How to solve an FTO
Build one centre, form three four-colour corner triplets, solve the middle centres and finish the final inner-centre cycles.
Before you begin
The Face-Turning Octahedron has eight faces and no fixed centre colour scheme. This tutorial starts with white, but you may begin with any colour. Before placing the first edges, check a solved FTO or your puzzle's colour scheme so the surrounding colours are arranged correctly.
Solve the first centre
We will use white. Start with the edges, then insert the white inner corners around them.
Insert the inner centres
Find a white inner centre and bring it to the position shown. Insert it with the following four moves, turn the centre with U, then find the next white inner centre and repeat.
R L' R' LShow move-by-move notation images
Build two corner triplets
Place the solved white centre on the bottom. Each white outer corner contains three other colours. Match the two relevant inner centres to that corner to form a triplet.
Identify the matching colours
With the white outer corner at the front, move it left and find the red and purple inner centres that belong beside it. The grey pieces are not relevant to this case.
R' U' RShow notation images
U' R' U'Show notation images
Insert the completed triplet
R'LRepeat once, then stop
Build and insert a second triplet in the same way. Do not finish the third one yet: the open corner provides the working space needed to solve the middle centres.
Solve the three middle centres
Begin with the bottom centre
In this colour scheme, the bottom centre is green. Solve its two edges and one inner centre while preserving the white triplets.
Complete the green centre
For the general pairing process, bring the green-red edge and inner centre down with BR', pair with br R' br', then insert the remaining edge with BR. For the exact case shown, use:
BR R BR' R' BR R BR'Show move-by-move notation images
Start the top middle centre
Place the white centre at the back-left. In this example, solve the orange centre. First make a BL' move so the insertion does not disturb the white triplets, solve the two edges and nearby inner centre with U R U', then restore with BL.
BL' U R U' BLShow notation images
Complete the last bottom triplet
Find the final white outer corner
If it is already on the bottom, bring it to the top with R L R' L'. While building this triplet, use that sequence instead of casual U turns when necessary so the solved centres remain intact.
R L R' L'Show notation images
Match the two inner centres
Use U or U' to test whether the first matching inner centre is available. Once matched, use L R L' R' for a left-side case or R' L R L' for a right-side case. Match the corner's other colour next. If no match is immediately available, move the corner left with U and use R' L R L'.
Insert the completed final triplet
L R L' R'Show notation images
R L R' L' R' B' R BShow notation images
Orient the yellow corners
You will have either all three yellow corners facing up or only one. If only one is up, move it to the back-left with U or U', then perform:
R' L R L'Show notation images
Position the corners and edges
Move the oriented corners to their correct positions. If the edges still do not match, perform the following sequence up to twice:
R' L R L' L' B L B'Show notation images
Cycle the final inner centres
Solve them two at a time
Use short cycles to exchange inner centres. Most cycles solve two pieces, although occasionally a cycle will place only one piece correctly.
Inner-centre cycle
Hold one target in the middle layer and the other on the top layer at the back-left, then perform the cycle. Reposition the puzzle and repeat with the remaining unsolved centres.
R L R' L' r R' L R L' r'
