Safezones, Borders, and Volumes

Intermediate40-60 minutesWindowsUnturnedUnity Editor

A map without safezones leaves every area open to PvP combat, which on a survival server means new players can be killed before they have a chance to orient themselves. A map without level borders allows players to walk off the terrain edge and fall into the void. A map without kill volumes allows players to hide inside solid geometry where they cannot be reached. The safezone volumes, level borders, and kill volumes together define the map's playable space, its protected zones, and its out-of-bounds consequences. These systems are implemented through a combination of the Level Editor's volume tools and the Config.json border settings.

This article documents the 57 Studios™ workflow for placing safezone volumes in the Level Editor, configuring level borders and kill volumes, placing player spawn points, and diagnosing the most common safezone and border failures. It covers the safezone tool's properties and their effects on players and zombies, the Config.json fields that control level borders, the kill volume tool for preventing geometry exploits, the player spawn point placement guidelines, and the edge-case fixes for safezone boundary imprecision and zombie spawn conflicts.

Documentation source: This article synthesizes the official Smartly Dressed Games modding documentation for level volume tools and level config, combined with empirical validation across 57 Studios cohort mapping projects.

Prerequisites

• A custom map project with terrain, objects, navmesh, spawn points, spawn tables, and Config.json configured. See the preceding article Level Config and Settings for the Config.json configuration that controls level border behavior.
• The map open in the Level Editor with the Safezone tool and Kill Volume tool accessible from the editor toolbar.
• Familiarity with the Level Editor's object manipulation tools (move, rotate, scale) used for positioning and resizing volumes.

What you will learn

• How to place safezone volumes and configure their protection properties.
• How safezone volumes affect player PvP damage, zombie aggro, and build restrictions.
• How to configure level borders using Config.json fields and the legacy clip border system.
• How to place kill volumes to prevent players from hiding inside geometry.
• How to place player spawn points and configure spawn regions.
• How to diagnose and fix safezone edge imprecision.
• How to prevent zombie spawns from overlapping with safezone volumes.

Safezone volume placement

Safezone volumes define areas where players are protected from PvP damage and, optionally, from zombie attacks. They are placed using the Safezone tool in the Level Editor.

Placing a safezone volume

1. In the Level Editor toolbar, select the Safezone tool.
2. Click Add Safezone. A rectangular or circular volume appears at the cursor position.
3. Position the volume using the move tool. The volume is represented in the editor by a translucent boundary box.
4. Resize the volume using the scale tool or by entering numeric dimensions in the inspector.
5. Configure the safezone properties.

Safezone properties

Property	Default	Purpose
Radius / Dimensions	10 m	The extent of the safezone. Circular zones use a single radius value; rectangular zones use width, height, and depth.
Protect from Zombies	true	When true, zombies ignore players inside the volume. Zombies that were already aggroed may continue their current path but will not re-aggro.
Protect from PvP	true	When true, players cannot damage each other inside the volume. PvP damage is disabled for all players within the boundary.
No Buildables	false	When true, players cannot place structures or barricades inside the volume.

How safezones affect players

When a player enters a safezone volume:

1. The engine evaluates the player's position against all active safezone volumes on each physics tick.
2. If the player is inside a safezone with Protect from PvP enabled, the engine disables outgoing and incoming player damage for that player.
3. If the player is inside a safezone with Protect from Zombies enabled, the engine removes the player from zombie aggro checks. Zombies that were actively pursuing the player before the player entered the safezone will stop their pursuit and return to idle behavior after a short delay.
4. The player's HUD displays a safezone indicator (typically a shield icon) while inside the protected area. The indicator appears when the player crosses the boundary from an unprotected area into the safezone.

Safe zone placement guidelines

Location	Volume type	Recommended dimensions	Protection enabled
Player spawn town	Rectangular	50x50 m or larger	PvP and Zombies
Major landmark entrance	Rectangular	10x20 m	PvP only
Trader or NPC area	Circular	15 m radius	PvP and Zombies
Quest hub	Rectangular	20x30 m	PvP and Zombies
Vehicle spawn area	Rectangular	10x10 m	PvP only

The 57 Studios cohort recommendation is to make safezones large enough that players can orient themselves and access basic services without leaving the protected area, but small enough that players are incentivized to leave the safezone to explore and find loot.

