A clear path from six faces to a solved cube.
You do not need to memorize an algorithm to use CubeTurns. You do need to give the solver an accurate picture of all six faces and keep the same reference orientation while following its instructions.
1. Choose the reference faces
The center stickers define each face. In the displayed scheme, white is U (up), green is F (front), red is R (right), yellow is D (down), orange is L (left), and blue is B (back). Begin with U above F. If your puzzle has a different scheme, identify the face letters from their positions and use manual input to represent those positions.
2. Scan without turning a layer
Use bright, diffuse light. Avoid a lamp reflecting directly from glossy stickers. Hold one complete face square to the camera, with each sticker inside its matching grid cell. Before capturing, check the neighboring center shown above the camera guide. Move the whole puzzle to present the next face; do not turn individual layers between captures. The solver needs six views of one unchanged state.
The top neighbor is B for U; U for R, F, L and B; and F for D. This tells you how to orient each image. After six captures, the camera stops and you can review the colors.
3. Correct the input
In Enter colors, choose a palette color and select a sticker in the unfolded cube. Center stickers stay fixed because they define the face names. Rotate face turns one entered face by 90 degrees; use it when you captured a face with the wrong top neighbor. Every color must appear exactly nine times, but correct counts alone do not guarantee a physically possible cube.
4. Read a move
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| R | Turn the right face 90° clockwise, as if looking directly at that face. |
| R′ | Turn the right face 90° counterclockwise. |
| R2 | Turn the right face 180°. Either direction reaches the same state. |
The same rule applies to U, F, D, L and B. “Clockwise” always refers to the face being turned, including faces you cannot see from the front. Watch the direction arrow on the cube or the flat face diagram beneath it. The flat diagram keeps the instruction visible for back and bottom turns.
5. Follow at your pace
Next animates one layer and advances the counter after the turn. Previous animates the inverse of the last move, restoring the earlier state. Play continues through the sequence; Pause lets the active turn finish and then stops. The view buttons change how you inspect the on-screen cube; they do not add moves to the solution. Keep the physical puzzle’s U and F reference unchanged.
If you accidentally make a different turn, pause before continuing. Undo that physical mistake if you know it; otherwise scan or enter the current cube again and request a new solution. Skipping ahead in the move list changes the displayed step, so use it only when your physical cube already matches that point.
Why a cube can be rejected
A single flipped edge, a single twisted corner or a swap of just two pieces cannot result from legal face turns on a standard cube. These states often come from reassembly or a physical corner twist. Incorrect scan orientation can also create an impossible input. First check your entries; do not force or disassemble the puzzle just because the solver rejects it.
What “completed” means
The final display means the generated move sequence solves the state you entered. CubeTurns does not watch your physical turns or verify the real puzzle after each step. Compare your cube to the displayed state and stop if they diverge. The computation and all entered cube colors remain in your browser.