"Magic Dino Cube" Puzzle
This puzzle is based on a six tiled magic puzzle, which
has been given the theme of the rare Dino Cube puzzle!
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| Well, after getting to do the "secret cube move"
with the Magic Maze, I had the urge to make a Magic Dino Cube although
I only had 6-7 tiles left...! (yes... I admit I am somehow infactuated by those Dino Cubes!).
The Magic Dino Cube is actually two cubes, one represents the four colored dino cube (front side when flat), and the other represents the six colored cube with the dinosaur pictures (back side). Note that, in the back side (with the dinosaur pictures), I have added four colored lines on each side of the square, to denote the color of the tile that is supposed to be adjacent. The diagram below shows the configuration of how the tiles are oriented and placed (the back side is similar):
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Below it is easy to see the two solved states of the puzzle. (each side has
a different solution!!!)
It is definitely not easy to go from one solution to the other!)
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Below you may view the various scrambled states of the puzzle:
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Moreover, I spent HOURS and HOURS experimenting to find out the best configuration, such that when performing the "secret cube move", there will be no strings popping off. And there was success! The stringing procedure was to place front and back strings to the 1,3,5 tiles (and go clockwise), then string again 2,4,6 (has anyone done this before?). After doing this, the secret cube move is VERY SAFE. Now, when going from "flat to cube" state or "cube to flat" state, the magic will automatically snap without any bad things happening. Click below to watch a video of how to go from the flat to cube and cube to flat state, using (what else?) the "secret cube move"!!! "SECRET
CUBE MOVE" VIDEO
Below I use pictures (similar to the video) to demonstrate the secret cube move when using the Magic Dino Cube! |
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Many thanks to Juozas Granskas for letting me know that such a move existed
(and was discovered by Guus Razoux Schultz).
A few more notes regarding the above move:
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All Magic Dino Cubes should be made with the stringing I mentioned above. If this practice is used, in the worst case (which has not happened to me yet), a single string may come off, which is easy to put back (because it is supported by five(!) other strings in different ways). Of course, like all magics, after performing a tight move, it is a good habbit to check the magic puzzle and make sure that no string is slightly misplaced! :-) |
To build this puzzle you will need some strings, plastic tiles, and some nice
paper tiles.
(of course, there is a UNIQUE solution)
For information of how to connect/number the tiles and the strings, visit
two brilliant articles here
and here,
(courtesy of Twisty Puzzles
articles).
Please let me know of any comments or suggestions. Thanks! :-)