# Inspection usage



## 5BLD (Dec 29, 2011)

*note: for the poll I mean 3x3 but you can explain different puzzles in the thread. I'm curious.*
How much inspection do you typically use, and more importantly how do you use it?

I inspect for around 9 seconds. I spend a second just glancing around quickly to find a few nice squares to build, then I use a few more secs to go through each square, and pick the one with the best corresponding pair. Then I use the rest to plan the whole first block and know 'about where' the first second block pieces will be.


----------



## Carrot (Dec 29, 2011)

depends on the puzzle...


----------



## 5BLD (Dec 29, 2011)

Oops. For the poll I meant 3x3, but you can elaborate on different puzzles when you post in the thread.


----------



## cubernya (Dec 29, 2011)

I put 8-10, but for other puzzles it may be less (2x2) or more (mega)


----------



## aaronb (Dec 29, 2011)

I only inspect for the cross, which takes me 5-7 seconds. I would assume people who use blockbuilding methods, like Roux, would use more, but what do I know about cubing? ;p

For any other puzzle I use about 10 seconds.


----------



## ben1996123 (Dec 29, 2011)

2x2/4x4/5x5: 8
3x3: 12
6x6+: ~10
Megaminx: 13+
Square 1: 3


----------



## Dene (Dec 29, 2011)

I put 8-10 but that was mainly just a guess. If there's something obvious, only a few seconds.


----------



## Escher (Dec 29, 2011)

I seem to use less than I think I do whenever I watch recordings back over - roughly 5s. 
I choose either white/yellow cross, either based on how easy it is to see/positively effect pieces in the f2l, or simply how nice the cross is to execute, and I try and balance these two factors. It's nice when both are the same colour.

Edit: Sorry, I didn't realise you were talking about 'inspeciton' (sic)


----------



## Sa967St (Dec 29, 2011)

Usually just 2-4. Enough to find the cross pieces and plan the first few moves.


----------



## benskoning (Dec 29, 2011)

Dene said:


> I put 8-10 but that was mainly just a guess. If there's something obvious, only a few seconds.



Me to.


----------



## Hershey (Dec 29, 2011)

About 4 seconds (I use color neutral cross).


----------



## hcfong (Dec 29, 2011)

I'm not sure how much inspection time I use, but I know I use it quite badly. I usually only have 2 cross pieces planned. 3 max. Mainly because I can't look that far ahead and will lose the remaining cross pieces anyway.


----------



## insane569 (Dec 29, 2011)

Just a small amount of time to plan the cross and I look for F2L pieces while solving the cross.


----------



## Achifaifa (Dec 29, 2011)

I'm learning how to inspect a puzzle. But normally I don't even care. When I spend 15 seconds inspecting I can't see more than the first 3 edges or so, so I usually don't use it.


----------



## whauk (Dec 29, 2011)

i always search for an xcross and in case i didnt find one until 10 seconds i panic and just plan a random cross.
if i find xcross: <10, if i dont: >12


----------



## Thompson (Dec 29, 2011)

I don't notice at home but in competition I usually put my puzzle down to start solving as the judge says 8 seconds.


----------



## sa11297 (Dec 29, 2011)

Thompson said:


> I don't notice at home but in competition I usually put my puzzle down to start solving as the judge says 8 seconds.


 
this


----------



## Zane_C (Dec 29, 2011)

I voted 8-10. 
I'll use however long it takes to plan the cross or 3 edges.

Just did a few cross solves while taking notice of inspection time, 5-7 is probably more accurate.


----------



## immortalchaos29 (Dec 29, 2011)

12 seconds. Always. I've never been to a competition but I guess that's when the judge would say, "go." If I can plan the cross or 2x2x2 block within 5 seconds, I look for a corner edge pair on faces that I don't use or use toward the end of my cross solve (so that it will be easy to track). Then I can transition easier. This is all still a work in progress though, I have to get back to practicing...


----------



## emolover (Dec 29, 2011)

Genreally as much time as I can until I am satisfied with my starting solution. 

For 3x3 its around 10ish seconds to look at all the crosses and decide.

2x2 it is all the time I get because I look for the quickest side, determine what the permutation for the bottom side is, and try to predict the OLL. 

For megaminx I use all the time and hope to god I find all the star pieces.

Big cubes is like 7.

Other puzzles is like 8.


----------



## Forte (Dec 29, 2011)

Probably 11-13 because sometimes all the crosses suck so I have to look at them all.
When the easy cross is obvious, I still spend the time planning F2L pairs and stuff anyway, so 11-13 sounds about right.

