A 3D file system visualizer inspired by fsn and fsv — the legendary Unix file system visualizers. Reimagined using WebGL and TypeScript for Electron and the browser.
"It's a UNIX system, I know this!"
- 3D file system visualization — soar through your directory tree in real time
- fsn-style data fly-through — files and directories rendered as 3D blocks arranged in navigable rows
- fsv-style MapV/TreeV views — directories as stacked platforms with proportional block representations
- Cross-platform desktop — Electron app for Linux, macOS, and Windows
- Headless server mode — run in Docker, access via browser frontend
- Single-user — bring your own auth, this is your tool not a multi-tenant service
- Modern web tech — TypeScript, WebGL, no legacy baggage
This project pays homage to two classic file system visualizers:
- fsn (Silicon Graphics, 1990s) — the "File System Navigator" that famously appeared in Jurassic Park (1993). Files appear as 3D blocks suspended in space; the camera flies through the directory hierarchy. Ran on SGI IRIX workstations.
- fsv (Daniel Richard G., 1990s) — a Linux/Unix reimagining inspired by fsn. Offers two view modes: MapV (files as rectangular blocks stacked on parent directories, area proportional to file size) and TreeV (directories as concentric platforms with file leaves on top, height proportional to file size). Ran on any Unix/Linux workstation with OpenGL or Mesa3D.
Both predate the modern web by a decade. IKTFM brings the concept to modern hardware with WebGL — no $50,000 SGI workstation required.
- TypeScript — type-safe everything
- WebGL — 3D rendering (framework TBD)
- Electron — desktop application shell
- Docker — headless server deployment
Coming soon — project is in early development.
- Core 3D rendering engine
- Filesystem abstraction layer (local + remote)
- fsn-style fly-through view
- fsv-style MapV/TreeV views
- Electron desktop app
- Docker server mode with browser frontend
- Configurable visualization modes
Monorepo to start, with the option to split into microrepos under the iktfm GitHub org if it makes sense:
iktfm/ # https://github.com/iktfm/iktfm
├── electron/ # Desktop application
├── server/ # Headless server mode
├── web/ # Browser frontend (shared with Electron)
├── core/ # Filesystem abstraction + visualization engine
└── shared/ # Shared types and utilities
(Structure is provisional and may evolve.)
- fsn — Silicon Graphics, Inc.
- fsv — Daniel Richard G.
- Jurassic Park (1993) — for putting fsn on the big screen