Level border and kill volume configuration

Level borders define the playable area of the map. Outside the border, players and objects are either killed or blocked by invisible walls.

Legacy clip borders

The Use_Legacy_Clip_Borders field in Config.json controls whether invisible walls are created at the map boundary. When true (the default), a wall is created at each edge of the map at the ground level, preventing players from walking off the terrain edge.

"Use_Legacy_Clip_Borders": true

The clip borders extend from the terrain surface to a configurable height. The 57 Studios cohort recommendation is to keep the default setting of true for all maps that use a single contiguous terrain. For maps that use landscape tiles or have non-rectangular boundaries, set Use_Legacy_Clip_Borders to false and use manual kill volumes or invisible wall objects to define the boundary.

Kill volumes

Kill volumes are object-level volumes that kill players who enter them. They are used to prevent players from hiding inside boulders, inside walls, inside structural elements, or in other geometry where they cannot be reached by other players or zombies.

Object-level kill volumes: An object can be configured with a kill volume by setting the Add_Kill_Triggers field to true in the object's .dat file. This adds a kill trigger inside the object that will kill any player who clips inside it.

Add_Kill_Triggers true

Manual kill volume placement: The Level Editor provides a dedicated Kill Volume tool for placing custom kill volumes.

1. Select the Kill Volume tool from the editor toolbar.
2. Click Add Volume. A bounding box appears at the cursor position.
3. Position and resize the volume to cover the area where players should be killed.
4. Kill volumes are typically placed in the following locations:
   • Inside solid objects where players should not be able to hide (large rocks, decorative structures, geometry with hollow interiors)
   • At the map boundary below the terrain surface to kill players who fall through the world
   • At the bottom of deep water areas to prevent players from hiding underwater indefinitely
   • Inside shipping containers and other large objects that have gaps in their collision mesh

Invisible wall objects

For maps that need custom boundary shapes that clip borders cannot provide, invisible wall objects can be created and placed as regular objects in the Level Editor.

1. Author a simple invisible wall mesh in Blender (a flat plane or box with no material).
2. Import the mesh into the Unity project and create a prefab.
3. Assign an invisible material (a material with the alpha channel set to 0 and no shadow casting).
4. Place the invisible wall prefab at the desired boundary position in the Level Editor.
5. The wall blocks player movement while remaining invisible in-game.

The 57 Studios cohort recommendation is to use invisible wall objects for custom boundary shapes and to reserve the legacy clip border system for standard rectangular map boundaries.

Player spawn point placement

Player spawn points determine where players appear when they first join the map and when they respawn after death. They are placed using the Players panel in the Level Editor.

Placing player spawn points

1. In the Level Editor toolbar, select the Players panel.
2. Select the Spawn Point tool.
3. Click on the terrain at the desired spawn location. A player icon appears at the position.
4. Repeat to place additional spawn points. The engine selects a random spawn point from the available set when a player spawns or respawns.

Spawn point placement guidelines

• Place at least 5-10 spawn points across the map. A single spawn point causes every player to appear at the same location, creating spawn camping opportunities.
• Spawn points should be placed on flat terrain with navmesh coverage. Players who spawn on a surface with no navmesh will be unable to move if the AI pathfinding system attempts to control their character on spawn.
• Spawn points should be at least 50 meters apart to prevent players from spawning within visual range of each other.
• Spawn points should be at least 20 meters from the nearest zombie spawn region to prevent players from spawning directly into combat.
• Spawn points should be placed inside or near safezone volumes to give new players a protected area to orient themselves.

Configuring the spawn radius

The Prevent_Building_Near_Spawnpoint_Radius field in Config.json controls the distance from spawn points where building is prohibited.

"Prevent_Building_Near_Spawnpoint_Radius": 16

The default is 16 meters. This prevents players from building structures directly at spawn points, which would block other players from spawning. For close-quarters maps where spawn points are in tight areas, reduce this value.

Safezone edge imprecision: causes and fixes

Players standing at the exact boundary of a safezone volume may flicker between protected and unprotected states as the engine evaluates their position on each physics frame. This is particularly noticeable in PvP combat at safezone edges, where a player who believes they are protected takes damage and dies.

