Welcome to the new 'Layer-by-Layer'

Designed for beginners.

Algorithms aren't magic creating one is easy. Then we'll use it to solve the cube.

For context

About the Layer by Layer

The Layer-by-Layer was designed for speedcubers; simplicity wasn't the constraint.

For beginners, the point is solving the cube. Speed will come later.

The Layer-by-layer can be easier with a new approach.

It follows the same path (no need to restart from scratch)
Layer 1 and Layer 2 were left incomplete (it'll help a lot)
Relies on a single algorithm: the 'Sledgehammer' (no memory effort)
No 'mystery': every step is intuitive.

A few extra moves for understanding isn't heresy - it's teaching.

The tutorial is

TAILORED: For those who tried without success or first-time solvers.
They will discover the cube is not that difficult if approached in the right way.
NOT DESIGNED: For speedcubers. Nothing here is about speed.
The reason for them to visit would be curiosity to explore a different perspective.

Notations

Instructions

All green text is active. Hover over with the mouse and something will happen.
Click a green text with a bubble on the right will open a popup dialog.
Click an identifier (e.g., WB or rds ) to locate the corresponding cubie.
Identifiers like WB or rds display definitions via tooltips. Tooltip appears after a second

Hold Ctrl Windows or Command Apple and click opens a new tab.
Avoid keeping too many cards open, as this may degrade performance.

0Layer 1 White cross

The strategy is to place one white edge at a time.

Choose an edge with a white sticker on Layer 1 and move it to Layer 2
Move the white edge from Layer 2 to Layer 3 white sticker up. on yellow face
If on Layer 3 the white sticker faces sideways then move it to Layer 2
Rotate the top face to line up the edge's side colour with the matching centre.
Rotate that face 180° to insert the edge.

F' : brings the WB edge from mdf on Layer 1 to ref on Layer 2
The WB edge needs to reach Layer 3 with white up (white sticker on the Yellow face). In this case, it's not possible with an F' F' rotation, so the edge is left on Layer 2 . The next rotation: R will complete the job.

R : brings the WB edge from ref to rus - white sticker up, However, the RW edge gets displaced. The next 3 moves will put it back.
U' : gets the WB edge out of the way so we can put the RW edge back
R' : Brings back the RW edge to its correct position: rds
U : Brings back the WB edge to its last position: rus

U : Brings the WB onto the Blue face at position muf
F2 : (F F) Brings the WB edge into its final position: mdf

In a nutshell:

F' a Setup move. Is like bringing an object to the workbench to fix it
(R U' R' U) Does the job keeping side effects contained.
- R the Action we want to perform. Has side effects.
- U' the Protection protects the 'action' from the next move
- R' the Undo cancels the side effects of the first move: R
- U the Undo cancels the side effects of the second move: U'
U F2 (U F F) Just simple moves to bring the edge to its final position

These three blocks are all the structure you need to solve the white cross.

Setup - Algorithm - Undo. Master this logic and the cube is yours.

Notes

The WB edge could be placed in 3 moves - but the goal here isn't to optimize moves, it's to optimize learning.

The workbench is a metaphor: it makes you think there is a place where you can operate without worrying about making a mess or causing damage.

With the Sledgehammer, you do two things:
1) Perform the move you had in mind - always the first rotation R. that makes it simple to remember and use.
2) The other 3 moves create a 'workspace' where side effects don't matter, keeping the rest of the cube safe.

Another example:

1Layer 1 Positioning corners

The layer will not be fully solved. One corner stays empty, on purpose.

The strategy is to place only 3 white corner, one at a time. Layer 2 will make clear why

Move any white corners from Layer 1 , to Layer 3 .
Rotate the top face to line up the corner's destination with the matching centre.
Move any white corner from Layer 3 , to Layer 1 .
The corner's orientation will result in a very easy way. The next section shows how.

The corner at rdf remains clear. That one gap simplifies the classic LbL.

R : brings the RWG corner from rdf to ruf However, the RW corner gets displaced. The next 3 moves will put it back.
U' : brings the RWG corner from ruf to rub protecting it against next move
R' : restores the RW edge to its original place: rds
U : brings the RWG corner from ruf to luf position. Now this rotation seems a non sense. Later it will be clear.

(U2) : (U U) Brings the RWG corner from luf to rub .

