Glossary

From GMod Wiki

This is the glossary of terms commonly used in Garry's Mod. If you are looking for Lua information, see Lua. For more help, see Frequently Asked Questions. For a glossary of Wiki terms see here. For a list of commonly used edit summary abbreviations, see here.

Please add definitions in the following format:

; Word or phrase being defined
: Definition

As this is only a glossary, please try to keep the definitions short. If there is more information on a term than would be reasonable to put on this page, then feel free to create an article on it in addition to adding a short definition here.

0-9

0123456789

Default keys used to control a thruster.

A

Anti Aliasing (AA)

A graphics operation that smooths and straightens out jagged lines on the edges of 3D objects. Many games have this feature, such as Half-Life 2. This can be a very intensive task for some graphics cards; a decent graphics card is required for maximum Anti-aliasing settings.

Axis

A constraint, similar to, but not to be confused with, ballsockets. The difference is, objects can rotate freely on a ballsocket; in an axis, they are only allowed to rotate on a single axis.

B

Balloons

Objects that apply upward, or downward if using reverse balloons, force to a contraption. They are poppable, and are also frequently cited as a source of lag.

Ballsocket

A constraint similar to a weld, except the objects may rotate freely around the point of the constraint.

Black Hole Effect

This occurs when you weld too many objects together. Objects suffering from the black hole effect will randomly hop around, breaking and killing people.

Bloom

This is a graphics effect that adds more emphasis to bright lights and reflections. Shiny.

Button

An object that is usable. When triggered it acts as though you have pressed the corresponding key on the numpad. Can control dynamite, thrusters, hoverballs and any other action usually controlled by the numpad.

C

Chimney

A huge and high-polygon prop, making it the ideal prop for spamming. Some servers will kick or ban users attempting to place it. With the release of Garry's Mod 10 and the ability to import models, there are much worse server killing models.

Client

Someone who connects to a server. A client is also the name of a program that can connect to a server.

Colour

A tool that allows you to change the color of props/NPCs. You can use it make objects flash or fade as well as make them transparent or even invisible.

Comic

A series of pictures showed in a sequence, telling a story. Garry's Mod introduced many new tools, such as the physgun, eyes poser, etc, that aid people in these.

Console

This is, to put it simply, a utility for game developers used to communicate directly with the game engine. You can give input and commands to the game, and it will try to execute them. The console can also sometimes be called the command line.

Constraint

Anything, such as welds, ropes, ballsockets, nails, etc. that limit a prop's movement.

Counter-Strike Source

Another Valve game, usually abbreviated as CSS. It began as a mod, and was eventually turned into its own game. It is a team based game in which terrorists and counter-terrorists fight for control of a map. What is important for GMod users is that owning the game adds many new maps, props, and weapons to the spawn list. Garry's Mod 10 is available bundled with this game.

Cvar

Cvar, or ConVar, stands for console variable. Console variables store the last used setting in a command, such as whether server cheats are on, if a server is a LAN server, what weapons NPCs spawn with, and the like.

D

Dynamic Lamp

A spawnable object that creates a light, similar to the player flashlight.

Dynamite

In Gmod 10 this prop looks like a bundle of 4 sticks of dynamite, colored red. It is a timed explosive, triggered using a number key on the numpad. This prop may be triggered using a button.

E

Elastic

A constraint that can be stretched, but returns to its original position after force is no longer being applied.

Emitter

A tool that allows you to place special effects, such as fog. An emitter is also the name of the effect itself.

Eyes Poser

This tool lets you set the direction ragdolls are looking in, among other things. Primarily used for comics.

F

F10

This button will exit your game. People may say "Press F10 to kill everyone" do not do this as it will only kill yourself and your game.

Update: This no longer happens by default. If you're still worried about it just type 'unbind F10' in your console.

Face Poser

A tool that allows users to change facial expressions of ragdolls.

FPS

First-person shooter (This is what Half-Life 2 is), or frames per second.

