Editor Tools and Snapping
Every object placed on an Unturned™ map occupies a specific position, rotation, and scale in three-dimensional space. The editor provides four transform tools - select, move, rotate, and scale - and a set of snapping controls that constrain transformations to regular intervals. The combination of free transform and snapping is the mechanism by which objects are arranged into buildings, aligned along roads, positioned at precise heights above terrain, and scaled to fit architectural proportions.
This article is a procedural tutorial covering each transform tool, the transform gizmo and its axis handles, snap to grid, snap to surface, vertex snap, and the precision controls that govern all snap operations. The article assumes the reader is familiar with the editor viewport and camera navigation documented in Level Editor UI and Navigation.
Prerequisites
- Familiarity with the Level Editor viewport and camera navigation controls documented in Level Editor UI and Navigation.
- A map open in the editor with at least one placed object. If no map is available, create a new Tiny map in the editor and place a few objects from the object browser for testing.
- Understanding of the three-dimensional coordinate system used by the editor: X (east-west), Y (vertical), Z (north-south).
What you will learn
- How to activate each of the four transform modes: select, move, rotate, and scale.
- How to use the transform gizmo to constrain transformations to a single axis.
- How to enable and configure snap to grid, snap to surface, and vertex snap.
- How to set the snap increment value and understand its effect on each transform mode.
- How to use precision controls for fine adjustments without disabling snap.
- How to select multiple objects and transform them as a group.
- How to diagnose and resolve the most common transform and snapping issues.
Background: how the transform system works
The editor's transform system is built on a per-object pivot point. Every placed object has a pivot point that defines its local origin. The pivot point is typically located at the object's base center for most objects, but this depends on how the object's prefab was authored in Unity. The move, rotate, and scale tools all operate relative to the pivot point.
When a single object is selected, the transform gizmo appears at the object's pivot point. When multiple objects are selected, the gizmo appears at the center of the selection's combined bounding box. The gizmo provides visual handles for each axis, color-coded red (X), green (Y), and blue (Z).
As shown in the flowchart above, each mode maps to a specific interaction pattern with the gizmo. The transform is applied in real time as the gizmo handle is dragged, but the change is not written to disk until the map is saved.
Select mode
Select mode is the default mode when the editor opens. It allows choosing one or more objects for subsequent transformation or deletion.
Single selection
Clicking on any placed object selects it. The selected object is highlighted with a colored outline. Clicking on empty terrain deselects all objects.
On-screen appearance: Selected objects are outlined in green with a small selection sphere at their center. The inspector panel updates to show the selected object's properties. The status bar displays the object's name and the number of selected objects.
Keyboard shortcut: Press 1 to activate Select mode.
Multiple selection
Holding Ctrl while clicking individual objects adds or removes them from the current selection. Objects toggled into the selection are added to the highlighted set. Objects toggled out of the selection lose their highlight while other selected objects remain selected.
Dragging a selection rectangle (click and drag on empty terrain) selects all objects within the rectangle. The rectangle selects objects whose pivot point falls inside the rectangular area. Objects partially inside the rectangle but with a pivot point outside are not selected.
Selection grouping behavior
When multiple objects are selected, the transform gizmo appears at the center of the combined bounding box of all selected objects. Moving, rotating, or scaling the group affects all selected objects uniformly relative to this center point. The group transformation is applied as a delta to each object's existing transform values.
On-screen appearance: The selection outline encompasses all selected objects. The gizmo appears at the group center. The inspector panel shows the transform values of the group center, not of individual objects.
Failure mode: cannot select an object
If clicking on an object does not select it, the most likely cause is that the object is locked. Locked objects have a lock icon in the inspector panel and cannot be selected in the viewport. Unlock the object through the inspector panel by clicking the lock icon.
A second cause is that the object is placed inside a volume that blocks selection, such as a safezone volume or a teleport volume. Move the camera to a different angle and try clicking on a different part of the object. If the object still cannot be selected, switch to the object browser, locate the object by name in the placed-objects list, and select it from the list.
