Thread: "120Cell Solved!!!"

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Wow, congratulations, Alvin!

Gosh, I love reading these stories. They've got all the elements you=20
would want from a great adventure saga. I once heard a great definition=20
of "Adventure" which is a story of some horrible thing happening to some=20
poor sap a very long way away. If it were happening to us or to someone=20
closer, we could call it a disaster! Of course when it turns out well,=20
it's easy to celebrate, but when I'm in the middle of something like=20
that, it's simply too intense for me to enjoy. And of course if it=20
fails, then it's a tragedy. Mentions of early, unnoticed mistakes, and=20
sudden, appearances of parity or other unexpected =E2=80=9Cobstacles=E2=80=
=9D make my=20
blood run cold! It's a good thing that you're so young because you don't=20
yet have enough sense to avoid such risky things! If anyone else reading=20
this has already begun this puzzle or also lacks enough good sense, this=20
would be the time to do it while there's still a chance to join the=20
ranks of the first 10. It's not as special as being the first person=20
ever, but it is a meaningful record that can never be taken away and=20
that will only get more special over time.

I really like your video record too. It's not clear at first what's=20
going on because the view is so restricted that it makes it look like a=20
much smaller puzzle. But that's all fine because it creates a real=20
mystery about just what we're watching. The interstitial text is very=20
helpful and funny. The music is great, and the lack of voice adds to the=20
mystery.

This is a really special puzzle, and I'm amazed by your skill and=20
fearless attitude. Congratulations again and best of luck with the next=20
monster you get within your sights!