Root cause

The safezone boundary check is evaluated at the player's position on each physics tick. At the exact boundary, floating-point precision issues in the position calculation can cause the player to oscillate between inside and outside states. The engine does not apply hysteresis or a dead zone to the boundary check.

Resolution

Add a 2-3 meter buffer zone inside the safezone where the visual boundary is drawn. The actual safezone volume should extend 1-2 meters beyond the visual boundary to provide a consistent protection buffer.

1. Place the safezone volume at the desired protection area.
2. Extend the volume's dimensions by 1-2 meters in each direction.
3. Place visual markers (floor decals, signs, lighting changes) at the intended visual boundary, 1-2 meters inside the actual volume boundary.
4. Players who stand at the visual boundary are actually 1-2 meters inside the volume and will not experience the flickering boundary effect.

The 57 Studios cohort recommendation is to apply this buffer to all safezones that are near PvP combat zones (traders, quest hubs, spawn towns) and to accept the small discrepancy between the visual boundary and the actual protection boundary.

Zombie spawns inside safezones

Zombie spawn regions that overlap safezone volumes produce zombies that spawn inside the protected area. The zombie model appears in the world but cannot aggro on nearby players because the safezone protection prevents it. The result is visual confusion: players see a zombie standing inside the safezone that does not attack them.

Root cause

Zombie spawn regions are placed independently of safezone volumes. The Level Editor does not warn when a zombie region overlaps a safezone. The overlap is invisible during placement and only becomes apparent when zombies appear inside the protected area during gameplay.

Resolution

After placing both safezone volumes and zombie spawn regions, inspect every safezone for overlapping zombie regions.

1. In the Level Editor, select each safezone volume.
2. Inspect the area within the volume. Look for any zombie spawn region boundaries that cross the safezone.
3. If a zombie region overlaps the safezone, adjust the zombie region boundary to exclude the safezone area.
4. If the safezone is in a densely populated area (a spawn town with zombie regions covering the entire town), split the zombie region into two regions: one for the area outside the safezone and one for any area that is far enough from the safezone that overlap is not an issue.
5. Increase the zombie density in the non-safezone portion to compensate for the removed overlap area.

The 57 Studios cohort recommendation is to ensure that no zombie spawn region has any overlap with any safezone volume. The overlap is always undesirable because it produces zombies that appear but cannot function.

Coordinating safezones with other volume types

Safezones, kill volumes, and level borders must be coordinated to produce a coherent playable space. A map where a safezone and a kill volume overlap creates a paradox: the player enters an area that simultaneously protects and kills them. A map where a kill volume is placed at the map boundary but the clip border is disabled leaves a gap where players can escape the intended playable area.

Safezone and kill volume interaction

When a safezone volume and a kill volume overlap, the kill volume takes priority. A player standing in the overlap area will be killed despite being inside the safezone boundary. This is because kill volumes are evaluated after safezone protection in the engine's volume processing pipeline.

The practical implication is that safezones must be placed with full knowledge of all kill volume locations. A safezone placed over an area that contains a kill volume (for example, a safezone covering a building that has a kill volume inside a structural element) will not protect players who enter the kill volume area.

Resolution: When placing a safezone, inspect the area for existing kill volumes. If a kill volume exists inside the safezone boundary, either remove the kill volume (if it is not needed) or adjust the safezone boundary to exclude the kill volume area.

Clip border and kill volume coordination

When Use_Legacy_Clip_Borders is set to false, the map has no automatic invisible walls at its boundaries. Kill volumes placed at the map edge serve as the boundary mechanism. However, kill volumes do not prevent players from walking up to the boundary; they only kill players who enter the volume. A player standing at the map edge looking outward will see the void beyond the terrain but will not be killed until they step into the kill volume.

The 57 Studios cohort recommendation for maps with custom boundaries is to use a two-layer approach: an invisible wall at the visual boundary (which blocks movement) and a kill volume below the terrain surface (which catches players who fall through). This combination prevents players from seeing outside the map while maintaining safety for players who accidentally fall through geometry.

