Basic Face Moves
A move letter names the face to turn. Imagine looking straight at that face: an unmarked letter means one clockwise quarter turn. The face names are Right, Left, Up, Down, Front, and Back. Keep the cube in the same orientation while reading a sequence unless a rotation symbol tells you otherwise.
RLUDFBThe 3D examples begin from a state that makes the effect visible. Open one and drag the background to see the face from another angle. A letter's direction is still defined from the face you turn, not from the camera's current view.
Double & Reverse Moves
A prime mark (') reverses a move: R' is a counterclockwise quarter turn of the right face. The number 2 means a half turn: R2 has the same result whether you turn clockwise or counterclockwise. A sequence is read left to right, one token at a time. For example, R U R' U' makes four separate turns; it is often called the right-hand trigger.
R U R' U'R2Double Layer Moves
Lowercase letters such as r, u, and f are wide moves: turn the named outer face and the adjacent middle layer together. Some guides write these as Rw, Uw, and Fw. The same rule applies to l, d, and b. Wide moves occur more often in advanced speedcubing algorithms than in the beginner guide. The 3D examples on this page focus on the six outer faces used throughout the V1 lessons.
Whole Cube Rotations
x, y, and z rotate the entire cube around axes running through the right, top, and front faces. Think of x as turning the whole cube in the direction of R; y in the direction of U; and z in the direction of F. They change which color is facing you, but do not change which pieces touch. A prime reverses the rotation, and 2 makes a half rotation.
If an algorithm seems to disagree with the picture, first check whether it expects a cube rotation or a different starting grip. Then replay the outer-face moves in the algorithm library, or try the 3D solver with your own cube.