Move mode
Move mode allows repositioning a selected object along the X, Y, or Z axis. When an object is selected in Move mode, three axis arrows appear at the object's pivot point.
Axis-constrained movement
Clicking and dragging an axis arrow moves the object along that axis only. The red arrow constrains movement to the X axis (east-west). The green arrow constrains movement to the Y axis (vertical). The blue arrow constrains movement to the Z axis (north-south).
On-screen appearance: The axis arrows are rendered as colored lines terminating in arrowhead cones. The selected object moves in real time as the arrow is dragged. A numeric readout near the cursor displays the displacement distance. The objects' new position is shown in the inspector panel's Position field.
Free horizontal movement
Clicking and dragging the center square of the gizmo moves the object freely on the horizontal plane (X and Z axes) while maintaining the object's current Y position. This is the most common movement mode for positioning objects on flat terrain.
Failure mode: If the center square is not visible, the gizmo may be at a zoom level where the handles are too small to click. Zoom in on the object until the gizmo handles are clearly visible.
Keyboard nudge
When an object is selected in Move mode, pressing the arrow keys nudges the object by the current snap increment value in the corresponding direction. The up arrow moves the object in the positive Z direction. The down arrow moves it in the negative Z direction. The left arrow moves it in the negative X direction. The right arrow moves it in the positive X direction. Holding Shift while pressing an arrow key nudges by one-tenth of the snap increment.
Failure mode: object floats above terrain after move
If an object appears to float above the terrain surface after a move operation, the most likely cause is that snap was enabled during placement and the object's Y position snapped to a grid value that does not match the terrain height at that location. Disable snap before adjusting the Y position of ground-level objects. After the Y position is correct, re-enable snap for subsequent horizontal positioning.
Rotate mode
Rotate mode allows rotating a selected object around its local axes. Three rotation rings appear around the object.
Axis-constrained rotation
Clicking and dragging a rotation ring rotates the object around that axis. The red ring rotates around the X axis. The green ring rotates around the Y axis. The blue ring rotates around the Z axis.
On-screen appearance: The rotation rings are thin colored circles that orbit the object at a distance proportional to the object's bounding box size. As the ring is dragged, the rotation angle is displayed in degrees near the cursor. The object's rotation is updated in the inspector panel. The rotation angle snaps to 15-degree increments by default.
Free rotation
Clicking and dragging on the object itself rather than on a rotation ring applies rotation on all axes simultaneously. This mode is useful for orientation adjustments that do not need to be constrained to a single axis.
Keyboard shortcut: Press 3 to activate Rotate mode.
Rotation limits
Rotation values in the editor range from 0 to 360 degrees on each axis. Values outside this range are normalized to the equivalent 0-to-360 value when the object is deselected. Very large rotation values (multiple full revolutions) are not preserved.
Failure mode: rotation ring not visible
If the rotation rings do not appear when Rotate mode is activated, the most likely cause is that the selected object's bounding box is very small or very large, causing the rings to render at an invisible scale. For very small objects, zoom in until the rings become visible. For very large objects, zoom out. If the rings still do not appear, deselect and reselect the object to force a gizmo refresh.
Scale mode
Scale mode allows resizing a selected object uniformly or on individual axes. A set of scale handles appears on the object's bounding box.
Uniform scaling
Corner handles produce uniform scaling, where the object is resized equally on all three axes. Dragging a corner handle toward the object's center decreases the scale. Dragging away from the center increases the scale.
On-screen appearance: Scale handles appear as small cubes at the corners and edges of the object's bounding box. Dragging a corner handle scales the object uniformly. The current scale factor is displayed near the cursor as a multiplier (1.0 is original size, 2.0 is double size, 0.5 is half size).
Axis-constrained scaling
Edge handles at the midpoint of each bounding box edge scale the object along that axis only. The red edge handle scales on the X axis, the green on Y, and the blue on Z.