Invisible wall placement patterns

Invisible walls can be used to create non-rectangular playable areas, such as an island map where the playable area is circular.

Boundary shape	Recommended approach	Implementation
Rectangular	Legacy clip borders (true in Config.json)	Automatic; no manual placement needed
Circular or organic	Invisible wall objects placed around the perimeter	Place wall segments manually, overlapping edges
Island (water boundary)	Invisible wall below water surface	Players who swim past the boundary are blocked
Multi-level (underground)	Invisible walls at each level boundary	Separate walls for surface and underground levels

Testing safezones and kill volumes in the Level Editor

The Level Editor provides limited visual feedback for safezone and kill volume placement. Volumes appear as translucent boundary boxes in the editor viewport but do not show their effect on players or zombies. The full validation must be performed in-game through local testing.

Pre-test volume inspection

1. Enable the volume visualization overlay from the editor view options. This overlay shows all active volumes (safezones, kill volumes, culling volumes) as colored boundary boxes.
2. Walk through the map in the editor's free-fly camera mode. Inspect each volume for correct placement, correct dimensions, and unintended overlaps.
3. For each safezone, confirm that the volume extends far enough to cover the intended protected area but not so far that it extends into zombie spawn regions.
4. For each kill volume, confirm that the volume covers the intended geometry but does not extend into areas where players should be safe.

Color coding in the volume overlay

Volume color	Volume type
Green translucent	Safezone (active protection)
Red translucent	Kill volume
Yellow translucent	Culling volume
Blue translucent	Water volume

The volume overlay colors are visible only in the Level Editor, not in-game.

Volume scaling and map size considerations

The size of safezone and kill volumes should scale with the map's dimensions. A safezone that is appropriate for a Small map (512x512) may be too small for a Large map (2048x2048) and too large for an Insane map (4096x4096).

Scaled volume recommendations

Map size	Terrain dimensions	Recommended safezone size (spawn town)	Recommended kill volume size
Small	512 x 512	30 x 30 m	5 x 5 x 5 m
Medium	1024 x 1024	50 x 50 m	5 x 5 x 5 m
Large	2048 x 2048	80 x 80 m	10 x 10 x 10 m
Insane	4096 x 4096	120 x 120 m	10 x 10 x 10 m

Volume count scaling

The number of safezone volumes should also scale with map size. A Small map may need only 2-3 safezones (spawn town, one landmark, one trader). A Large map may need 10-15 safezones distributed across its regions. The 57 Studios cohort recommendation is to place safezones only at locations where new players are likely to spawn or where critical services (traders, quest givers) are located.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a safezone and a kill volume?

A safezone protects players inside its volume (disabling PvP damage and zombie aggro). A kill volume kills players who enter its volume. They serve opposite purposes and should not overlap. If a kill volume and a safezone overlap, the kill volume takes priority and players inside the overlap will be killed.

How do I make a safezone that only protects from zombies but not from PvP?

Set Protect from Zombies to true and Protect from PvP to false in the safezone properties. Players inside the volume will be ignored by zombies but can still damage each other.

My safezone allows building even though I set No Buildables to true. Why?

The No Buildables property prevents new structures from being placed but may not remove existing structures that were placed before the safezone was created. If structures were placed when the area was not a safezone, they remain until destroyed by gameplay. Remove existing structures manually or wait for them to be destroyed naturally.

Can I have nested safezones (a safezone inside another safezone)?

Yes. When two safezones overlap, the engine applies the union of their protection properties. If one safezone has Protect from Zombies enabled and the other has Protect from PvP enabled, the overlapping area benefits from both protections.

How do I create a kill volume that kills only zombies but not players?

The kill volume tool in the Level Editor does not have a filter for which entity types it affects. Kill volumes affect all entities (players and zombies) equally. Zombie-only kill volumes require a custom plugin or an object with Add_Kill_Triggers set to true on a zombie-specific interaction layer.

My clip border does not extend high enough. Players can jump over it.

The legacy clip border height is fixed. To extend the vertical barrier, place an invisible wall object (a tall invisible plane) at the map edge. The invisible wall approach gives full control over the barrier's height and position.

Can I have different safezone rules for different player teams?

