Garry's Mod
Garry's Mod

The User Interface and Controls — Garry's Mod Walkthrough

Master Garry's Mod UI and controls. Learn keybinds, spawn menus, the Toolgun, and Physgun for efficient sandbox gameplay and customization.

The User Interface and Controls

Navigating Garry's Mod effectively relies on understanding its user interface (UI) and mastering its controls. While the core gameplay is intuitive, the game offers a wealth of menus, tools, and keybinds that allow for deep customization and interaction. From spawning props to managing addons, a solid grasp of the UI is essential for any player.

The main menu is your central hub, providing access to crucial options like starting a new game, loading saves, accessing the addon manager, and configuring game settings. When you're in-game, the UI typically displays your health, armor, and ammo (if applicable to the gamemode). The most important in-game UI elements for sandbox play are the spawn menus. These are accessed by pressing 'Q' by default and are categorized into sections like Props, NPCs, Weapons, Entities, and more.

The Toolgun is another key UI element. While not a menu itself, it's an item you equip that brings up a context-sensitive radial menu when you hold down the right mouse button. This menu allows you to select various tools like the Weld, Color, Material, or Constraint tools, each offering unique ways to interact with the game world. The Physgun, while not having a menu, is controlled via mouse clicks and scroll wheel.

Key controls to remember include:

  • Q: Opens the spawn menu.
  • Mouse 1 (Left Click): Primary action (e.g., firing a weapon, using the Physgun to grab).
  • Mouse 2 (Right Click): Secondary action (e.g., rotating with Physgun, opening Toolgun menu).
  • Mouse Wheel: Scrolling through items or adjusting tool parameters.
  • E: Use/Interact with objects.
  • R: Reload weapon (if applicable).
  • C: Opens the context camera (allows looking around without moving your character).
  • Shift: Hold for slower movement/walking.
  • Ctrl: Crouch.

Understanding these controls and UI elements will sificantly streamline your Garry's Mod experience, allowing you to focus on creativity and fun rather than fumbling through menus.