Scale limits
The minimum scale value is 0.01 on any axis. The maximum scale value is 100 on any axis. Values outside this range are clamped when the object is deselected. Negative scale values produce a mirrored object and are not supported by all object types.
Keyboard shortcut: Press 4 to activate Scale mode.
Failure mode: object becomes invisible after scaling
If an object disappears when scaled, the most likely cause is that the scale was set to 0.0 or a negative value on one or more axes. Negative scale values invert the object's mesh normals, causing the object to render as invisible or inside-out. Reset the scale to 1.0 on all axes and reapply the scale with positive values only.
Failure mode: scaled object has stretched textures
If an object's textures appear stretched or distorted after non-uniform scaling, the object's material UV mapping does not support non-uniform scale. This is a limitation of the object's prefab authoring, not a bug in the editor. To avoid stretched textures, use uniform scaling only (corner handles) for objects with complex UV layouts.
Snap to grid
Snap to grid constrains movement, rotation, and scale operations to regular intervals defined by the snap increment value.
Enabling snap
The snap toggle is located in the Snap settings group on the toolbar. Click the snap toggle icon to enable or disable snapping. When snap is enabled, the icon shows a checkmark. When disabled, the icon shows a cross.
On-screen appearance: When snap is enabled, a grid overlay appears on the terrain showing the snap grid. The overlay is a semi-transparent grid of lines spaced at the configured snap increment.
Snap increment value
The snap increment value is set in the numeric field adjacent to the snap toggle icon on the toolbar. The default value is 0.5 units. The value range is 0.01 to 100. The increment applies to movement distances and scale step sizes.
Grid alignment
When snap is enabled and an object is moved, the object's pivot point snaps to the nearest grid intersection. The grid is aligned to the world coordinate system, not to the object's local axes. This means that objects moved with snap enabled will always have position values that are multiples of the snap increment.
Snap behavior by transform mode
| Transform mode | Snap behavior |
|---|---|
| Move | Pivot point snaps to grid intersections. Displacement is constrained to snap increment multiples. |
| Rotate | Rotation angle snaps to 15-degree increments by default. The snap increment for rotation is fixed at 15 degrees regardless of the toolbar snap value. |
| Scale | Scale multiplier snaps to intervals of the snap increment. With snap value 0.5, scale snaps to 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and so on. |
Failure mode: snap grid not visible
If the snap grid overlay does not appear when snap is enabled, the most likely cause is that grid visibility is disabled in the editor settings menu. Open the editor settings menu, navigate to the Grid category, and enable grid visibility. If grid visibility is already enabled but the grid is still not visible, the grid opacity setting may be set to 0. Increase the grid opacity to a value between 0.3 and 0.5.
Snap to surface
Snap to surface is a separate snapping mode that places the selected object's base on the terrain surface regardless of the grid snap setting.
Enabling snap to surface
Snap to surface is toggled by clicking the snap to surface icon on the toolbar, located next to the snap to grid toggle. Alternatively, press Ctrl+Alt to temporarily enable snap to surface while the key is held.
Behavior
When snap to surface is enabled and an object is moved horizontally, the object's Y position is automatically adjusted so that the object's base rests on the terrain surface at the new horizontal position. This adjustment happens continuously as the object is dragged.
Interaction with grid snap
Snap to surface and snap to grid can be enabled simultaneously. When both are active, the object snaps to grid intersections on the X and Z axes while the Y position is set to the terrain surface height. This combination is useful for placing ground-level objects at regular intervals along a terrain contour.
Failure mode: snap to surface places object below terrain
If snap to surface places the object partially or fully below the terrain surface, the object's base pivot point is not aligned with its visual base. Some objects from mods have pivot points located at the object's geometric center rather than at the base. For these objects, snap to surface places the pivot point at the terrain height, which positions the visual mesh partially underground. The fix is to adjust the Y position manually after placement or to adjust the pivot point in the Unity prefab.