Team-specific safezone rules are not supported by the vanilla volume system. All players within a safezone are treated equally regardless of team affiliation. Team-specific safezones require a server-side plugin.

Why do my players spawn on top of each other?

If only one or two player spawn points are placed, the engine always selects from that small set. Place at least 5-10 spawn points distributed across the map to ensure that players spawn at distinct positions.

Can I place a player spawn point inside a building?

Yes, but the building must have navmesh coverage on its floor. Players who spawn on a surface with no navmesh may experience movement issues. The 57 Studios cohort recommendation is to place spawn points outdoors on terrain with navmesh coverage and to use safezones to protect the spawn area rather than placing spawn points inside buildings.

My safezone boundary flickers in-game. How do I fix it?

This is the edge imprecision issue described in the dedicated section above. Extend the safezone volume by 1-2 meters beyond the visual boundary and add visual markers at the intended boundary line.

Best practices

• Place safezones at all player spawn points to give new players a protected orientation area.
• Extend safezone volumes 1-2 meters beyond the visual boundary to prevent edge flickering.
• Ensure no zombie spawn regions overlap with safezone volumes.
• Place at least 5-10 player spawn points across the map, each at least 50 meters apart.
• Set Use_Legacy_Clip_Borders to true for rectangular maps with single contiguous terrain. Use invisible walls for custom boundary shapes.
• Place kill volumes inside all large solid objects where players could hide.
• Keep safezones large enough for orientation but small enough to incentivize exploration.
• Test every kill volume by attempting to enter the covered area as a player in single-player.
• Document safezone and spawn point locations in the map project file for reference during updates.
• Place player spawn points at least 20 meters from the nearest zombie spawn region.

Advanced considerations

Safezone volumes and server performance

Each active safezone volume consumes a small amount of server tick time for position evaluation. On maps with a very large number of safezones (50+) and a high player count, the cumulative evaluation cost can become measurable. The 57 Studios cohort recommendation is to keep the number of safezone volumes under 20 per map and to use larger safezones rather than many small ones.

Kill volumes and the underground whitelist

The Use_Underground_Whitelist field in Config.json works alongside kill volumes. When enabled, players who fall below the terrain surface are teleported to the surface unless they are inside a whitelist volume. Kill volumes placed below the terrain surface serve as an alternative: instead of teleporting the player, they kill them.

The 57 Studios cohort recommendation is to use Use_Underground_Whitelist for maps with underground areas (bunkers, caves, subways) and kill volumes for maps without underground areas where falling through the world should be lethal.

Configuring the underground whitelist

The Use_Underground_Whitelist field in Config.json teleports players to the terrain surface when they fall below a certain height, unless they are inside a whitelist volume. Whitelist volumes are placed in the Level Editor using the Volume tool with the Whitelist type selected.

To configure the underground whitelist system:

1. Set Use_Underground_Whitelist to true in Config.json.
2. Place whitelist volumes around all legitimate underground areas (bunkers, basements, caves, subway tunnels).
3. The whitelist volume must fully enclose the underground space. Players inside the volume will not be teleported to the surface.
4. Players outside any whitelist volume who fall below the underground threshold are teleported to the nearest valid surface position.
5. Test each whitelist volume by falling into the underground area through the intended entrance and confirming the player is not teleported.

Safe zone visualization for players

The safezone HUD indicator (shield icon) appears automatically when a player enters a safezone volume. However, the indicator alone does not communicate the safezone boundary to the player. Players need visual cues that tell them where the safezone starts and ends.

The 57 Studios cohort recommendation for safezone visualization is to use a combination of the following visual markers at the safezone boundary:

Marker type	Implementation	Effectiveness
Floor decals	A semi-transparent circle or border decal placed on the terrain at the boundary	Visible on flat terrain; may clip on uneven ground
Lighting change	Different ambient lighting color or intensity inside the safezone	Subtle but affects the entire area evenly
Signage	Signs or billboards at safezone entrances with appropriate text	Only effective if players read signs
Fence or barrier	Low fence objects around the safezone perimeter	Most visible; also blocks vehicles and zombies
Ground color change	Using the terrain paint tool to create a colored border ring	Subtle but always visible from any angle

The most effective approach in the cohort's experience is a combination of a ground color change (terrain paint at the boundary line) and signage at major entrance points.

