---
name: "surfaces"
section: "6x"
platform: "linux"
package: "xscreensaver-gl-extra"
version: "6.09+dfsg1-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/surfaces/6x"
---

# surfaces(6x)

Draws some interesting 3d parametric surfaces.

## NAME

surfaces - Draws some interesting 3d parametric surfaces.

## SYNOPSIS

**surfaces** \[--display *host:display.screen*\] \[--visual *visual*\] \[--window\] \[--root\] \[--window-id *number*\] \[--speed *number*\] \[--rand\] \[--spin\] \[--wander\] \[--fps\] \[--surface *surface-name*\] \[--random-surface\] \[--dini\] \[--enneper\] \[--kuen\] \[--moebius\] \[--seashell\] \[--swallowtail\] \[--bohemian\] \[--whitney\] \[--pluecker\] \[--henneberg\] \[--catalan\] \[--corkscrew\] \[--mode *display-mode*\] \[--random-mode\] \[--points\] \[--lines\] \[--line-loops\]

## DESCRIPTION

This draws one of several three dimensional parametric surfaces.

## OPTIONS

- **--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: 20000 (0.02 seconds.).

- **--speed *number***

  Number of frames before changing shape.  Default: 1000.

- **--surface random (Shortcut: --random-surface)**

  Display a random surface.  This is the default.

- **--surface dini (Shortcut: --dini)**

  Display Dini's surface.

- **--surface enneper (Shortcut: --enneper)**

  Display Enneper's minimal surface.

- **--surface kuen (Shortcut: --kuen)**

  Display the Kuen surface.

- **--surface moebius (Shortcut: --moebius)**

  Display the Moebius strip.

- **--surface seashell (Shortcut: --seashell)**

  Display the seashell surface.

- **--surface swallowtail (Shortcut: --swallowtail)**

  Display the swallowtail catastrophe.

- **--surface bohemian (Shortcut: --bohemian)**

  Display the Bohemian dome.

- **--surface whitney (Shortcut: --whitney)**

  Display the Whitney umbrella.

- **--surface pluecker (Shortcut: --pluecker)**

  Display Pluecker's conoid.

- **--surface henneberg (Shortcut: --henneberg)**

  Display Henneberg's minimal surface.

- **--surface catalan (Shortcut: --catalan)**

  Display Catalan's minimal surface.

- **--surface corkscrew (Shortcut: --corkscrew)**

  Display the corkscrew surface.

- **--mode random (Shortcut: --random-mode)**

  Use random OpenGL primitives to display the surface.  This is the default.

- **--mode points (Shortcut: --points)**

  Use OpenGL points to display the surface.

- **--mode lines (Shortcut: --lines)**

  Use OpenGL lines to display the surface.

- **--mode line-loops (Shortcut: --line-loops)**

  Use OpenGL line loops to display the surface.

- **--wander \| --no-wander**

  Whether to wander around the screen.

- **--spin \| --no-spin**

  Whether to rotate around the center of the figure.

- **--fps**

  Display the current frame rate, CPU load, and polygon count.

## 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)

## AUTHORS

Andrey Mirtchovski, Carsten Steger