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This nice puzzle is consists of a ball which is sliced up like an orange into 8 segments, and the whole is also divided
horizontally into 4 layers (two polar caps and two middle bands). In other words, it is like a globe with 8 lines of longitude
and 3 lines of latitude.
There are two types of move: A half turn of half the ball along any of the lines of longitude, called a slice move, or a 1/8
turn of one of the 4 layers.
On the standard puzzle, the Rainbow Master (sometimes known as the 'geomaster'), each of the 8 segments has a
different colour. Other designs have pictures on them. The Rainbow version is easier than a picture version because the
pieces occur in identical pairs in opposite layers.
The Masterball was invented by Geza Gyovai and patented on 15 August 1989, US 4,856,786.
A different version is the Logi-Vip ball, made by Arxon. It has a much simpler mechanism since it is made of two
hemispheres and therefore only allows one type of slice move. To do the other slice moves, you have to turn all four layers
to bring the seam to the right place. Because each piece is different, it is similar in difficulty to picture masterballs. When
solved, the four pieces of a segment have the same colour but in different shades ranging from a light colour at one pole to
b. The second sequence swaps a pair of pieces in one segment with a pair in another segment. It is mainly used to line
up the pieces in the polar caps with those of the middle layers. The pairs that are swapped also turn over, so it can
also be used for orienting them.
To swap one pair of middle band pieces in one segment with those of the opposite segment, do the following:
1. Hold the puzzle with one pair of pieces in the segment just to the left of the front seam (on the Logi-vip sphere you
of course have to turn the layers to achieve this).
2. Move the top band to the right.
3. Twist the right hand side of the ball.
4. Move the top band back to the left.
5. Move the bottom band to the right.
6. Twist the right hand side of the ball.
7. Move the bottom band back to the left.
This sequence can of course also be used on the caps instead of the middle bands.
a. Find any two pieces in the middle bands that have the same colour.
b. Use any slice moves you need to places them in opposite segments.
c. If they are now in the same band, then do sequence a to pair them up. If they do not lie in the same band, then try to
find another pair of pieces to pair up.
d. If you have done steps a-c as often as possible but cannot pair up all the middle band pieces, then use some slice
moves to place an unmatched pair in the front segment, and a matched pair at the back segment, and do sequence
b. You will now find that the unmatched pair can be solved using steps a-c above.
Phase 2: Pair up the pieces in the polar caps.
This is essentially the same as phase 1, except that you of course turn the caps instead of the bands when doing the move
sequences.
Phase 3: Align the pairs in the middle bands and the caps to build segments.
a. Find any pair of middle band pieces and pair of cap pieces that belong together in one segment.
b. Use any slice moves to put them in opposite segments.
c. Now do sequence b to put them all in a finished segment.
d. Repeat steps a-c above to solve all the segments.
Phase 4: Put the segments in order.
Note that this phase is similar to solving the Saturn Puzzle, and that the
simpler but longer solution shown there can be used as well.
In this final phase, only slice moves are needed. To describe the move
sequences we need a notation for the moves, and for the different positions
of the segments. Number the segment positions 1 to 8, where the front is
position 1, the segment to its right position 2, and so on.
Name the possible slice moves A to D. A is the slice that turns over pieces 1 to 4, B is the slice move that turns over 2 to 5,
and so on.
1. The segment at position 8 is assumed to be correct. The other segments will be placed correctly alongside it, from
segment 1 to segment 7.
2. Find the segment that belongs in position 1 and note its position. Do the appropriate sequence below:
2: ABA
3: BA
4: A
5: CA
6: DCA
7: DA
3. Find the segment that belongs in position 2 and note its position. Do the appropriate sequence below:
3: BCB
4: CB
5: B
6: DB
7: DCB
4. Find the segment that belongs in position 3 and note its position. Do the appropriate sequence below:
4: CDC
5: DC
6: C
7: DCDC
5. Find the segments that belongs in positions 4 and 5 and note their positions. Do the appropriate sequence below:
4,5: 4,6: CBCBDCDB
4,7: BDCDBCBC
5,4: BCDBDCB
5,6: BABACBCA
5,7: BCDCDCBC
6,4: ACBCABAB
6,5: BCBCBDBC
6,7: BCBDBCBD
7,4: CBCDCDCB
7,5: CBDBCBCB
7,6: D
6. To swap the segments at 6 and 7 then do ABCDCDCA and turn over the ball.
A nice pattern for the Rainbow Master:
From the solved state, rotate the bottom layers of the ball by 180 degrees, and perform ADCDCBC.
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