Vertex snap
Vertex snap is a precision snapping mode that snaps the dragged object's vertices to the target object's vertices.
Enabling vertex snap
Vertex snap is activated by holding V while dragging an object. The cursor changes to a crosshair, and potential snap points on both the dragged object and the target object are highlighted.
Behavior
When V is held and the dragged object approaches a target object, the nearest vertex on the dragged object snaps to the nearest vertex on the target object. The snap distance threshold is approximately 0.5 units. The snap is released when the mouse moves beyond the threshold distance.
Use cases
Vertex snap is the primary tool for aligning objects edge-to-edge, such as placing walls, floors, and structural components in a building. It ensures that adjacent objects share a common vertex position, eliminating gaps or overlaps.
Failure mode: vertex snap not working
If vertex snap does not activate when V is held, the most likely cause is that the dragged object or the target object has no visible geometry (the object is a volume with no mesh, such as a safezone volume or a trigger volume). Vertex snap only works on objects with mesh geometry. A second cause is that the objects are too far apart for the snap threshold to engage. Move the dragged object to within 0.5 units of the target before releasing V.
Precision controls
Precision controls allow fine adjustment of transform values without relying on manual dragging.
Numerical input
The inspector panel displays the Position, Rotation, and Scale values for the selected object. Clicking on any numeric field allows typing a precise value. Entering a value updates the object's transform immediately.
On-screen appearance: When a numeric field is selected for editing, the field background changes to indicate it is active. The existing value is selected and can be overwritten. Pressing Enter confirms the new value. Pressing Esc cancels the edit and restores the previous value.
Click-drag adjustment
Clicking and dragging left or right on a numeric field in the inspector panel adjusts the value in real time without typing. Dragging left decreases the value. Dragging right increases the value. The adjustment rate depends on the distance the mouse is dragged. This mode is useful for small adjustments where the exact value is unknown but the visual result is being evaluated.
Increment and decrement buttons
Some numeric fields in the inspector panel show small up and down arrow buttons at the field edge. Clicking the up arrow increments the value by the snap increment. Clicking the down arrow decrements the value by the snap increment.
Group transformations
When multiple objects are selected, transformations apply to the group as a whole.
Moving a group
Moving a group of selected objects translates every object in the group by the same displacement vector. The relative positions of the objects within the group are preserved. This is useful for relocating a complete structure or a cluster of decorative objects.
Rotating a group
Rotating a group rotates every object around the group center point. The objects orbit the center point, maintaining their offset distance and direction from the center. This is useful for arranging objects in a radial pattern, such as seats around a campfire.
Scaling a group
Scaling a group scales every object relative to the group center point. Objects farther from the center move more than objects closer to the center. This mode is rarely used because it produces non-uniform spacing in the group.
Failure mode: group transform produces unexpected results
If a group transform produces unexpected positions, the most likely cause is that some objects in the group are locked or have parent-child constraints that prevent free transformation. Verify that all objects in the selection are unlocked before applying a group transform. If the group contains objects at very different scales, consider transforming them individually or in smaller subgroups.
Frequently asked questions
What is the practical difference between the four transform modes for common editing tasks?
Select mode (key 1) is used for choosing objects to edit or delete. Move mode (key 2) is used for positioning objects in the world. Rotate mode (key 3) is used for orienting objects to face specific directions. Scale mode (key 4) is used for resizing objects. For typical building construction, the workflow is: place an object, move it to position with snap enabled, rotate it to the correct orientation, and scale it if needed. Each mode preserves the transformations applied by the previous mode.
Can I use the transform gizmo on terrain tiles?
No. The transform gizmo only works on placed objects. Terrain tiles are edited through the Terrain panel using heightmap brushes. The terrain tile's position, rotation, and scale are fixed at map creation and cannot be changed through the transform tools.