Testing safezone boundaries in single-player

Before the map reaches a dedicated server, each safezone boundary must be tested in single-player. The test procedure is:

1. Load the map in single-player.
2. Walk toward each safezone boundary from outside the protected area.
3. Observe the exact position where the safezone indicator (shield icon) appears in the HUD.
4. Walk back across the boundary and observe where the indicator disappears.
5. If the indicator flickers on and off at any position, the boundary is too close to the edge of the volume and the safezone needs to be extended.
6. If the indicator appears significantly inside or outside the visual boundary, the volume dimensions need adjustment.
7. For safezones near PvP combat zones, test with a second player (or simulate by having one account stand at the boundary while another account attacks from outside) to confirm that the protection is consistent at all boundary positions.

The 57 Studios cohort recommendation is to test every safezone boundary at least three times in single-player before the map reaches dedicated server testing. A safezone boundary that fails during local testing will also fail on the dedicated server, and the failure mode (flickering protection, incorrect boundary position) is the same in both environments.

Kill volume test procedure

Kill volumes must be tested by intentionally entering the covered area. The test may result in the player character dying, which is expected.

1. Load the map in single-player with admin privileges.
2. Walk toward the kill volume from a safe distance.
3. Observe the position at which the player takes damage and dies.
4. If the kill volume is inside an object (a rock, a building structure), confirm that the volume covers the full interior of the object and does not extend outside the object's visible boundary.
5. If the kill volume is at the map boundary, confirm that it covers the full extent of the boundary that should be lethal.
6. If the kill volume is at the bottom of a water area, swim to the bottom and confirm the kill trigger activates at the correct depth.
7. After dying to the kill volume, confirm that the player respawns at a valid spawn point and not inside another kill volume.

Player spawn points and arena mode

In arena mode, player spawn points are replaced by the arena's round spawn system. The standard player spawn points placed through the Players panel are not used in arena mode. If the map supports both survival and arena modes, place arena-specific spawn points through the arena configuration tools in addition to the standard spawn points.

Kill volumes for water areas

Water areas that are deep enough to drown players may still be exploited by players who can hold their breath longer than the drowning timer. Placing a kill volume at the bottom of deep water areas prevents indefinite underwater hiding.

1. Create a kill volume at the deepest point of the water body.
2. Position the volume at the water bottom, not at the water surface. Players should be able to swim at the surface without entering the kill volume.
3. Size the volume so that it covers the entire deep water area but does not extend into shallow water where players should be safe.
4. Players who dive to the bottom will enter the kill volume and die, preventing indefinite underwater camping.

The 57 Studios cohort recommendation is to place water-bottom kill volumes in any water body deeper than 10 meters, or in any water body where the map author has observed players using the bottom for indefinite hiding during local testing.

Kill volumes for vehicle collision prevention

Vehicle spawn explosions occur when a vehicle spawns inside or too close to another object. Kill volumes placed around vehicle spawn points can mitigate the damage from spawn explosions by killing players who are too close to the spawn point when the vehicle materializes.

This is an advanced technique that should be used only when vehicle spawn explosions are a persistent issue that cannot be resolved by moving the spawn point or increasing the Blocked Radius. The kill volume must be small enough that it does not kill players who are legitimately near the vehicle spawn area.

Appendix A: Volume field reference

Field	Volume type	Default	Purpose
Radius / Dimensions	Safezone	10 m	Extent of the volume. Circular = radius; rectangular = width/height/depth.
Protect from Zombies	Safezone	true	When true, zombies lose aggro on players inside the volume.
Protect from PvP	Safezone	true	When true, player damage is disabled inside the volume.
No Buildables	Safezone	false	When true, building and barricade placement is blocked.
Dimensions	Kill Volume	5x5x5 m	Extent of the kill volume.
Add_Kill_Triggers	Object (.dat field)	false	When true, adds a kill trigger inside the object.

