14 DAY TRIAL // Invented in 1974 by professor Erno Rubik and initially called “The Magic Cube,” the 3D mechanical puzzle currently known as the Rubik's Cube became in less than half of a century one of the most popular and best-selling toys worldwide. The traditional model features a six-faced cube with nine stickers on each side, but the pattern has been adapted in order to create many other similar puzzles shaped like barrels, diamonds and so on.
For me and for many others out there, the Rubik Cube is the toy of our childhood. And the joy of having one was nothing compared to the satisfaction you had when you actually solved the puzzle. CubeTwister was designed to capture that feeling by allowing you to create your own collection of cubes, solving methods or steps that lead to pretty patterns.
The Looks
Even if the purpose of the application is to provide an environment capable of coherently store information about your favorite puzzles, the CubeTwister main window comes with a built-in library designed to help you find your way around. The window is separated in two main areas: on the left side, the library menu, and the “viewer” on the right.
The “library” is organized in four different categories: Cubes, Notations, Scripts and Notes. Each time you select a certain entry, you will be able to see the document content on the right.
The Works
The right area of the window acts like a viewer/editor for all four categories. If the selected item is a cube, you will be able to see a preview, but also to specify all the elements that define its appearance. Each document will include a 3D model and the properties worksheet that allows you to set the name, shape, colors, the image it should display and store personal notes. All these options are organized in panels that can be accessed from the bottom of the document. The same area also allows you to adjust the animation parameters like the twist duration, dimension or background color.
CubeTwister offers 11 cube shapes that can be easily customized to suit your needs: 2x2 Pocket Cube, 3x3 Rubik's Cube, 4x4 Revenge Cube, 5x5 Professor Cube, 6x6 V-Cube, 7x7 V-Cube, 3x3 Rubik’s Barrel, 3x3 Rubik Diamond, 3x3 Rubick’s Octahedron Cube, 6x6 Cube and 7x7 Cube.
In order to manipulate the cube, you will need to create a script by using one of the CubeTwister predefined notations, but you will also be able to create your own. Basically, you will have to create your own markers in order to express the cube movements. CubeTwister provides support for defining twists, rotations, setting the movement angle, inversions, permutations, repetitions, reflections, conjugations, commutations and more. When you decide which notation better suits your need, you must set it as the default in order to use it in your scripts.
The actual fun for all the Rubik's Cube fans starts at the first encounter with the Scripts editor. No matter if you are a connoisseur when it comes to solving methods or just a beginner looking for a simple solution, the editor will seem a wonderful playing ground. Using the default notation, you will be able to document your solutions, but you can also use it to create beautiful patterns.
Still, if your math skills have failed you or your patience has been exhausted, you can always use the Solve feature that will find and document the necessary movements. Even if it may seem a bit too technical at the beginning, you will soon discover that everything is very logical if you reduce it to basic math. Of course, the process might take a while, that is why you might find it useful to keep detailed notes.
The Good
The Bad
The Truth
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
