Mixup Cube

Although I do not remember my favorite way to solve this I vaguely remember that I do have a favorite way. Basically it is a 3x3x3, but with 45º slices possible, so that centers can move to edge spots and edges can move to center spots. hmmm, maybe I should start with the corners!

Haha! The corners are solved and the yellow center happened to be in the midst of the yellow corners, but the white center is in a yellow edge spot! Weird.

After focusing on the centers, I proceeded to solve it as much as possible using the Corners First Method. I used the center twisting algorithm to twist edges when needed.

I vaguely remember that what I would do in the past when I got to a certain point was count how many swaps were needed and if it was odd, or even?, then I would give the middle layer a 45º turn. I didn't do this this time and the parity was not an issue. But I did have an interesting situation. One middle layer edge is flipped. Center twister alg to the rescue!

After several more scrambles and solves I did run into the parity at the end and had to give the middle layer a 45º turn then resolve the middle layer centers along with the edges. One thing bothers me. I have this notion that I had some clever way to twist edges other than using the center twister alg. But I can't remember. So finally I decided to see if I had ever made any notes mentioning it. So far here is all I have found in the Solution Guides Pre Fall 2013 file:

White and Yellow Layers; check # of swaps in Middle Layer; Make it even with 45˚ twists if necessary; 3-cycles to solve Middle Layer.

In the Solution Guides file it goes into greater detail:

1. Count how many odd swaps are needed. In other words a swap is 1. A 3-cycle = a double swap = 0 odd swaps.
2. An even numbered cycle is an odd number of swaps. Each pair of odd swaps = an even swap.
3. If there is 1 swap needed after all the math is done, there will be after solving as much as possible too. So do a 45˚ twist before solving anything.

Is that hilarious or what?

In the Notes section of that page it tells about the "clever way to twist edges" that I haven't been able to remember.

So basically I am solving Corners First. It took several solves to see that getting the white and yellow edges could have some fun little twists. Like the one going in does not have to be in the back corner all the time. So you can situate it conveniently to orient other edges along the way when doing the F twist.

Now let's see if I can actually do it!