Appendix B: Safezone and border diagnostic table

Symptom	Most likely cause	Resolution
Player takes damage inside safezone	Edge imprecision: player is at the exact boundary	Extend safezone volume 1-2 m beyond the visual boundary
Zombie stands still inside safezone	Zombie spawn region overlaps safezone	Move zombie region outside safezone boundary
Player walks off map edge	Use_Legacy_Clip_Borders is false or not set	Set to true in Config.json or place invisible walls
Player hides inside a rock and cannot be killed	Rock object lacks kill volume	Add Add_Kill_Triggers true to rock's .dat or place manual kill volume
Players spawn at the same position every time	Only 1-2 player spawn points placed	Place 5-10 spawn points distributed across the map
Player spawns inside a building wall	Spawn point placed on collider surface	Move spawn point to open terrain with navmesh coverage
Kill volume kills players outside the intended area	Kill volume dimensions too large	Reduce kill volume to cover only the target area
Building restriction not working near spawn	Prevent_Building_Near_Spawnpoint_Radius too small	Increase the radius in Config.json

Appendix C: Volume placement workflow quick reference

SAFEZONE PLACEMENT:
1. Select Safezone tool from editor toolbar
2. Click Add Safezone
3. Position volume at the target location
4. Resize to cover the intended protected area
5. Set Protect from Zombies and Protect from PvP as needed
6. Extend volume 1-2 m beyond visual boundary for edge buffer
7. Place visual markers at the intended boundary

PLAYER SPAWN POINT PLACEMENT:
1. Select Players panel from editor toolbar
2. Select Spawn Point tool
3. Click on terrain at spawn location
4. Place 5-10 spawn points, each 50+ m apart
5. Confirm each spawn point is on navmesh
6. Confirm each spawn point is 20+ m from zombie regions
7. Place safezones covering spawn points

KILL VOLUME PLACEMENT:
1. Select Kill Volume tool from editor toolbar
2. Click Add Volume
3. Position volume inside geometry that should be lethal
4. Size volume to cover the exploitable area only
5. Test by entering the area in single-player

POST-PLACEMENT VERIFICATION:
1. Enable volume visualization overlay
2. Inspect all volumes for correct placement
3. Confirm no zombie regions overlap safezones
4. Confirm no kill volumes overlap safezones
5. Run local map test to verify in-game behavior

Appendix D: Authoring checklist

• [ ] All player spawn points are placed (minimum 5-10)
• [ ] Spawn points are at least 50 m apart
• [ ] Spawn points are at least 20 m from nearest zombie region
• [ ] Spawn points are on flat terrain with navmesh coverage
• [ ] Safezone volumes cover all player spawn points
• [ ] Safezone volumes are extended 1-2 m beyond visual boundary
• [ ] No zombie spawn regions overlap any safezone volume
• [ ] Kill volumes are placed inside all large solid objects
• [ ] Kill volumes are placed at map boundaries (if clip borders disabled)
• [ ] Kill volumes are placed at bottom of deep water areas
• [ ] Use_Legacy_Clip_Borders is set appropriately in Config.json
• [ ] Prevent_Building_Near_Spawnpoint_Radius is configured
• [ ] Volume visualization overlay shows correct placement
• [ ] Local map test confirms safezones protect players
• [ ] Local map test confirms kill volumes kill players who enter
• [ ] Local map test confirms players cannot walk off map edge

Cross-references

• Level Config and Settings - the previous article; covers the Config.json fields that control border behavior and building restrictions.
• Local Map Testing - the next article; covers testing safezone behavior, border boundaries, and kill volumes in single-player.
• Navmesh Generation and Editing - covers navmesh compatibility for zombie spawn regions that should not overlap safezones.
• Spawn Point Placement - covers zombie spawn region placement that must be coordinated with safezone volumes.
• Dedicated Server Testing and Validation - covers server-side validation of safezone and kill volume behavior.
• Level Config Reference - the complete Config.json field reference including border and building restriction fields.
• Smartly Dressed Games Modding Documentation - the official level volume and config documentation.
• Unturned on Steam - the base game and community hub.

Document history

Version	Date	Author	Notes
1.0	2026-07-26	57 Studios	Initial publication. Complete safezones, borders, and volumes guide with safezone placement, kill volumes, player spawn points, edge imprecision fixes, and diagnostic procedures.