B' : brings the RWG corner from rub to rdb . However, the WG and the OWG cubies get displaced. The next 3 moves will put them back.
R : brings the RWG corner from rdb to rdf protecting it against next move
B : restores the However, the WG and the OWG cubies to their original place:
R' : brings the RWG corner from rdb to rdf protecting it against next move

In a nutshell:

(R U' R' U) Brings the corner to Layer 3 avoiding disruptions.
- R the Action we want to perform. Has side effects.
- U' the Protection protects the 'action' from the next move
- R' the Undo cancels the side effects of the first move: R
- U the Undo cancels the side effects of the second move: U'
F' a Setup. Brings the corner, on Layer 3 over its destination (on Layer 3) .
(B' R B R') Brings the corner to Layer 1 avoiding disruptions.
- B' the Action we want to perform. Has side effects.
- R the Protection protects the 'action' from the next move
- B the Undo cancels the side effects of the first move: B'
- U the Undo cancels the side effects of the second move: R

The algorithm: Sledgehammer

In the previous section we used 2 different sequences (R U' R' U) and (B' R B R'), sharing the same schema: Action, Protection, Undo, Undo

They are the Sledgehammer an easy tool and the only one we use to solve the cube

Workbench The cubies affected by the 'Sledgehammer'.
Rotations How edges swap rotate.
Swap How corners swap together.
Arrows Arrows shows how cubies relocate
Cycle 'Sledgehammer' repeats itself every 6 iterations
Reverse The 'Sledgehammer' cancelling the effect of another

Sexy move The big brother of the 'Sledgehammer'.

Both do the same job, but in a different way: the difference is the second rotation, and therefore the fourth.
- R U' R' U - Sledgehammer
- R U R' U' - Sexy Move
Both share the same pattern: Action, Protection, Undo, Undo.

In the first section, after the setup move, if those four rotations seemed unreasonable - you were right! I should have used the Sexy Move (R U R' U') instead of the Sledgehammer (R U' R' U) (For teaching, the Sledgehammer was the right choice).

In the classic layer-by-layer method, when you need to solve the third layer, one setup move is enough to use the Sexy Move. To use the Sledgehammer, you need two setup moves.

For speedcubers, when speed matters, the Sexy Move wins.

Instead the Sledgehammer makes its effects easier to see (better than the Sexy Move). So, in a tutorial, For beginners, when clarity matters, the Sledgehammer wins.

The action is the first move of the required 'Sledgehammer'. The other moves follow.

Thinking in terms of 'Sledgehammer' makes solving the cube easier.

2Layer 1 Orientation

Corner orientation with the 'Sledgehammer'.

(B' R B R') : The Sledgehammer . brings the RWG corner from rub to rdb
(B' R B R')2 : The Sledgehammer . 2 times change corner's RWG orientation

Once the corner is in place, to adjust orientation just repeat the 'Sledgehammer'.

The 'Sledgehammer' changes position only to the cubies inside the 'Y' shaped region.

The 'Y' shaped region is called 'Workbench'

3Layer 2 Corners

Now will be clear why the first layer was left incomplete.

(U2) : (U U) Brings the RG edge to the mub position, ready to move into reb .

D : Brings the corner from rdf onto rdb to protect the RWG from the Sledgehammer.

(B' R B R') : This Sledgehammer places the RG edge from Layer 3 onto reb .

D' : Returns the corner RWG to its correct position: rdb

In a nutshell:

U2 Setup - prepares the cube for the Sledgehammer
D Protect the RWG against the side effect of the 'Sledgehammer'

The Sledgehammer would remove the already-solved RWG corner. The D rotation swaps it with a disposable corner from rdf - so the Sledgehammer damages only what we don't care about.
(B' R B R') Sledgehammer - does the job with 'controlled' disruptions.
D' Undo - restores the RWG corner to its place.

Remains the case where the edge to place is trapped in Layer 2 .

Think about it: when we bring an edge from Layer 3 down to Layer 2, the edge that was already there gets kicked up to Layer 3 . Right?

That means:

The same move that inserts an edge can also free a trapped one.

4Layer 3 First 2 Edges

Believe it or not, the worst is over.