Why does moving an object with the gizmo sometimes cause the object to jump to a distant position?
This occurs when the mouse cursor is far from the gizmo center when the drag begins. The gizmo interprets the initial click position as the starting point for the displacement calculation. If the mouse is far from the gizmo center at the start of the drag, the initial displacement can be very large. Click directly on the gizmo axis arrow or center square to avoid this jump.
Why does the center square of the move gizmo sometimes not work?
The center square of the move gizmo may be too small to click at certain zoom levels. Zoom in until the gizmo handles are clearly visible. If the center square remains unresponsive, use axis-constrained movement (drag one of the three axis arrows) instead, or enter the position value directly in the inspector panel.
What is the difference between snap to grid and snap to surface?
Snap to grid constrains the object's position to regular intervals on the X, Y, and Z axes based on the snap increment value. Snap to surface constrains the object's Y position to the terrain surface height, ignoring the grid. Snap to grid is used for alignment and spacing. Snap to surface is used for placing objects on uneven terrain. They can be used together.
Why does my object jump to an unexpected position when I enable snap?
When snap is enabled while an object is being dragged, the object snaps to the nearest grid intersection. If the object was moved slightly off-grid before snap was enabled, the snap to the nearest grid point may appear as a jump. Enable snap before beginning the move operation to avoid unexpected jumps.
Can I change the rotation snap increment?
The rotation snap increment is fixed at 15 degrees in the standard Level Editor. There is no setting to change this value. For rotation angles that are not multiples of 15 degrees, disable snap and rotate freely, or enter the exact rotation value in the inspector panel.
How do I move an object along only one axis without the gizmo?
Select the object and type the exact position value into the inspector panel's Position field for the desired axis. For example, to move an object to X coordinate 50.0, set the X field in the Position group to 50.0. This bypasses the gizmo entirely and provides exact positioning.
What does the center square of the move gizmo do?
The center square of the move gizmo, when clicked and dragged, moves the object freely on the horizontal plane (X and Z axes) while maintaining the current Y position. This is the most common movement mode for positioning objects on flat terrain.
Why does my object rotate around a point that is not its center?
The rotation pivot point for a single object is the object's pivot point as defined in the Unity prefab. If the prefab's pivot point is not at the geometric center (for example, a door prefab whose pivot is at the hinge edge), the rotation axis will not be the center of the object. This behavior is correct. To rotate around the geometric center, enter rotation values in the inspector panel.
Can I undo a move, rotate, or scale operation?
The Level Editor does not have a universal undo function for transform operations. Once a transform is applied (the mouse button is released after dragging), the change is committed in memory. The transform can be reversed manually by applying the inverse transform, but there is no Ctrl+Z that restores the previous state. Save the map before performing complex transform operations.
What is the maximum number of objects I can transform at once?
The practical limit for a group transform is approximately 100 objects. Selecting more than 100 objects and attempting a group transform produces noticeable lag in the viewport as the editor recalculates the transform for each object. For very large groups, consider transforming objects in batches.
How do I align objects along a straight line?
Place the first object at the start of the line. Enable snap to grid. Copy the object (select, press Ctrl+C) and paste (Ctrl+V) it at the desired spacing interval. Use the move tool with the arrow keys to nudge the pasted object along the line. Repeat for each object. The snap increment ensures equal spacing between objects.
Why does vertex snap not work with modded objects?
Vertex snap requires mesh geometry on both the dragged object and the target object. Some modded objects use simplified collision geometry or no mesh at all (trigger volumes, spawn points). For these objects, vertex snap is not applicable. For modded objects with standard mesh geometry, vertex snap works identically to vanilla objects.
What is the difference between copying and duplicating an object?
Copying an object (Ctrl+C followed by Ctrl+V) creates a new instance of the object at the position where the paste command is executed. The pasted object is independent of the original. There is no duplicate command in the editor; copying and pasting is the only way to create multiple instances of a placed object with the same properties.
