explaingit

farbrausch/fr_public

Analysis updated 2026-07-03

★ 3,700C++Audience · developerComplexity · 5/5LicenseSetup · hard

TLDR

An archive of tools and production code from Farbrausch, a legendary demoscene group that created visually stunning real-time demos packed into tiny executables during the 2000s.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((fr_public))
    What it does
      Real-time demo tools
      Procedural content generation
      Executable compression
    Key tools
      Werkkzeug3 and 4
      kkrieger 96KB FPS
      V2 synthesizer
      kkrunchy packer
      OpenKTG textures
    Tech stack
      C++
      Visual Studio 2010
      OpenGL
    Audience
      Graphics programmers
      Demoscene enthusiasts
      C++ learners
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Code map

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filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Study how to procedurally generate game content (textures, geometry, audio) at runtime to fit an entire first-person shooter into 96 kilobytes.

USE CASE 2

Use the OpenKTG library as a standalone texture generation tool, including for WebGL projects.

USE CASE 3

Learn real-world C++ techniques used to build Werkkzeug4, a demo-making tool that was also used in commercial production work.

USE CASE 4

Explore Altona and Werkkzeug4 as working foundations for your own real-time graphics projects.

What is it built with?

C++Visual StudioOpenGL

How does it compare?

farbrausch/fr_publickhronosgroup/vulkan-hppdendibakh/perf-ninja
Stars3,7003,6993,702
LanguageC++C++C++
Setup difficultyhardmoderatemoderate
Complexity5/54/54/5
Audiencedeveloperdeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · hard Time to first run · 1day+

Code was pulled from old SVN repos and only tested with Visual Studio 2010, many parts are not straightforward to compile with modern toolchains.

Licensed under BSD license or placed in the public domain, you can use, study, and build on this code for any purpose.

In plain English

Farbrausch was a prominent demoscene group active in the early 2000s through 2011. The demoscene is a subculture focused on creating short real-time computer graphics productions, often as small and technically impressive as possible. This repository is an archive of nearly all the tools, frameworks, and production code Farbrausch created and used during that decade, released to the public in 2012. The code was not cleaned up before release. It was pulled from old hard drives and SVN repositories and published as-is, with only minor bug fixes and changes needed to compile it with Visual Studio 2010. Some parts are described as clean and well-structured, others are acknowledged to be messy. The release is all licensed under a BSD license or placed in the public domain, so anyone can study or build on it. What is inside covers a wide range of tools. Werkkzeug3 and Werkkzeug4 are demo-making tools that were used to create many of the group's productions, including their well-known demos "debris" and "kkrieger." The kkrieger entry is a first-person shooter that famously fit into 96 kilobytes by procedurally generating all its content at runtime. RauschGenerator 2 was used for their 64k intro productions. The V2 synthesizer is a music synthesis system used across multiple productions. kkrunchy is an executable compressor used to pack final production files as small as possible. OpenKTG is described as a clean, standalone texture generation library that the README notes could be adapted for use in WebGL projects. Altona and Werkkzeug4 are highlighted as the most practically useful pieces for anyone who wants to actually build and run something. They have been tested, binary releases exist, and the codebase was used in commercial work at several companies. The other tools are more historical artifacts: interesting to read through and useful for understanding how real-time demo productions were made, but not necessarily straightforward to compile or run. The repository is a rare look at serious C++ production code from a time when squeezing visual complexity into tiny executables was a competitive sport, and it comes with candid notes from the original authors about what works and what does not.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
I'm looking at the farbrausch/fr_public repo. How does kkrieger fit an entire first-person shooter into 96KB using procedural generation? Walk me through the core technique.
Prompt 2
Using the OpenKTG texture generation library from farbrausch/fr_public, write me a minimal C++ example that generates a procedural stone texture.
Prompt 3
I want to understand the V2 synthesizer from fr_public. Explain how it generates music programmatically and how I could hook it into my own demo project.
Prompt 4
Show me how kkrunchy (from farbrausch/fr_public) compresses executables so aggressively, what techniques does it use beyond standard compression?
Prompt 5
I want to build something with Werkkzeug4 from farbrausch/fr_public. What are the first steps to compile and run it, and what can I create with it?

Frequently asked questions

What is fr_public?

An archive of tools and production code from Farbrausch, a legendary demoscene group that created visually stunning real-time demos packed into tiny executables during the 2000s.

What language is fr_public written in?

Mainly C++. The stack also includes C++, Visual Studio, OpenGL.

What license does fr_public use?

Licensed under BSD license or placed in the public domain, you can use, study, and build on this code for any purpose.

How hard is fr_public to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated hard, with roughly 1day+ to a first successful run.

Who is fr_public for?

Mainly developer.

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