Okay guys I have a very specific scenario to solve. I have solved almost all of the royal pyraminx, Timur's Fantastic 5 layered pyraminx, except for the outer edges of the middle pyramid. I can place the corners and the inner edge of the middle pyramid, but invariably end up stuck with the last parts of the inner pyramid as shown in the pictures. This requires strategies not used with a professor pyraminx. Any ideas out there?

How I would have solved the puzzle from the start is solve the centers like a VULCANO, and then solve the edges in the same way one would with the Professor Pyraminx. I think that would make it a lot easier.

Hmm, would you believe I never thought if that! Brilliant! I guess that's what this forum is for, thanks Luke! I'll give that a try, but I'm wondering how we'll the inner pyramid will stand up after placing the outer edges professor pyraminx style. I did make note that the inner pieces don't maintain their positions after outer placement, forcing me to fix it after the outer layers are solved. I have perfectly good strategies for placing all of the properly placed pieces shown in the picture without messing up the edges, but none for placing the other pieces shown.

Or, you could use the sonic screwdriver. Your choice. Screwdriver is probably cooler.

That would only disassemble it! At least I would be able to see what it looks like on the inside... perhaps I should just reverse the polarity of the neutron flow...

You know, before its chameleon circuit malfunctioned, my TARDIS took the shape of a giant 9X10X11 cuboid.
People kept mistaking it for a Tony Fisher mod...

Now that right there is gonna be someone sig .

It's great to know that we have some Doctor Who fans on this forum.

Use reduction. When the centers are solved, turn the faces, NOT the vertices, as if it was a cube. Any preference of edge pairing method would work well enough and not ruin the center arrangement. I wish I could show you what I mean...

When centers are solved, hold the pyraminx such that one vertex is down and all 3 of the others are on top. Turn the faces, not the vertices. This ought to make it straightforward.

Of course, puzzle solvers are known to have good taste!


Actually, you described it quite well. After Luke's inspired advise regarding placing the centers, I'm able to do that without a problem. I am also now able to place the middle edge, not the one in the inner pyramid, which I can now do completely, but the inner most piece of the outer edge (boy, with all the expanding layers coming out of these pyramidal puzzles, we have to start making up new names for segments!). I'm finding placing the 3 outer edges (of which there are 4 total, as opposed to the three inner edges, just to clarify), to be more of a problem then I thought. I'm able to easily place the three inner edges without messing up the center pyramid with the usual pyraminx criss cross algorithm, but I'm reaching a little snag in placing the outer ones, which is the easiest of steps with the professor pyraminx.
Maybe because there are three different ones that are moved in three different planes, it may be just a matter of moving the places into the right orientation, in other words, deconstructing the puzzle, applying the corner switch, then reconstructing it. I always get to down to just two or three left. I'm wondering if I'm walking into a parity, not unlike the volcano type. My hope is that its just a matter of rearrangement.
Kind of an amusing note, I contacted Timur, as you know the designer, about advice on solving, and he said that he did not know how to solve it yet. I find it amazing that, like Doctor Frankenstein, he can't control the very monster he created!

Aha! I did it. The deed is done, and I'm gazing triumphantly at a solved royal pyraminx. If it takes a village to raise a child, then sometimes it takes a forum to solve a puzzle. For the sake of posterity, and bring the thread to a victorious close, here is the strategy I employed (may not be the fastest, but it works!):
1. Place the top edge (under the caps) to define each side, just like the pyraminx
2. Place the equivalent inner pyramid top edge pieces by cycling them in intuitively, just, as Luke said, like the volcano cube.
3. Align the middle inner edge (the middle one of three) with the corresponding center pyramid edge, i.e the one just below it. This too is done just as you would align the edges of a volcano pyraminx.
4. Align all the inner edges as you would do a professor pyraminx
5. Place all the outer edges, as rentlix instructed, by relying on face turning. Although you can vertex turn to deconstruct the puzzle to apply a criss cross algorithm to make an exchange, just remember to reconstruct it.
6. This leaves the “caps” on the middle pyramid to place. This is done by applying an R U Ri Ui algorithm 3 times, where R is a vertex turn with the front right center cap as the base of the vertex, and U is a vertex turn where the base of the inner pyramid is the base of the vertex (really its an upside down face turn with the face on the bottom). This will cycle LB to FR to RB to RF to BR to LB. Rearrange until all center caps are placed.
Thanks to all who offered advice, you've touched both my hearts
Ok Timur, let me at that 7 layer!

I'm sorry, that's stored on Raxacoricofallapatorius. Good luck finding it!

EDIT: Speaking of Doctor Who, I just watched enough episodes to see Eccly go to Tennant! Consecutively.

Then you have some of the best episodes, including compared to the old series, coming up. Although I always regretted that Eccleston regenerated so soon, and would have loved to see more of him. I thought he was a great Doctor and a fantastic reintroduction to a new generation. Oh well, such are the vicissitudes of a time lord...

No offense, but Eccleston was a terrible Doctor. Everything was too serious with him. I don't think that making Tennant the next Doctor was the best, as there personalities are completely different. Anyhow, now back on topic!

Well, if your world was destroyed and species was wiped out in the time wars, you would probably be pretty serious too! But you're right, he was a much more somber, brooding doctor (being overly jubilant wouldn't fit with his circumstance)

Agreed! Of note, after solving (I'm reattempting another solve to make sure I just didn't get lucky and not run into any parity) I discussed with Timur the notion that he had mentioned a more stable core that could be used. Timur's customer service is fantastic, and we are discussing the purchase of the new core to apply to my existing puzzle. With more stability, perhaps that can encourage the process of mass producing this very entertaining puzzle (are you listening Meffert?).