-Melinda

On 7/21/2015 5:43 PM, alvin5553@gmail.com [4D_Cubing] wrote:
>
>
> About a year ago, Ray solved the 120Cell. It's about a year and now I=20
> have solved it. I started a few weeks after Ray did, and it took a=20
> year for me to complete this puzzle. So back then, I solved the cross,=20
> and then I had no idea how to do F2L or S2L, since on the 3^4 I always=20
> did it with the bottom cell invisible. I was thinking to solve do F2L=20
> (literally, the 3D way, how you do it on a Megaminx) and it doesn't=20
> work, I wasn't thinking "4D" enough. I figured out how to do F2L and=20
> S2L and got going. The first cell took very long, the first few cells=20
> took like half a year, which is like no progress. About this time, I=20
> took a pretty long break from the 120Cell, and then one day decided to=20
> continue going. As I started to do more F2L pairs, I got better and=20
> get to complete a cell. In the beginning I had always messed up solved=20
> cells while doing others, so I always pair pieces up in the "safe=20
> zone" (when doing layer 2, layer 3 and layer 4 cells are affected, but=20
> layer 5 is not, so I do my buildings there etc.), I can't make as much=20
> progress as Ray does, but I make myself do 2 cells per day, and then=20
> progress was definitely noticeable. Originally I've calculated that,=20
> if I do 2 cells per day, I should be able to complete it in August,=20
> which means I still get to break the age record since by birthday was=20
> October 20th. But things didn't go as planned, it went better than=20
> planned! After layer 5, the rest of the layers just went really quickly.
>
>
> There were tons of =E2=80=9Cobstacles=E2=80=9D when solving. During layer=
5, I started=20
> to pay attention to the pieces and checked if I solved it=20
> incorrectly(this issue almost caused me to just give up, since I=20
> couldn't find where I was doing wrong, luckily someone found the=20
> issue), as there were more pieces like the gray-gray-gray. I remember=20
> on one of the F2L pairs, I struggled to see if I inserted the pair=20
> correctly or not (with maxed sticker settings), and I ended up solving=20
> an S2L pair first to check. On layer 6, I noticed there was not much=20
> building space so I had to bring in layer 9. When solving layer 7, I=20
> started to do all RKT moves to pair and insert, I noticed I didn't=20
> need to do layer 8 since when layer 7 is done, the rest of layer 8=20
> pieces belong to layer 9. Something happened when I started layer 9,=20
> so I finished layer 7/8 and then I saved the puzzle, reset it to test=20
> some algorithms, and then accidentally saved it. That means the loss=20
> of all progress done. Fortunately, I had a backup, however it was not=20
> the most updated so I had to redo layer 7, since then I saved a backup=20
> copy whenever I complete a significant portion of the puzzle.
>
>
> I did layer 9, up do the LLOLL stage (for more info, check the SZ=20
> method: http://wiki.superliminal.com/wiki/3%5E4#Notation ), at first=20
> it all went well, the OLL. But then I found an unoriented edge on the=20
> LLF2L. But if there was an incorrect edge when OLL was normal, you=20
> know what happens when I solve that incorrect edge in LLF2L, right?=20
> Yep, the OLL becomes "corrupted", with a 4 edges oriented case. So=20
> that must means somewhere in the lower layers, I have solved a piece=20
> incorrectly. I tryed to avoid this issue but it still occured. I=20
> emailed Ray for help, and he found the incorrectly oriented edge in=20
> layer 4, which was before I started to pay attention to the unoriented=20
> edge problem. He told me I solve it like usual and deal with the=20
> problem later. I solved Layer 9 leaving the two unoriented edges. The=20
> wrong edge wasn't a normal three cycle(which can be solved with the=20
> 3rd Three Color Series), it was a case where you would normally use=20
> the (Special Three Color Series). But the two pieces being so far=20
> away, I find that too hard, so I made a different approach: ELL (w/=20
> RKT). I use the algorithm: R U R' U' Rw' U2 R U R U' R2 U2 L. Of=20
> course I changed up the alg so it would work with Megaminx RKT (for=20
> example: Rw' into L'). That alg flips two stickers of a 3-color piece.=20
> So I use that and finally solved this puzzle.
>
>
> I have a video recorded to show what had happened:=20
> http://youtu.be/dP61mI0d5TM
>
>
> Can't believe I can do it in this year, this puzzle gave me a hard=20
> time, the first few cells took half a year, and before I know, I'm=20
> already on my last few turns (I originally intended to solve this=20
> while I was age 13, but that didn't happen). A coincidence is that Ray=20
> also had a similar "error" in the end of this solve and also another=20
> person (out of the other 8) also had a similar 2c problem. . I was=20
> also worried that, since Windows 10 came out on July 29^th and I=20
> reserved a copy, if Magic120Cell wasn=E2=80=99t compatible with Win10, th=
at=20
> was basically game over for me. After I solved the puzzle, I was=20
> seriously expecting the =E2=80=9Ccongratulations=E2=80=9D window to not p=
op out which=20
> meant another issue to fix.
>
>
> This is first attempt btw, and my name is currently not on the Hall of=20
> Insanity yet, but it should update pretty soon.
>
>
>
>
>=20


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">


Wow, congratulations, Alvin!



Gosh, I love reading these stories. They've got all the elements you
would want from a great adventure saga. I once heard a great
definition of "Adventure" which is a story of some horrible thing
happening to some poor sap a very long way away. If it were
happening to us or to someone closer, we could call it a disaster!
Of course when it turns out well, it's easy to celebrate, but when
I'm in the middle of something like that, it's simply too intense
for me to enjoy. And of course if it fails, then it's a tragedy.
Mentions of early, unnoticed mistakes, and sudden, appearances of
parity or other unexpected =E2=80=9Cobstacles=E2=80=9D make my blood ru=
n cold! It's
a good thing that you're so young because you don't yet have enough
sense to avoid such risky things! If anyone else reading this has
already begun this puzzle or also lacks enough good sense, this
would be the time to do it while there's still a chance to join the
ranks of the first 10. It's not as special as being the first person
ever, but it is a meaningful record that can never be taken away and
that will only get more special over time.



I really like your video record too. It's not clear at first what's
going on because the view is so restricted that it makes it look
like a much smaller puzzle. But that's all fine because it creates a
real mystery about just what we're watching. The interstitial text
is very helpful and funny. The music is great, and the lack of voice
adds to the mystery.



