cs-flythrough

An ambient screensaver that loads Counter-Strike 1.6 GoldSrc BSP map files and renders a smooth, continuous first-person camera flythrough — no UI, no HUD, just pure nostalgic exploration.

The experience mirrors the Windows 95 maze screensaver: continuous forward movement through iconic maps like de_dust2, cs_italy, and de_aztec. Powered by the actual map and texture files from your own CS 1.6 or CS: Condition Zero installation — no Valve assets bundled.

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Requirements

• Windows 10/11
• Counter-Strike 1.6 or Counter-Strike: Condition Zero installed (Steam or standalone)
• DirectX 12 or Vulkan-capable GPU

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Installation

1. Download cs-flythrough.exe from the Releases page
2. Place it in a folder of your choice
3. Run it once to generate a default cs-flythrough.toml config file
4. Edit cs-flythrough.toml and set cs_install_path to your CS install directory
5. Run again — the flythrough starts immediately

To exit the screensaver: move the mouse or press any key.

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Configuration

cs-flythrough.toml lives next to the binary:

cs_install_path = "C:/Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/Counter-Strike"
map_selection = "single"   # "single" | "list" | "all"
map = "de_dust2"
camera_speed = 133.0       # units/sec (CS 1.6 walk speed)
bob_amplitude = 2.0        # camera bob height in units
bob_frequency = 2.0        # bob cycles per second

Setting	Description
cs_install_path	Root directory of your CS 1.6 or CZ install
map_selection	single — one map; list — named maps; all — every map found
map	Map name (without .bsp) when map_selection = "single"
camera_speed	Movement speed in GoldSrc units/sec. 133 = CS walk speed
bob_amplitude	Vertical bob in units. 0 to disable
bob_frequency	Bob cycles per second

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Map Compatibility

On first load, each map is tested and the result is recorded in map-compatibility.toml next to the binary. Maps that fail to parse are automatically excluded from rotation with the exact error logged.

To retry a failed map: remove its entry from map-compatibility.toml and run again.

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Building from Source

Requires Rust stable 1.77+.

git clone https://github.com/ktulue/cs-flythrough
cd cs-flythrough
cargo build --release

The binary will be at target/release/cs-flythrough.exe.

Running the integration test (requires a CS install):

CS_INSTALL_PATH="C:/Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/Counter-Strike" cargo test --test bsp_integration -- --nocapture

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Roadmap

• de_dust2 flythrough (skateboard)
• Windows .scr registration (appears in screensaver control panel)
• Map selection settings dialog
• Multi-map rotation
• Sky dome textures
• Ambient audio
• Low-power idle mode

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Legal

This project does not bundle any Valve assets. Map files (.bsp) and texture files (.wad) are read directly from your own Counter-Strike installation and remain the property of Valve Corporation.

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License

MIT — see LICENSE

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Support

☕ Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi

Created by Ktulue | The Water Father 🌊