Framerate

This is measured in frames per second (FPS). The framerate is how many times a second the screen is updated. Rendering many objects, such as chimneys, can cause a drop in the framerate. When the framerate drops very low, the game appears to be slowing down.

G

Garry

The lead programmer and mastermind behind the Half-Life 2 modification Garry's Mod. He is said to be gorgeous and incredibly strong.

Garry's Mod

A popular "sandbox" modification for Half-Life 2, featuring a wide variety of tools for manipulating Half-Life 2's physics engine, in addition to its versatile lua scripting implementation. It is called Gmod for short.

H

Half Life 2

The game Garry's Mod is for. Half Life 2 is the sequel to the award winning First Person Shooter Half Life, which debuted in 1998. Half Life 2 also introduces the powerful Source engine.

Half Life 2 Deathmatch

A free Steam download to all users of Half Life 2. This is basically Half Life 2 multiplayer (not CSS, but HL2 multiplayer for real). Players simply try to kill each other to earn points with the weapons from Half Life 2. Players also have access to the Gravity Gun, which will allow players to use physics to their advantage once again.

Half Life 2 Episode 1

The first in a 3-part series of Half Life 2 expansion packs. Currently, Episode 1 and Episode 2 have been released, and Episode 3 was just announced.

High Dynamic Range (HDR)

Similar to Bloom lighting, but more realistic and brighter, plus higher intensity. Half Life 2 has the option to enable HDR, but the levels included in the game do not have HDR in them, only Bloom effects. There is a map you can download called Half Life 2: Lost Coast, a map released by Valve to demonstrate Half Life 2 and HDR. This map is free to all owners of Half Life 2.

Host

Someone hosting a server.

I

Ignite

This tool sets stuff on fire. You can change the duration of the fire. It also gradually damages objects, such as crates and exploding barrels, which will break after a short amount time. Due to the introduction of the latest incarnation of the source engine, it also lights the area around it dynamically.

J

Junk

Things that are useless/dirty/boring/smelly, mostly used in comics and videos.

K

Kill

To kill yourself, type "kill" in console.

L

Lag

A phrase people yell when their game suddenly slows down. Most of its meaning is lost by its misuse. See latency below.

Latency

This refers to the time it takes for a packet of information to reach the client from the server. The server has a limited number of packets it can send out, and a large number of clients may be competing for them. Lag occurs when a connection slows down, so that everyone is synchronized into the same frame of time. There are other sources of lag, but when people complain, this is probably what they are talking about. Do not confuse this with a drop in the framerate.

Lift

1. A contraption using a flat surface, a slider, and thrusters, to create an elevator to reach higher locations.

2. A vertical force directed upward, produced by the airflow around a moving object.

Lua

A scripting language that Garry's Mod uses to create custom content. You can, for example, make a lua script that automatically spawns bouncy balls around the map. For more info refer to the Lua section of the wiki.

M

Magnetise

An incredibly useful tool that lets you magnetise stuff. Magnetised objects will attract other objects. There are other unique properties too, which you should read in the full article.

Map

The environment that the player interacts with when you start a game of Gmod. gm_construct is the most frequently used one.

Material

This tool allows you to change the material that an object is made of, such as matte white, combine shield effects, or render target.

MingeBag

The default name for players on GMod. Most useful as a warning to other players online that someone new to Gmod has just joined the game. They are often flamed or kicked on servers, due to the annoying and destructive tendencies of some 'MingeBags'.

Mod

1. Short for "Modification", mods are common things in the PC gaming world. They allow you to add new content to certain games. Half Life 2 is a great example of a game that can be modded. Garry's Mod is one of the most successful mods to be released for Half Life 2.

2. Short for "Moderator" as in an online forum.

N

Nail

A constraint fired out of a gun, that attaches two objects, or an object to the ground. When attaching two objects, use nails around the seams of the objects.

