---
name: "intermomentary"
section: "6"
platform: "linux"
package: "xscreensaver"
version: "6.15-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/intermomentary"
---

# intermomentary(6)

Visualize the momentary and aggregate intersections between slowly moving circles.

## NAME

intermomentary - Visualize the momentary and aggregate intersections  between slowly moving circles.

## SYNOPSIS

**intermomentary** \[--display *host:display.screen*\] \[--visual *visual*\] \[--window\] \[--root\] \[--window-id *number*\] \[--foreground *color*\] \[--background *color*\] \[--num-discs *disc count*\] \[--draw-delay *delayms*\] \[--max-riders *maxr*\] \[--max-radius *maxradius*\] \[--fps\]

## DESCRIPTION

The Intersection Momentary is a fun visualization defining the relationships  between objects with Casey Reas, William Ngan, and Robert Hodgin. Commissioned  for display at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

A surface filled with 100 medium to small sized circles. Each circle has a  different size and direction, but moves at the same slow rate. Display:

    A. The instantaneous intersections of the circles.\
     B. The aggregate intersections of the circles.

The circles begin with a radius of 1 pixel and slowly increase to some arbitrary size.  Circles are drawn with small moving points along the perimeter. The intersections are rendered as glowing orbs.  Glowing orbs are rendered only when a perimeter point moves past the intersection point.

## OPTIONS

Intermomentary accepts the following options:

- **--num-discs *disc count* (Default: *85*)**

  Number of slowly moving and growing discs to use.  The more discs,  the more CPU power.

- **--draw-delay *delayms* (Default: *30000*)**

  Delay in ms between drawing cycles.  More delay, slower (but smoother  and less CPU intensive.) art.

- **--max-riders *maxrider* (Default: *40*)**

  Maximum number of 'riders', single dots moving around the edge of the discs.

- **--max-radius *maxradius* (Default: *100*)**

  Maximum possible radius of a disc.

- **--fps**

  Display the current frame rate and CPU load.

- **--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.

## BUGS

Setting the background to anything besides black confuses the intensity  algorithm and will look terrible.

## ENVIRONMENT

- **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)](/xscreensaver/1.md)

## COPYRIGHT

Copyright © 2003 by J. Tarbell \<complex@complexification.net\>.\
 XScreenSaver port: Mike Kershaw \<dragorn@kismetwireless.net\>

## AUTHOR

J. Tarbell \<complex@complexification.net\>, Jun 2003.\
 Mike Kershaw \<dragorn@kismetwireless.net\>, Oct 2004.