Also sq1 is usually like 1 second, unless there's some CO stuff I can do during cubeshape, in which case it becomes around 15 because I suck at it lol


----------



## HelpCube (Dec 30, 2011)

I almost always use 8-9 seconds of inspection. If its a hard cross, I might only plan out the first 3 spots. But if it's easy, I'll look for an F2L pair or two. I'll almost always fill that amount of time though.


----------



## ben1996123 (Dec 30, 2011)

Just done 3x3 inspection average of 5: 11.64, 11.64, 11.00, 9.86, 12.81.


----------



## PandaCuber (Dec 30, 2011)

I use as much as I can in order to get blocks right. Depends on how hard the solve is.


----------



## fastcubesolver (Dec 30, 2011)

I usually take around 5-10 seconds to inspect. I look for the cross and any F2L pairs that I happen to see.


----------



## iEnjoyCubing (Dec 30, 2011)

When the judge says "8", I always freak out and start.

At home, I honestly have no idea. Probably 8-11, I really don't follow inspection time that closely.


----------



## Jaycee (Dec 30, 2011)

Unless there's an X-Cross which I carefully plan out (10 seconds), normally about 5 seconds.


----------



## emolover (Dec 30, 2011)

iEnjoyCubing said:


> When the judge says "8", I always freak out and start.


 
For some reason my inspection is way better at comps.


----------



## Noahaha (Dec 30, 2011)

For Petrus I do like 7 seconds figuring out my 1x2x2, 3 seconds locating the third edge and l spend the rest of the time planning the fingertricks. Then I use lookahead to find my pieces for the 2x2x3 extension. I find that when I plan the 2x2x3 extension in the inspection time, I get confused about the initial 2x2x2.


----------



## RaresB (Dec 30, 2011)

In competition I use about 10 secs but at home or in other place like a quick scan maybe like 4 secs. If I'm trying to get a good average at home like 8ish


----------



## LeighzerCuber (Dec 30, 2011)

I use roughly 7 seconds on the crosses I have to really plan out. If I can get an extra easy case cross I will take less. If I have a rather easy cross and see an easy pair or piece to track I will take 12-14. I usually use full inspection for big cubes/ 2x2 I basically plan the first side (ortega) and see if I can predict the OLL.


----------



## RyanReese09 (Dec 30, 2011)

Don't know about home, but competition, 99% of the time I never get to 12 seconds, 30% or so I get to the 8second mark.

I'd say normally 6-7? Depends on the cross.


----------



## TheZenith27 (Dec 30, 2011)

Depends on how easy the cross is. I may choose to plan an X-Cross if I see an easy one, which may take longer. I use around 9 seconds. At competitions, I always hear the "8 seconds" but never the "Go!"


----------



## RCTACameron (Dec 30, 2011)

I never really pay much attention to inspection, but it seems like for 3x3 I usually take 11-13 seconds. Even if there is a really easy x-cross, I always try to lookahead to the next pair instead of just starting immediately.

For 2x2, I use a lot of inspection. I 1-look every decent side until I find a nice solution, then find the best angle to do that solution from before I start the solve. In competition, I can usually do this before the 8 second mark, but if it's bad I usually get to 12 seconds, and start without knowing exactly what to do, and get a bad time.


----------



## cubenut99 (Dec 30, 2011)

Depends on how hard the case is?


----------



## ~Phoenix Death~ (Dec 30, 2011)

About 5-7


----------



## chris w (Dec 30, 2011)

voted 5-7, probably more accurately would have been 2-4s, In the past I've used 2-4s to find cross edges and plan at most 3, unless its a really easy cross, but at the moment I'm really trying hard to fully plan a cross and track f2l pairs. Cross-F2L transition is easily the worst part of my solve right now


----------



## Kian (Dec 30, 2011)

Not quite sure but I rarely get to the 8 second warning in competition so I put 5-7.


----------



## Mal (Dec 30, 2011)

I use about 5-7 for 3x3. I just look at the cross on white and if it's easy I wil do it and try to see the first F2L pair as well. But if the cross is bad then I look at the yellow cross, and if that's bad then I look at the white and yellow and see which one is better and do the one that is better.


----------



## oll+phase+sync (Jan 2, 2012)

whauk said:


> i always search for an xcross and in case i didnt find one until 10 seconds i panic and just plan a random cross.
> if i find xcross: <10, if i dont: >12


I like this aproach


----------