Strategy:

In this step, we only work with the edges YG and OY to put them in place.
Move edges between Layer 2 and Layer 3 to orient and position them
Only one edge at a time should be in the 'Workbench'

U Brings the YG edge, inside the 'workbench' at position rus
(R' F R F') : Sledgehammer . brings the YG edge from rus to muf
(F' U F U') : This Sledgehammer brings the YG edge from Layer 2 ref to Layer 3 muf Taking the long path for correct orientation.
(U' R U R') : This Sledgehammer brings the YG edge from muf to rus
U' brings the YG edge back to its place: the position mub

In a nutshell:

U' Setup Brings YG onto the 'Workbench' (to be worked out)
(R' F R F') Sledgehammer brings the YG onto Layer 2 (needs changing orientation)
(F' U F U') Sledgehammer brings YG back to Layer 2 , now correctly oriented.
(U' R U R') Sledgehammer brings YG next to OY

This part is easy like the white cross. If you've got the idea behind it, you'll soon improvise.

5 Layer 3 'The Trap'

Layer 3 is where most give up, even though the solution is disarmingly simple.

When positioning the first edge on the third layer, it seems natural to assume it can be placed in any of the four slots.

THAT'S WRONG!

Only two positions are valid - they lead to a successful resolution. The other two will result in a swap of the last two edges, making the cube impossible to solve

To resolve this, simply relocate the two edges OY and YG to their adjacent positions.

The edge YG goes from mub to rus
The edge OY goes from lus to mub

U Brings the YG edge to the position rus (into the 'workbench')
(U F' U' F) : This Sledgehammer . moves the YG edge from rus to muf
U Brings the OY edge into the 'workbench'
(U F' U' F) : This Sledgehammer . brings the OY edge to its new position
U Completes the task

In a nutshell:

U Setup Brings YG onto the 'Workbench'
(U F' U' F) Sledgehammer Moves the YG edge to the next position
U Setup Brings OY onto the 'Workbench'
(U F' U' F) Sledgehammer Moves the OY edge to the next position
U Move Brings OY to its correct place.

There are other way to tackle the same problem some very brilliant

TheTrap escape the trap by combinig rotations'.
TheTrap escape the trap by a rotation of 5 edges.

6Layer 3 Orientation

Once out of the trap, pick a Sledgehammer and repeat until all edges are in place.

If all edges are correctly oriented: ready for the next step
If only one edge is correctly oriented (for example, RB )
- remove it from ref and move it to muf (or to rus it is the same)
- once done, bring it back from to ref

(F' U F U') : This Sledgehammer . moves the YG edge from rus to muf
(F R' F' R) : This Sledgehammer . brings the OY edge to its new position

In a nutshell:

(F' U F U') Sledgehammer The RB edge (the only one orented) is dislodged from ref
(F R' F' R) Sledgehammer and then brings it back to its place: ref

There is other way to adjust orientation some very brilliant

Flat orientation a better way to orientate cubies'.

7Layer 3 Completing corners

I found this technique on the internet - no idea who came up with it.

The insight:

The Workbench is no longer usable? (Because the edges already occupy their slots)

No worries, define a 'new Workbench' to work on the 'old Workbench' . Easy!

The strategy:

Check the corner at position rdf
Bring the destination of that corner at position ruf with a setup move
(Already in place for the corner RYB no setup needed.
Swap the corner at rdf with the corner at ruf Using a 'Sledgehammer"
(The corner at position ruf will be the next corner that will be put in place)
To adjust the orientation just keep going with the same 'Sledgehammer'

The 'Sledgehammer' (F' R F R') can do the whole job till the end. Using (R F' R' F) also shortens the task.

Things to know:

Cycle - a 'Sledgehammer' repeats itself every 6 times.
Swap - 'Sledgehammer' swaps corners between Layer 1 and Layer 3

In a nutshell:

(U F' U' F) Sledgehammer RYB goes to its position ruf and RYG goes to rdf
U Setup the destination of RYG goes to ruf ready to receive it
(U F' U' F) Sledgehammer RYG goes to its position ruf and RWB goes to rdf
U2 Setup OYB is already in place. A double 'Sledgehammer' will adjust its orientation
U2 Setup OYB is already in place. A double 'Sledgehammer' will adjust its orientation
(U F' U' F) Sledgehammer Moves the OY edge to the next position
U Move Brings OY to its correct place.

