Deconstructing a 3D Rubik's Cube Solver with React Three Fiber

July 7, 2025 (3d ago)

For many, the Rubik's Cube is a symbol of complexity and order. For developers, it's a fascinating algorithmic puzzle. I decided to combine these two perspectives by building a 3D Rubik's Cube solver visualization for my personal website. This blog post breaks down how it works, from the 3D rendering to the solving algorithm, and provides a guide for you to build your own.

You can see the final result in the Rubik's Cube section of my website.

The Technology Behind the Cube

To bring the cube to life in the browser, I used the following libraries:

  • React Three Fiber: A powerful React renderer for Three.js, which allows you to build 3D scenes with reusable React components.
  • Three.js: The underlying 3D library that handles the rendering, camera, lighting, and geometry.
  • Framer Motion: While not used for the cube's core animations, it powers the smooth fade-in effects on the page.

The main component, RubiksCube, is found in src/components/rubiks-cube.tsx. It's a client-side component, as it relies on browser-only APIs for rendering and interaction.

Visualizing the CFOP Solving Method

The solver visualizes the CFOP method, a popular speed-cubing technique that breaks the puzzle down into four main stages. Here's how the visualization walks through each step:

1. The Cross

The first step is to form a cross on one face of the cube, with each edge piece matching the color of the adjacent center piece. The algorithm identifies the edge pieces and executes a series of moves, like R, U, R', U', to position them correctly. The visualization shows each of these moves in sequence, providing a clear demonstration of how the cross is built.

2. First Two Layers (F2L)

Next, the solver tackles the first two layers simultaneously. This is the most intuitive part of the CFOP method, and it involves pairing up corner and edge pieces and inserting them into their correct slots. The visualization demonstrates this by highlighting the paired pieces and animating the R U R' or U R U' R' algorithms used to insert them.

3. Orienting the Last Layer (OLL)

Once the first two layers are complete, the next step is to orient the last layer so that all the pieces on the top face are the correct color (though not necessarily in the correct position). There are 57 possible OLL algorithms, and the solver identifies the current case and executes the corresponding sequence. For example, it might perform a "Sune" (R U R' U R U2 R') or an "Anti-Sune" (R' U' R U' R' U2 R).

4. Permuting the Last Layer (PLL)

Finally, with the last layer oriented, the pieces need to be permuted into their final positions. There are 21 PLL algorithms to solve any possible permutation. The visualization identifies the case—such as a T-perm or a Y-perm—and executes the algorithm to solve the cube. For instance, the T-perm is solved with R U R' U' R' F R2 U' R' U' R U R' F'.

Throughout this process, the component displays the current stage and the algorithm being executed, giving you a real-time look into how the CFOP method works.

How to Build Your Own 3D Rubik's Cube Visualizer

Interested in creating a similar feature for your own website? Here's a step-by-step guide based on the implementation in src/components/rubiks-cube.tsx.

Step 1: Set Up Your React Three Fiber Scene

First, you'll need a basic React Three Fiber scene. This involves setting up a Canvas, which is the main container for your 3D objects, and adding lighting and camera controls.

import { Canvas } from '@react-three/fiber';
import { OrbitControls } from '@react-three/drei';
 
function RubiksCubeScene() {
  return (
    <div className="w-full h-96">
      <Canvas camera={% raw %}{{ position: [5, 5, 5], fov: 50 }}{% endraw %}>
        <ambientLight intensity={0.5} />
        <pointLight position={[10, 10, 10]} intensity={1} />
        <OrbitControls />
        {/* Your cube will go here */}
      </Canvas>
    </div>
  );
}

Step 2: Create the Cube Components

The Rubik's Cube is made up of 27 individual "cubies." You can create a Cube component for a single cubie and then render 27 of them in a 3x3x3 grid. The Cube component will use a boxGeometry and apply a different colored meshStandardMaterial to each face.

function Cube({ position, faceColors }) {
  return (
    <mesh position={position}>
      <boxGeometry args={[0.9, 0.9, 0.9]} />
      {faceColors.map((color, index) => (
        <meshStandardMaterial key={index} color={color} attach={`material-${index}`} />
      ))}
    </mesh>
  );
}

To manage the rotation of the entire cube, wrap the 27 Cube components in a group and use the useFrame hook from React Three Fiber to apply a continuous rotation.

Step 3: Implement the Cube Solver Logic

This is the most complex part. You'll need a CubeSolver class to manage the state of the cube and apply the solving algorithms.

  • State Management: The state of the cube can be represented as an array of CubePiece objects, where each object stores its current position and face colors.
  • Move Functions: Create functions for each of the standard Rubik's Cube moves (R, R', U, U', etc.). These functions will update the positions and face orientations of the affected cubies. For example, an "R" move rotates all the pieces on the right face of the cube.
  • Algorithm Execution: The CubeSolver class should have a moveQueue that stores a sequence of moves to be executed. An animation loop, driven by requestAnimationFrame, can then execute one move at a time from the queue, updating the cube's state and re-rendering the scene.

Step 4: Putting It All Together

Finally, combine the scene, components, and solver logic into a single RubiksCube component. Add UI controls to scramble the cube, start the solving animation, and reset the cube to its initial state. You can use React's useState hook to manage the cube's state and trigger re-renders as the solver executes its moves.

By breaking the problem down into these smaller, manageable steps, you can create a stunning and educational 3D visualization for your own personal website.

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