Tutorial: Dimensions Last edited 5 years ago2018-06-15 11:08:26 UTC

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What does 1 unit equal?

One of the most common question asked about "units" in Goldsource is what real-world unit they correspond to. Unfortunately, 1 unit doesn't really equal anything. It is not a "real" inch or centimeter. It is just a figure. If you build your maps based on a unit actually representing a standard measurement, then Gordon will end up being a short fat person.

So what dimensions should I use?

These dimensions apply to Half-Life maps and other mods that don't have custom player movement.

The following figures are pretty good, but if you're making small spaces for players to fit through, it's best to add a few units just to be sure. A unit is the smallest square available in the 2D views. Just use your [ key to reduce the size of your grid until it won't go any smaller, then zoom in with the C key, and the grids should be one unit. You can verify this by checking the Snap on Grid indicator at the bottom right of the screen.

Ground obstacle height

This is the maximum height, in units, an object can be while still allowing the player to walk over it.
Crouched: 18
Standing: 18

Overhead obstacle height

This is the minimum distance, in units, that can be between the ground and an object while still allowing the player to pass underneath.
Crouched: 37
Standing: 73

Minimum path width

This is the minimum width, in units, that can be between two objects while still allowing the player to pass between them.
Width: 33

Jump height

This is the maximum height, in units, an object can be while still allowing the player to jump on top of it.
Crouched: 44
Walking: 44
Running crouch-jump: 62

Note: Some users have reported that it is possible to crouch-jump 64 units high provided the surface you jump up to is sloping down towards you between 45° and 0°.

Jump span

This is the maximum distance, in units, that can be between two objects of the same height, while still allowing the player to jump from one object to the other.
Crouched: 99
Walking: 109
Running: 239
Running crouch-jump: 259

Note: These values are approximate, as jump distance can be extended using various movement techniques.

Eye level

Looking directly ahead, a brush will appear to be at eye level if it is about 45 units off the floor.

7 Comments

Commented 15 years ago2008-09-11 14:20:03 UTC Comment #100561
nice thanks
Commented 15 years ago2008-09-19 08:18:37 UTC Comment #100562
cheers 4 that. I'm completely new to this programme. made a noob mistake of creating a jumbo land haha
Commented 7 years ago2016-06-20 07:44:10 UTC Comment #100563
Just leaving this here for my own future reference: Eye level is actually 64 units.
Commented 7 years ago2017-01-07 08:36:17 UTC Comment #100564
This info has helped me so much!
Commented 3 years ago2020-09-12 20:16:38 UTC Comment #102911
Can't be true can it jess? You can see over 64 unit crates. Eye level is a bit lower in cs however
Commented 2 years ago2021-08-02 20:01:39 UTC Comment #103647
I must add that the 16HU to 1ft conversion is useful in at least one thing: stairs. If applying the aforementioned conversion to everything else makes people look short, then completely ignoring it and making steps rise 16HU makes them even tinier! 12HU rising and 16HU going sounds about right.

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