8Corners Last 2

Changing the 'Workbench' to this will solve this configuration.

Things to know:

Any 'Sledgehammer' repeated 2 times changes the orientation of the corner.
Any 'Sledgehammer' cycle repeats itself every 6 times.
Each Sledgehammer has an inverse 'Sledgehammer' that cancels its effects

This sequence of rotations uses the same 'Sledgehammer'

This method relies on the fact that repeating the 'Sledgehammer' 6 times returns the cube to its original state. By splitting the cycle and inserting an F move, we can orient two different corners while keeping the 'Workbench' intact. Whether you finish with 4 more repetitions or use the inverse version twice, the cube will be fully restored.

The first 2 times to correct the orientation of corner RWB at rdf
The other 4 times (or 2 inverse) to recover the Workbench's original configuration.

1)	2 2 times	(D' R D R') Sledgehammer Adjusts orientation of corner RWB at rdf
2)		Setup moves corner RYB from ruf to rdf
3)	2 2 times	(R D' R' D) Sledgehammer Adjusts the orientation of ruf
4)		Setup Final rotation. Cancels the rotation from step 2 (F)

This sequence uses a 'Sledgehammer' and its inverse

The second 'Sledgehammer' the inverse of the first, cancels the effect of the first one and the cube returns to its original state in only 2 times.

How to reverse: Perform the moves in opposite order and opposite direction. If the move was D', the reverse is D. E.g. (D' R D R') ⬄ (R D' R' D)

Contacts

Send a message

Extras

The Workbench , is a new approach optimized for the Sledgehammer.
This solver implements the 'workbench' to solve step-by-step any scramble.
The solver is fully configurable!
And if you like puzzles: The game of 100

Technical Notes

About this tutorial

This isn't a static guide. Every move sequence is connected to a live 3D cube. Click any R U R' U' - the cube shows you exactly what happens.

Step forward one move at a time, Run one shot groups of rotations with

Run one shot groups of rotations with

Run the full sequence with

See the effect before you try it yourself. No memorization. Just watching, understanding, and solving.

This page contains an interactive 3D Rubik's Cube used to visualize algorithm sequences and cube transformations. Each move is animated so that users can observe how edge and corner pieces move across different cube states.

The demonstration focuses on the Sledgehammer move sequence, commonly used in multiple Rubik's Cube solving methods. The viewer allows inspection of the cube from any angle and helps users understand the effect of the algorithm on piece permutation and orientation.

Educational purpose

The purpose of this visualization is educational. It helps users understand how Rubik's Cube algorithms transform the cube by tracking the movement of corners and edges during each move.

By observing the sequence repeatedly, users can learn how specific operators affect piece permutation and orientation within the cube.

Algorithm demonstration

The simulation demonstrates the Sledgehammer move sequence and shows how repeated application of the operator modifies the cube configuration.

Each move in the sequence is animated so that users can observe how the algorithm affects corner orientation, edge position, and overall cube structure.

User interaction

Users can interact with the cube directly by rotating the model, inspecting the cube state, and replaying the move sequence. This allows the algorithm to be explored visually rather than only through notation.

Rubik's Cube terminology

Algorithm: a sequence of cube moves.
Cube state: the current configuration of all pieces.
Permutation: the position of cube pieces.
Orientation: the direction of corners and edges.
Move sequence: ordered cube rotations used to transform the cube.

Step-by-step animation

The cube animation displays each move in sequence so that the effect of the algorithm can be observed gradually. This makes it easier to understand how complex transformations emerge from simple repeated operations.

This interactive demonstration provides a visual explanation of Rubik's Cube algorithms using a real-time 3D simulation.

Welcome to the new 'Layer-by-Layer'

For context

About the Layer by Layer

The tutorial is

Notations

Instructions

0Layer 1 White cross

Another example:

1Layer 1 Positioning corners

The algorithm: Sledgehammer

2Layer 1 Orientation

3Layer 2 Corners

4Layer 3 First 2 Edges

5 Layer 3 'The Trap'

6Layer 3 Orientation

7Layer 3 Completing corners

8Corners Last 2

Contacts

Extras

Technical Notes

About this tutorial

Educational purpose

Algorithm demonstration

User interaction

Rubik's Cube terminology

Step-by-step animation

Related topics