Patterns

 Roark and I have been playing with Rubik's Cube patterns lately. Between the two of us, he is the master. What I would like is a place to show our pattern algorithms. Maybe we can find shorter algorithms for some of them. First we need to identify the notation.

T = Top around

R = Right around

L = Left around

B = Bottom around

M = Middle vertical layer around

E = Middle horizontal layer around

S = Middle vertical layer between Front and Back

(x) = the x pattern whatever x may be. 

lowercase means 90 degrees instead of 180 degrees

^ = up

v = down

< = left

> = right

Checkerboard: M E S

RTL RTL (or RTR LTL) Family

Solid front; right and top stripes front to back: RTL RTL or RTR LTL. RTL RTL can be expressed as RT LR TL. It is the same 6 moves expressed as 3 2-move sequences instead of 2 3-move sequences. The middle moves, LR, can also be done R first, or RL. Expressed in groups of 3 it is RTR LTL. What exactly does this move do? It swaps the top right with the bottom left and the top left with the bottom right. That is what makes the stripes.

Stripe top to bottom on front; stripe front to back on right top solid: RTL RT(LM)

Checkerboard front; right and top solid: RTL RTL ME or RTLB TLTL or RTLT BLTL

Solid front; right and top checkerboard: RTL RTL S

H Family

H front; others solid: TM TM or MT MT or BM BM. Or if I'm doing it on a 1x3x3 in which M is not an easy move to do: RTR LBL or RTL RBL or RLT RLB (which is really the most like MT MT). Of course another option is to do something like T (MR)R T (MR)R, but I would rather do one of the 6-move sequences. Maybe. 

More about the 1x3x3. Name the corners I, J, K, and L starting at the top left and going clockwise. RTR swaps I and K. So does LBL. So RTR LBL flips the top and bottom edges and swaps two corners then swaps them back. 

RTL moves K>L>I>J and flips edges on the right, top, and left. RBL moves the corners back, flips the edges on the right and left back, and flips the bottom edge, leaving the top and bottom edges flipped.

Lazy H front; right solid; top solid: RE RE (this is just TM TM from a different angle)

H front; right and top stripes front to back: REL

Checkerboard front; right and top solid: REL (turn the cube so the top is on the right) REL

H front; H right; top checkerboard: (sv e< m^ e>) x 2

H front; right Dot; top Stripe front to back: e< M e>

Dot Family

6 Dots: m^ e< mv e>. In other words, UFDG with middle layers.

4 Dots: Dot front; dot right; top solid: M e< M e>

Dot front; right stripe front to back; top solid: RER. This is one twist short of Lazy H.

Cross Family

Cross front; right checkerboard; top stripe left to right: (H) E 

Cross front; right horizontal stripe; top solid: (H) E S

Cross front; right solid; top stripe front to back: RE LE = RTB RTB

Fish Family

Fish front; right and top solid: RT RT RT

Fish front; top and right stripes front to back: RT RT LT

Arrows front; top stripe front to back; right solid: RT RT LT E

Arrows front; top solid; right stripe front to back: RT RT LT M

Patterns that aren't opposite colors patterns Family
(Start with Blue front Yellow up)

6 dots: Front to Right to Bottom and Back to Left to Top: m^ e< mv e>

Blue H front with white edges; Red H right with yellow edges; Yellow X top with blue and orange edges: e> sv e< m^

Blue H front with green edges; Red H right with orange edges Yellow X top with white edges: e> M e< S 

Blue X front with green vertical and red horizontal edges; Red X right with yellow vertical and green horizontal edges; Yellow X top with white edges front back and orange edges left right: m^ e> mv E sv M

Cool Stripes F, T, B, D; Crosses R and L: fv (UFDG)x3 f^ cubevv fv (UFDG)x3 f^ (Flip front and back edges on top and bottom by flipping 2 at a time on top). "Cool stripes" are 3 different colors. The outer stripes are opposite colors in this algorithm.

Cool Stripes R, L, T, D; Solid F and B: [Cool Stripes F, T, B, D; Crosses R and L] (L to F), E H. The outer stripes are opposite colors in this algorithm.

Cool Stripes on all 6 sides: [Cool Stripes R, L, T, D; Solid F and B] m^ R. The outer stripes are opposite colors in this algorithm.

Cool Stripes R, L, T, D; 8s on F and B: f^ R-handed (UFDG)x3 f^ (Flip top front and top back edges) F (L to F) RTLRTL. Adjacent stripes are opposite colors with this algorithm.

LINK to someone's Pretty Patterns Page.