This is a really special puzzle, and I'm amazed by your skill and
fearless attitude. Congratulations again and best of luck with the
next monster you get within your sights!



-Melinda

About a year ago, Ray solved the 120Cell.
It's about a year
and now I have solved it. I started a few weeks after Ray did,
and it took a
year for me to complete this puzzle. So back then, I solved the
cross, and then
I had no idea how to do F2L or S2L, since on the 3^4 I always
did it with the
bottom cell invisible. I was thinking to solve do F2L
(literally, the 3D way,
how you do it on a Megaminx) and it doesn't work, I wasn't
thinking "4D"
enough. I figured out how to do F2L and S2L and got going. The
first cell took
very long, the first few cells took like half a year, which is
like no
progress. About this time, I took a pretty long break from the
120Cell, and then one day decided to continue going. As I
started to do more F2L pairs, I got better and get to complete a
cell. In the beginning I had always messed up solved cells while
doing others,
so I always pair pieces up in the "safe zone" (when doing layer
2,
layer 3 and layer 4 cells are affected, but layer 5 is not, so I
do my
buildings there etc.), I can't make as much progress as Ray
does, but I make
myself do 2 cells per day, and then progress was definitely
noticeable.
Originally I've calculated that, if I do 2 cells per day, I
should be able to
complete it in August, which means I still get to break the age
record since by
birthday was October 20th. But things didn't go as planned, it
went better than
planned! After layer 5, the rest of the layers just went really
quickly.

There were tons of =E2=80=9Cobstacles=E2=80=9D=
when solving.
During layer 5,
I started to pay attention to the pieces and checked if I solved
it
incorrectly(this issue almost caused me to just give up, since I
couldn't find
where I was doing wrong, luckily someone found the issue), as
there were more
pieces like the gray-gray-gray. I remember on one of the F2L
pairs, I struggled
to see if I inserted the pair correctly or not (with maxed
sticker settings),
and I ended up solving an S2L pair first to check. On layer 6, I
noticed there
was not much building space so I had to bring in layer 9. When
solving layer 7,
I started to do all RKT moves to pair and insert, I noticed I
didn't need to do
layer 8 since when layer 7 is done, the rest of layer 8 pieces
belong to layer
9. Something happened when I started layer 9, so I finished
layer 7/8 and then I
saved the puzzle, reset it to test some algorithms, and then
accidentally saved
it. That means the loss of all progress done. Fortunately, I had
a backup,
however it was not the most updated so I had to redo layer 7,
since then I
saved a backup copy whenever I complete a significant portion of
the puzzle.

I did layer 9, up do the LLOLL stage (for
more info, check
the SZ method: target=3D"_blank"
href=3D"http://wiki.superliminal.com/wiki/3%5E4#Notation">http://=
wiki.superliminal.com/wiki/3%5E4#Notation
), at first it all went well, the OLL. But then I found an
unoriented edge on
the LLF2L. But if there was an incorrect edge when OLL was
normal, you know
what happens when I solve that incorrect edge in LLF2L, right?
Yep, the OLL
becomes "corrupted", with a 4 edges oriented case. So that must
means
somewhere in the lower layers, I have solved a piece
incorrectly. I tryed to
avoid this issue but it still occured. I emailed Ray for help,
and he found the
incorrectly oriented edge in layer 4, which was before I started
to pay
attention to the unoriented edge problem. He told me I solve it
like usual and
deal with the problem later. I solved Layer 9 leaving the two
unoriented edges.
The wrong edge wasn't a normal three cycle(which can be solved
with the 3rd
Three Color Series), it was a case where you would normally use
the (Special
Three Color Series). But the two pieces being so far away, I
find that too
hard, so I made a different approach: ELL (w/ RKT). I use the
algorithm: R U R'
U' Rw' U2 R U R U' R2 U2 L. Of course I changed up the alg so it
would work
with Megaminx RKT (for example: Rw' into L'). That alg flips two
stickers of a
3-color piece. So I use that and finally solved this puzzle.

