A Beginner's Guide to Solving the FTO (Face-Turning Octahedron)

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Introduction

The Face-Turning Octahedron (FTO) is an exciting and unique puzzle that might seem intimidating at first, but once you learn how to solve it, it becomes much easier. Unlike a standard Rubik’s Cube, the FTO doesn’t require prior cubing knowledge, although being familiar with basic puzzle-solving techniques can help.

Getting Started

If you're interested in trying out the FTO, it’s a relatively affordable puzzle available at Cubelelo.

To solve the FTO, we’ll follow a simple five-step process:

1. Solve the white face (excluding the corners)

2. Solve two “triples”

3. Solve the remaining three centers

4. Solve the last white corner

5. Complete the final three triples and corners

What is a Triple?

A "triple" refers to a specific set of three connected pieces: a corner piece and the two adjacent triangle pieces.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Step 1: Solving the White Face

The first goal is to solve the white face, but without the corners. The white pieces consist of two types:

Edge pieces: which have another color next to them
Triangle pieces: single-color pieces

It’s best to pair edges with adjacent triangles before placing them. The process is somewhat intuitive, but follows a method similar to solving 4x4 centers. Once all white pieces are positioned correctly, you can move on to the next step. Make sure that the red, blue and purple edges are in the same order as shown in the image!

Step 2: Solving Two Triples

Next, we focus on forming and placing two triples.

Choose a white corner to work with and find the corresponding triangle pieces that match its adjacent colors.

Move and align the triangles so they connect to the corner, forming a complete triple
Insert the triple into its correct position while ensuring the previously solved pieces remain intact

Step 3: Solving the Remaining Centers

Now, we need to complete the three remaining centers (green, gray, and orange).

This step follows a limited set of moves: rotating the top, side, and middle slices (similar to the Yau method for 4x4).
Solve one center at a time, aligning the edge and triangle pieces while keeping previous work intact.
Ensuring correct orientation is crucial, so verify that the colors match the color scheme before moving on.

Step 4: Solving the Last White Corner

With the centers completed, the final white corner must be placed correctly.

Locate the corner and position it above its intended spot
Form a triple by pairing it with the necessary triangle pieces
Use the sledgehammer (R' F R F') or hedgeslammer (F R' F' R) algorithm to adjust orientations as needed.