Garry's Mod
Garry's Mod

The Physics Gun: Your Primary Tool — Garry's Mod Walkthrough

Master the Garry's Mod Physics Gun. Learn its controls for grabbing, moving, rotating, freezing, and launching objects. Essential for all players.

The Physics Gun is arguably the most fundamental tool in Garry's Mod, granting you the power to directly interact with the physical world. This section provides a comprehensive guide to its functions, controls, and advanced uses, empowering you to manipulate objects with precision and creativity.

The Physics Gun: Your Primary Interaction Tool

The Physics Gun is your main tool for manipulating physics-enabled objects. It allows you to grab, move, rotate, freeze, and even launch props with a degree of control.

Basic Controls

  • `Left Mouse Button` (Hold): Grabs an object. While holding, you can move the object around.
  • `Right Mouse Button` (Hold): Rotates the grabbed object. Move your mouse to control the rotation axis and direction.
  • `Mouse Wheel` (Scroll): Adjusts the object's distance from you while grabbed. Scroll up to bring it closer, scroll down to push it away.
  • `R` Key: Toggles the object's physics simulation. When 'frozen' (physics off), the object will remain in place and unaffected by gravity or other forces. Press `R` again to re-enable physics.
  • `E` Key: When aiming at a grabbed object, pressing `E` will launch it in the direction you are looking. The force of the launch depends on how far you've pushed the object away.

Advanced Uses and Techniques

  • Precise Placement: Use the `Mouse Wheel` to fine-tune the position of an object before releasing it. This is crucial for aling props accurately.
  • Controlled Rotation: Combine `Left Mouse Button` and `Right Mouse Button` with the `Mouse Wheel` for intricate object manipulation.
  • Freezing for Stability: Use the `R` key to freeze objects in place, preventing them from moving or falling. This is essential for building stable structures or holding objects in position while you work on something else.
  • Launching Objects: The `E` key launch can be used for various purposes, from testing the structural integrity of your builds to creating projectile weapons.
  • Combining with Other Tools: The Physics Gun works in conjunction with the Weld Tool. You can grab an object, position it, and then use the Weld Tool to attach it to another object.

Physics Gun Settings (Tool Gun Menu)

While the core controls are standard, the Physics Gun has some settings accessible via the Tool Gun's menu:

  • Grab Strength: Affects how strongly the Physics Gun holds onto an object. Higher strength can be useful for larger or heavier props.
  • Rotation Speed: Controls how quickly the object rotates when you hold down the right mouse button.
  • Freeze/Unfreeze All: A command to freeze or unfreeze all physics objects in the world.

Example: Building a Simple Tower

  1. Spawn several cube props (`models/props_junk/metal_box01a.mdl`).
  2. Use the Physics Gun to grab a cube.
  3. Use the `Mouse Wheel` to adjust its height and the `Right Mouse Button` to al it.
  4. Place the first cube on the ground.
  5. Grab a second cube and use the `Mouse Wheel` to position it directly on top of the first.
  6. Press `R` to freeze the second cube in place.
  7. Repeat for subsequent cubes, stacking them to create a tower.
  8. Once the tower is built, you can unfreeze all objects (or individually) to see how stable it is.

The Physics Gun is the cornerstone of Garry's Mod's sandbox gameplay. Mastering its controls and understanding its capabilities will unlock a vast array of creative possibilities for building, experimenting, and having fun.