Noclip

A common cheat code/console command seen in many PC games. It stops the player from "clipping" with things in the game world, essentially allowing the user to fly through walls and objects. It is very useful when making complex contraptions in Gmod.

NPC

A non-playable character. These are spawned either through the console or using the spawn menu.

Numpad

Numerical or number pad. It features the keys /*-789+456123.0, delete, and enter. It is usually located on the far right of a keyboard. In Garry's Mod, the numpad is used to control thrusters, hoverballs, wheels, etc.

O

P

Physcannon

The orange gravity gun. Punts objects with left click, and attracts objects with right click.

Physgun

The blue (super) gravity gun. Grabs and rotates objects with left click, freezes objects with right click.

Physics

The study of matter and its motion through spacetime, as well as related concepts such as energy and force.

Phys Props

Short for "Physical Properties". This tool allows you to make any prop float, bounce, slide, etc.

Ping

The time it takes for a packet of information to travel from the client to the server and back (round trip). This is not to be confused with latency.

Polygons

Multiple-sided shapes that fit together to form complex 3-D objects.

Prop

Anything you can spawn, such as crates and milk cartons.

Pulley

A constraint that executes a force on another object when one object is moved. Imagine tying two bricks onto opposite ends of a rope, then throwing it over a tree limb. When you pull down on one, the other brick rises.

Q

Q-Menu

This is a menu in Garry's Mod that allows easy access to many things while in-game.

R

Ragdoll

A spawnable character. These have no AI, and can only be posed using the physgun, eyes poser, and face poser. Welding them is not suggested, as they have a tendency to flip around and hit things. Most servers limit the number you can place, as they cause lag.

Remover

A tool that removes props, as well as any constraints, thrusters, and the like, attached to it. When in a multiplayer server, always ask before removing another player's props.

Rotor Wash

The high velocity air movement under a helicopter.

S

Server

A computer hosting something other people can access - in Gmod's case, a multiplayer game. Someone hosting a server is called a host.

Slider

This constraint looks a lot like a rope, but it allows any object on it to slide freely along the rope.

Source Engine

The game engine that Half-Life 2, Counter-Strike: Source, Dark Messiah etc, run on. The Source Engine is renowned for its physics, which is a integral element of Half-Life 2 and Garry's Mod.

Steam

This is the game distribution system, multiplayer management system, and digital rights management system maintained by Valve.

Steam ID

This is a unique number that identifies you on-line when playing a game through Steam, such as Garry's Mod. If you are ever banned from a server, your Steam ID is used in the blacklisting process.

SWEP

This acronym stands for Scripted Weapon. Scripted weapons are programmed in Lua scripts, and can used to do many different useful things.

T

Thruster

A tool that allows you to bind a thruster to a numpad numerical key, then place them. They push stuff around.

Trace

Traces a line from a point along an angle and returns where it hit.

Tracer

Sometimes confused with a Trace.

A tracer is the bright line that shoots out of your gun in the direction you're firing. It's just an effect and controls nothing.

ToyBox

A tab within the Q-Menu and map selection screen used to download user-generated props, maps, entities, game-saves, and SWEPS.

U

Undo

Needed if you do something wrong or want to clear something up you just did; default key is "Z"

V

Valve

Distributor and publishing company of games released on Steam, also developing several of the games themselves.

Valve Anti-Cheat

Abbreviated as VAC. If you get banned, you get banned from all VAC servers. VAC isn't incredibly important for Gmod users, since cheating is kind of pointless. However, if you cheat and are banned in another game, you will also be banned from all VAC protected Gmod servers.

W

Weld

This attaches two objects together at a point, and does not allow them to rotate.

Wine

A collection of Windows Libraries that allow Win32 programs to run under Linux. GMod10 is supported by Wine fully, with the exception of a few small bugs. Getting Wine and GMod to work is fairly easy with a bit of Linux experience.

Also a type of drink, normally containing alcohol.

X

Y

Z