I have a video recorded to show what had
happened: target=3D"_blank" href=3D"http://youtu.be/dP61mI0d5TM">http://you=
tu.be/dP61mI0d5TM style=3D"border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in;">

Can't believe I can do it in this year, this
puzzle gave me a hard time, the first few
cells took half a year, and before I know, I'm already on my
last few turns (I originally intended to solve this while I was
age 13,
but that didn't happen). A coincidence is that Ray also had a
similar
"error" in the end of this solve and also another person (out of
the
other 8) also had a similar 2c problem. . I was also worried
that, since
Windows 10 came out on July 29^th=C2=A0and I reserved a
copy, if
Magic120Cell wasn=E2=80=99t compatible with Win10, that was basical=
ly
game over for me.
After I solved the puzzle, I was seriously expecting the
=E2=80=9Ccongratulations=E2=80=9D window to not pop out which meant=
another
issue to fix.=C2=A0

This is first attempt btw, and my name is
currently not on the Hall of Insanity yet, but it should update
pretty soon.=C2=A0

=20=20=20=20=20=20

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Wow, congratulations too, Alvin!

I did very much appreciate reading your report and the youtube is realy wel=
l done. It is not easy to avoid confusion but you did it.

Ed Baumann


----- Original Message -----=20
From: Melinda Green melinda@superliminal.com [4D_Cubing]=20
To: 4D_Cubing@yahoogroups.com=20
Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2015 4:04 AM
Subject: Re: [MC4D] 120Cell Solved!!!


=20=20=20=20
Wow, congratulations, Alvin!

Gosh, I love reading these stories. They've got all the elements you woul=
d want from a great adventure saga. I once heard a great definition of "Adv=
enture" which is a story of some horrible thing happening to some poor sap =
a very long way away. If it were happening to us or to someone closer, we c=
ould call it a disaster! Of course when it turns out well, it's easy to cel=
ebrate, but when I'm in the middle of something like that, it's simply too =
intense for me to enjoy. And of course if it fails, then it's a tragedy. Me=
ntions of early, unnoticed mistakes, and sudden, appearances of parity or o=
ther unexpected =E2=80=9Cobstacles=E2=80=9D make my blood run cold! It's a =
good thing that you're so young because you don't yet have enough sense to =
avoid such risky things! If anyone else reading this has already begun this=
puzzle or also lacks enough good sense, this would be the time to do it wh=
ile there's still a chance to join the ranks of the first 10. It's not as s=
pecial as being the first person ever, but it is a meaningful record that c=
an never be taken away and that will only get more special over time.

I really like your video record too. It's not clear at first what's going=
on because the view is so restricted that it makes it look like a much sma=
ller puzzle. But that's all fine because it creates a real mystery about ju=
st what we're watching. The interstitial text is very helpful and funny. Th=
e music is great, and the lack of voice adds to the mystery.

This is a really special puzzle, and I'm amazed by your skill and fearles=
s attitude. Congratulations again and best of luck with the next monster yo=
u get within your sights!

-Melinda



On 7/21/2015 5:43 PM, alvin5553@gmail.com [4D_Cubing] wrote:

About a year ago, Ray solved the 120Cell. It's about a year and now I h=
ave solved it. I started a few weeks after Ray did, and it took a year for =
me to complete this puzzle. So back then, I solved the cross, and then I ha=
d no idea how to do F2L or S2L, since on the 3^4 I always did it with the b=
ottom cell invisible. I was thinking to solve do F2L (literally, the 3D way=
, how you do it on a Megaminx) and it doesn't work, I wasn't thinking "4D" =
enough. I figured out how to do F2L and S2L and got going. The first cell t=
ook very long, the first few cells took like half a year, which is like no =
progress. About this time, I took a pretty long break from the 120Cell, and=
then one day decided to continue going. As I started to do more F2L pairs,=
I got better and get to complete a cell. In the beginning I had always mes=
sed up solved cells while doing others, so I always pair pieces up in the "=
safe zone" (when doing layer 2, layer 3 and layer 4 cells are affected, but=
layer 5 is not, so I do my buildings there etc.), I can't make as much pro=
gress as Ray does, but I make myself do 2 cells per day, and then progress =
was definitely noticeable. Originally I've calculated that, if I do 2 cells=
per day, I should be able to complete it in August, which means I still ge=
t to break the age record since by birthday was October 20th. But things di=
dn't go as planned, it went better than planned! After layer 5, the rest of=
the layers just went really quickly.=20




