configuration, starting position, and the movement of its pieces.
Octahedron with default colors, not randomized:
0 R Red
3 1 M B Magenta, Blue
2 W White
4 O Orange
7 5 Y P Yellow, Pink
6 G Green
startingPosition: <2 dimensional array of face "octa" position, each face has size * size "octas", if orient mode then orientation number follows face number numbered clockwise from 0 to 11, where 0 is up>
This is then followed by the moves, starting from 1.
Beyond Rubik's Cube: spheres, pyramids, dodecahedrons and God knows what else by Douglas R. Hofstadter, Scientific American, July 1982, pp 16-31.
Magic Cubes 1996 Catalog of Dr. Christoph Bandelow.
X(1), xcubes(6), xtriangles(6), xhexagons(6), xmlink(6), xbarrel(6), xpanex(6), xmball(6), xpyraminx(6), xrubik(6), xskewb(6), xdino(6), xabacus(6)
® Copyright 1994-2013, David A. Bagley
Send bugs (or their reports, or fixes) to the author:
The latest version is currently at:
| 10 Jan 2013 | V7.7.1 |