What is the behavior of the rotate tool when rotating a group of objects at different distances from the center?
When rotating a group, each object orbits the group center at its own offset distance. Objects close to the center move a short distance. Objects far from the center move a larger distance. This produces a rotation pattern where the group maintains its overall shape but each object traces a circular path around the center. For radial arrangements, place objects at the desired distance from the center first, then rotate the group to adjust the angular distribution.
Can I constrain movement to a single axis without using the gizmo?
Yes. Enter the exact position value into the inspector panel's Position field for the desired axis. For example, to move an object to X coordinate 50.0 without changing its Y or Z position, set the X field to 50.0 and leave the Y and Z fields unchanged. This is faster than using the gizmo for precise numerical positioning.
Why does scaling a group of objects sometimes produce unexpected spacing?
When a group of objects is scaled, each object's position relative to the group center is multiplied by the scale factor. Objects far from the center move significantly. Objects near the center move slightly. If the objects were not uniformly distributed relative to the center before scaling, the post-scale spacing appears uneven. For uniform scaling of object clusters, consider scaling each object individually through the inspector panel.
Can I save a frequently used object transformation as a preset?
The editor does not support transform presets. Each object's transform must be set manually. For frequently repeated placement patterns (such as rows of identical objects at regular intervals), use the copy and paste workflow with snap enabled to maintain consistent spacing.
How do I ensure objects are perfectly aligned along a straight line?
Enable snap to grid with a small snap increment (0.5 units). Place the first object at the start of the line. Copy the object and paste it at the next grid position along the line. Repeat for each object. The snap increment ensures that all objects are aligned to the same grid, which guarantees straight-line alignment. For objects that must be aligned on a diagonal, use vertex snap to snap the edge of each object to the edge of the previous one.
What is the correct snap increment for building construction?
The 57 Studios™ cohort recommends a snap increment of 0.5 units for building construction. This matches the standard grid size used by most vanilla Unturned objects. Walls, floors, and structural components are designed to align at 0.5-unit intervals. For road and path placement, a snap increment of 1.0 unit is appropriate. For fine detail work (decorations, small furniture), use 0.25 units.
How do I temporarily override the snap setting without changing the toolbar value?
Hold Ctrl+Alt to temporarily enable snap to surface while the keys are held. Release the keys to return to the previous snap state. This is useful for single operations that require snap behavior different from the current toolbar setting. The toolbar snap value is not changed by this temporary override.
Why does the editor not remember my snap settings between sessions?
The snap settings reset to defaults when the editor is closed. The snap toggle state, snap increment value, and snap to surface toggle are session-only settings. They must be reconfigured at the start of each editing session. The editor configuration file stores panel layout and favorites but does not persist snap settings.
Best practices
- Enable snap before beginning placement or movement operations. Enabling snap mid-drag causes an unexpected snap to the nearest grid point.
- Use snap to grid for structural placement and snap to surface for natural terrain placement. Combine both for objects that need to sit on the terrain at regular intervals.
- Use vertex snap for aligning objects edge-to-edge in building construction. Vertex snap eliminates the guesswork of manual alignment.
- Prefer numerical input in the inspector panel for exact positioning. The inspector panel accepts values with up to two decimal places.
- Save the map before performing group transformations on large selections. If the result is not satisfactory, reload the map to restore the previous state.
- Use keyboard nudge (arrow keys) for small positional adjustments instead of dragging the gizmo. Nudge provides more controlled movement.
- Check the snap setting before placing ground-level objects. Snap to grid with a large snap increment can cause objects to float above or clip into the terrain.
- Test every rotation by viewing the object from multiple camera angles after the operation.
- Use uniform scaling for objects with complex UV layouts to prevent texture stretching.
- Keep a backup of the Level folder before performing extensive move, rotate, or scale operations across many objects.
