topblock(6)

📦
version 6.15 · 2 versions
, in alpine 3.24, arch rolling, nixpkgs unstable

💖 NAME 💖

okay bestie, welcome to the topblock(6) page from the XScreenSaver manual. This one is literally a 3D world of falling blocks that build up and up. no cap, that's the whole vibe. 🧚💖

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

topblock [--display host:display.screen] [--visual visual] [--window]
[--root] [--window-id number] [--delay number] [--wireframe] [--fps]
[--size number] [--spawn number] [--camX number] [--camY number] [--camZ
number] [--rotate] [--no-carpet] [--no-nipples] [--blob] [--rotateSpeed
number] [--follow] [--maxFalling number] [--resolution number]
[--maxColors number] [--dropSpeed number] [--override]

🌸 DESCRIPTION 🌸

Creates a world of falling blocks that build up and up. That's it. That's the plot. It's giving endless block-tower chaos, and honestly? iconic. 💅✨

🎀 OPTIONS 🎀

okay, options time — here's every single one, bestie. 🍓

  • --visual visual — specify which visual to use. Legal values are the name of a visual class, or the id number (decimal or hex) of a specific visual.
  • --window — draw on a newly-created window. This is the default.
  • --root — draw on the root window.
  • --window-id number — draw on the specified window.
  • --delay number — per-frame delay, in microseconds. Default: 10000 (0.01 seconds.).
  • --wireframe | --no-wireframe — render in wireframe instead of solid.
  • --fps — display the current frame rate, CPU load, and polygon count.
  • --size number — size of the base/carpet.
  • --spawn number — how likely a new block is to be created per frame: 1 high, 1000 very low. (the original spells it “Likeyhood” — we still love her 🙈)
  • --camX number — initial camera X location in the world.
  • --camY number — initial camera Y location in the world.
  • --camZ number — initial camera Z location in the world.
  • --rotate | -no-rotate — add/remove rotation to/from the animation.
  • --no-carpet — remove the base/carpet.
  • --no-nipples — remove nipples on the blocks (also applies to udders) (has no effect in blob mode).
  • --blob — run in blob mode, blocks become over sized spheres.
  • --rotateSpeed number — varies speed of world rotation.
  • --follow — camera follows blocks as they fall instead of camera being semi static (stays with top block).
  • --maxFalling number — maximum number of objects created before recycling occurs.
  • --resolution number — resolution of tubes, disks and spheres.
  • --maxColors number — number of different colors available to falling objects.
  • --dropSpeed number — varies speed of falling objects.
  • --override — overrides camera settings and provides a tunnel view.

👑 KEYS 👑

keyboard shortcuts, go off bestie 💅:

  • a — increases viewing X coordinate.
  • z — decreases viewing X coordinate.
  • s — increases viewing Y coordinate.
  • x — decreases viewing Y coordinate.
  • d — increases viewing Z coordinate.
  • c — decreases viewing Z coordinate.
  • f — increases camera location X coordinate.
  • v — decreases camera location X coordinate.
  • g — increases camera location Y coordinate.
  • b — decreases camera location Y coordinate.
  • h — increases camera location Z coordinate.
  • n — decreases camera location Z coordinate.
  • r — increases world rotation.
  • q — quit.

🦋 EXAMPLES 🦋

to see which block follow-mode is tracking, set the number of block colors to 1. iykyk 🎀

topblock -follow -maxColors 1

🌈 ENVIRONMENT 🌈

env vars, bestie — they're lowkey important 🫶:

  • DISPLAY — to get the default host and display number.
  • XENVIRONMENT — to get the name of a resource file that overrides the global resources stored in the RESOURCE_MANAGER property.
  • XSCREENSAVER_WINDOW — the window ID to use with --root.

⭐ SEE ALSO ⭐

X(1), xscreensaver(1), and https://www.jumpstation.co.uk/xscreensaver/topblock/ — go click around, bestie. ✨💖

legal queen moment — here's the whole thing, untouched:

Copyright © 2006 by rednuht. Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell this software and its documentation for any purpose is hereby granted without fee, provided that the above copyright notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright notice and this permission notice appear in supporting documentation. No representations are made about the suitability of this software for any purpose. It is provided "as is" without express or implied warranty.

💜 AUTHOR 💜

rednuht <topblock.xscreensaver@jumpstation.co.uk> — periodt. 🫶

and that's the whole topblock(6) page, bestie. source/version: X Version 11, version 6.15, dated 30-Mar-2026. slay and bye 💖🌈

📦 where this page comes from