There were tons of =E2=80=9Cobstacles=E2=80=9D when solving. During lay=
er 5, I started to pay attention to the pieces and checked if I solved it i=
ncorrectly(this issue almost caused me to just give up, since I couldn't fi=
nd where I was doing wrong, luckily someone found the issue), as there were=
more pieces like the gray-gray-gray. I remember on one of the F2L pairs, I=
struggled to see if I inserted the pair correctly or not (with maxed stick=
er settings), and I ended up solving an S2L pair first to check. On layer 6=
, I noticed there was not much building space so I had to bring in layer 9.=
When solving layer 7, I started to do all RKT moves to pair and insert, I =
noticed I didn't need to do layer 8 since when layer 7 is done, the rest of=
layer 8 pieces belong to layer 9. Something happened when I started layer =
9, so I finished layer 7/8 and then I saved the puzzle, reset it to test so=
me algorithms, and then accidentally saved it. That means the loss of all p=
rogress done. Fortunately, I had a backup, however it was not the most upda=
ted so I had to redo layer 7, since then I saved a backup copy whenever I c=
omplete a significant portion of the puzzle.=20




I did layer 9, up do the LLOLL stage (for more info, check the SZ metho=
d: http://wiki.superliminal.com/wiki/3%5E4#Notation ), at first it all went=
well, the OLL. But then I found an unoriented edge on the LLF2L. But if th=
ere was an incorrect edge when OLL was normal, you know what happens when I=
solve that incorrect edge in LLF2L, right? Yep, the OLL becomes "corrupted=
", with a 4 edges oriented case. So that must means somewhere in the lower =
layers, I have solved a piece incorrectly. I tryed to avoid this issue but =
it still occured. I emailed Ray for help, and he found the incorrectly orie=
nted edge in layer 4, which was before I started to pay attention to the un=
oriented edge problem. He told me I solve it like usual and deal with the p=
roblem later. I solved Layer 9 leaving the two unoriented edges. The wrong =
edge wasn't a normal three cycle(which can be solved with the 3rd Three Col=
or Series), it was a case where you would normally use the (Special Three C=
olor Series). But the two pieces being so far away, I find that too hard, s=
o I made a different approach: ELL (w/ RKT). I use the algorithm: R U R' U'=
Rw' U2 R U R U' R2 U2 L. Of course I changed up the alg so it would work w=
ith Megaminx RKT (for example: Rw' into L'). That alg flips two stickers of=
a 3-color piece. So I use that and finally solved this puzzle.=20




I have a video recorded to show what had happened: http://youtu.be/dP61=
mI0d5TM=20





Can't believe I can do it in this year, this puzzle gave me a hard time=
, the first few cells took half a year, and before I know, I'm already on m=
y last few turns (I originally intended to solve this while I was age 13, b=
ut that didn't happen). A coincidence is that Ray also had a similar "error=
" in the end of this solve and also another person (out of the other 8) als=
o had a similar 2c problem. . I was also worried that, since Windows 10 cam=
e out on July 29th and I reserved a copy, if Magic120Cell wasn=E2=80=99t co=
mpatible with Win10, that was basically game over for me. After I solved th=
e puzzle, I was seriously expecting the =E2=80=9Ccongratulations=E2=80=9D w=
indow to not pop out which meant another issue to fix.=20




This is first attempt btw, and my name is currently not on the Hall of =
Insanity yet, but it should update pretty soon.=20







=20=20
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=EF=BB=BF