Advanced considerations
Transform inheritance and parented objects
Some objects in Unturned™ are parented to other objects through the object hierarchy. When a parent object is transformed, all child objects inherit the transform. The editor does not display the parent-child relationship in the viewport. To identify parented objects, inspect the object's metadata in the inspector panel or open Objects.dat in a hex editor. Parent-child transforms are rare in standard workflow but appear in maps with complex mechanical or interactive setups.
Coordinate space: local versus world
The transform gizmo by default operates in world coordinate space. The axis arrows point in world directions regardless of the object's rotation. The editor does not provide a toggle to switch to local coordinate space (where the gizmo aligns to the object's local axes). For local axis transformations, enter rotation values directly in the inspector panel.
Transform precision limitations
The editor stores transform values as 32-bit floating-point numbers. At very large distances from the world origin (beyond approximately 10,000 units on any axis), floating-point precision loss becomes noticeable as objects jitter or snap to imprecise positions. This is a limitation of the Unity engine that Unturned™ runs on. For normal map sizes (Tiny through Large), precision loss is not a practical concern.
Appendix A: Transform tool shortcut reference
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Activate Select mode |
| 2 | Activate Move mode |
| 3 | Activate Rotate mode |
| 4 | Activate Scale mode |
| Ctrl+C | Copy selected object(s) |
| Ctrl+V | Paste copied object(s) |
| Delete | Delete selected object(s) |
| Arrow keys | Nudge selected object by snap increment |
| Shift + Arrow keys | Nudge selected object by one-tenth of snap increment |
| Ctrl+Alt (hold) | Temporarily enable snap to surface |
| V (hold) | Enable vertex snap |
| Ctrl+Z | No function (no undo) |
Appendix B: Diagnostic table for snapping and transform issues
| Symptom | Root cause | Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Object jumps to unexpected position when moved | Snap to grid enabled mid-drag | Enable snap before starting the move |
| Object floats above terrain after placement | Snap to grid set Y position | Disable snap, adjust Y position in inspector, re-enable snap |
| Object clips into terrain after placement | Snap to surface pivot mismatch | Adjust Y position manually or fix pivot in Unity prefab |
| Object becomes invisible after scaling | Scale set to 0 or negative value | Reset scale to 1.0 on all axes and rescale with positive values |
| Textures stretched after non-uniform scale | Object UV does not support non-uniform scale | Use uniform scale (corner handles) |
| Rotation rings not visible | Object bounding box too small or too large | Zoom in or out until rings appear; deselect and reselect |
| Cannot select an object in the viewport | Object is locked | Unlock through inspector panel |
| Group transform moves objects to wrong positions | Some objects in group are locked or parented | Unlock all objects; check for parent-child constraints |
| Vertex snap does not activate | Objects too far apart or no mesh geometry | Move dragged object within 0.5 units; use on mesh objects |
| Snap grid not visible | Grid visibility disabled in editor settings | Enable grid visibility in editor settings menu |
| Arrow keys do not nudge the object | No object selected or keyboard focus lost | Select an object; click viewport to restore focus |
| Paste operation places object at wrong position | Snap setting changed between copy and paste | Enable same snap setting used during copy before pasting |
Appendix C: External references
- Smartly Dressed Games official modding documentation - the authoritative reference for editor transform tools and snap configuration.
- Unturned on Steam - the Unturned store page and community hub.
How do I move an object to an exact world coordinate?
Type the exact X, Y, and Z values into the inspector panel's Position fields. Select the object, open the inspector panel, locate the Position group, and enter the desired coordinates. The object moves to the specified position immediately when the value is confirmed. This method bypasses the gizmo entirely and provides the highest precision available in the editor.
Why does the move gizmo not match the object's actual orientation?
The move gizmo always aligns to the world coordinate axes (X, Y, Z) regardless of the object's rotation. If the object has been rotated, the gizmo arrows do not match the object's local orientation. This is the expected behavior. The editor does not support switching to local coordinate space for the gizmo. To move an object along its local axes, use the inspector panel and calculate the world-space displacement manually.
Appendix C: Common transform values reference
| Object type | Typical Y position | Typical scale | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground-level building | 0.0 (terrain surface) | 1.0 | Y position varies with terrain height |
| Road segment | 0.0 (terrain surface) | 1.0 | Roads conform to terrain automatically |
| Street lamp | 0.0 (base at terrain) | 1.0 | Base must sit on terrain surface |
| Wall section | 0.0 (base at floor) | Height varies | Use snap to align edges |
| Furniture | 0.0 (floor surface) | 1.0 | Adjust Y for floor height offset |
| Small decoration | 0.0 (terrain or floor) | 0.5-1.5 | Scale varies by object |
| Spawn point | 1.0 (above terrain) | 1.0 | Position at player head height |
How do I reset a rotated object back to its default rotation?
Enter 0 for all three rotation axes in the inspector panel's Rotation fields. The object returns to its default orientation as defined in the Unity prefab. This is faster than attempting to manually reverse a rotation using the gizmo.
What is the behavior of the scale tool when applied to objects with non-uniform scale?
If an object already has non-uniform scale (different scale values on different axes), the scale tool's corner handles continue to scale all axes by the same factor, preserving the existing non-uniform proportions. The edge handles scale only the selected axis, which can produce extreme non-uniform results if applied to an object that is already non-uniformly scaled. For objects that require a specific non-uniform scale, use the inspector panel's Scale fields to enter exact values.
Cross-references
- Level Editor UI and Navigation - the previous article in this series; covers viewport navigation and panel layout.
- Object Browser and Inspector - the next article in this series; covers object selection from the browser and property editing in the inspector.
- Level File Management - the third article in this series; covers save operations and file locations.
- Custom Map Creation: Project Setup - the prerequisite article for creating a map project.
How do I create a circular arrangement of objects using the rotate group tool?
Place the first object at the desired distance from the center point. Copy and paste the object multiple times, positioning each copy at the same distance from the center but at different angles around the center. After all objects are placed, select all of them and use the rotate tool to fine-tune the angular distribution. Alternatively, use the inspector panel to set each object's rotation to a calculated angle: 0 degrees, 45 degrees, 90 degrees, and so on for an eight-object circle.
Authoring checklist
Before concluding that the transform tools and snapping are fully understood for a given map project, confirm the following:
- [ ] Each transform mode (select, move, rotate, scale) is activated correctly with its keyboard shortcut
- [ ] The transform gizmo is visible and the axis handles are clickable
- [ ] Snap to grid can be toggled and the snap increment value can be changed
- [ ] Snap to surface places objects correctly on the terrain
- [ ] Vertex snap activates when V is held
- [ ] Numerical input in the inspector panel updates object transforms
- [ ] Keyboard nudge with arrow keys moves objects by the snap increment
- [ ] Multiple objects can be selected and transformed as a group
- [ ] The editor settings menu provides grid visibility and opacity controls
- [ ] Transform operations are tested from multiple camera angles
How do I quickly duplicate a selected object without using copy and paste?
Press Ctrl+C followed immediately by Ctrl+V. The copied object appears at the paste position, which is typically the same position as the original if the cursor has not moved. Move the cursor to the desired paste location before pressing Ctrl+V to place the duplicate at a different position. This is the only duplication method available in the editor.
What is the difference between snapping an object at placement versus snapping it after placement?
Snapping during placement (with the placement preview) snaps the object's pivot point to the grid at the moment the object is placed. Snapping after placement (using the move tool with snap enabled) snaps the object from its current position to the nearest grid point. The end result is the same, but snapping during placement avoids the initial off-grid position that must be corrected when snapping after placement. The cohort recommendation is to enable snap before placing objects that should be grid-aligned.
Document history
| Version | Date | Author | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 2026-07-26 | 57 Studios | Initial publication. Split from Level Editor Fundamentals into standalone depth treatment. |