Changes: Map unit

Latest revision as of 01:25, 6 August 2019

The coordinates and dimensions of objects in Doom levels are generally described by integer values between -32768 and +32767. The unit length is often called a map unit (or simply, unit). Each unit is proportional to 1 pixel of a texture or sprite.

It is difficult to translate the size of a Doom map unit into a real-world unit, since the dimensions of various objects in the game are inconsistent. Very roughly, one could attempt to translate 32 map units as 1 meter (3.28 feet) based on the height of the Doom guy. Due to aspect ratio correction, the width of objects would be 0.75 m (2.4 ft) each 32 units. With this interpretation, the Doom guy would be 1.75 m (5.7 ft) tall and the smaller doors 2.25 m (7.3 ft) tall.

Some example dimensions in terms of Doom's map units are:

Structure	Map unit	Real Life Unit
small map details such as support beams and wall lamps	16 units	37 cm	1.2 ft
smallest gap the player can pass through	32 units	75 cm	2.4 ft
regular crate small teleporter gate	64 units	1.5 m	4.9 ft
big door width of regular corridor such as the main hallway in MAP01: Entryway (Doom II)	128 units	3 × 4 m	9.8 × 13.1 ft
small room	200 units - 400 units	4.6 - 9.3 m	15.3 - 30.7 ft
medium-size room start room of E1M1: Hangar (Doom)	500 units - 800 units	11.7 - 18.7 m	38.4 - 61.5 ft
Final boss	768 units × 384 units	18 × 12 m	59 × 39.3 ft
large room such as the Spider Mastermind room in MAP06: The Crusher (Doom II)	800 units - 1500 units	18.7 - 35.1 m	61.5 - 115.3 ft
typical Doom level (Knee-Deep in the Dead)	4000 units	93.7 m	307.5 ft

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-The positions and sizes of objects in Doom [[level]]s are generally described by integer values between -32768 and +32767. The unit length is often called a '''map unit''' (or simply, '''unit'''). Some example dimensions in terms of Doom's map units are:
+The coordinates and dimensions of objects in Doom [[level]]s are generally described by integer values between -32768 and +32767. The unit length is often called a '''map unit''' (or simply, '''unit'''). Each unit is proportional to 1 pixel of a [[texture]] or [[sprite]].
-* 2<sup>4</sup> = 16 units: small map details such as support beams and wall lamps
-* 2<sup>5</sup> = 32 units: smallest gap the player can pass through
-* 2<sup>6</sup> = 64 units: regular [[crate]], small [[teleporter]] gate
-* 2<sup>7</sup> = 128 units: big door, width of regular corridor such as the main hallway in [[MAP01: Entryway (Doom II)]]
-* 200-400 units: width of a small room
-* 500-800 units: width of a medium-size room, such as the start room of [[E1M1: Hangar (Doom)]]
-* 768 units: width of the [[Icon of Sin]]
-* 800-1500 units: width of a large room such as the [[Spider Mastermind]] room in [[MAP06: The Crusher (Doom II)]]
-* 4000 units: width of typical Doom level ([[Knee-Deep in the Dead]])
-It is difficult to translate the size of a Doom map unit into a real-world unit, since the dimensions of various objects in the game are inconsistent. Very roughly, one could attempt to translate 32 map units as 1 meter based on the height of the [[Doom guy]] (56 units). With this interpretation, a [[Cyberdemon]] would be 3.5 meters tall and a typical Doom level would have a size of approximately 120 m &times; 120 m.
+It is difficult to translate the size of a Doom map unit into a real-world unit, since the dimensions of various objects in the game are inconsistent. Very roughly, one could attempt to translate 32 map units as 1 meter (3.28 feet) based on the height of the [[Doom guy]]. Due to [[aspect ratio]] correction, the width of objects would be 0.75 m (2.4 ft) each 32 units. With this interpretation, the Doom guy would be 1.75 m (5.7 ft) tall and the smaller doors 2.25 m (7.3 ft) tall.
+Some example dimensions in terms of Doom's map units are:
-However, height and width units don't quite agree. The 1-meter interpretation would imply that the Doom guy is one meter wide, or at least cannot pass through an opening narrower than one meter, which would be to exaggerate his muscularity. A more realistic interpretation (if there is any such thing) is perhaps that one "width unit" (w) corresponds to 3/4 of a "height unit" (h).
+{| class="WikiaTable"
+|-
+! Structure
+! Map unit
+! colspan="2" | Real Life Unit
+|-
+| small map details such as support beams and wall lamps
+| 16 units
+| 37 cm
+| 1.2 ft
+|-
+| smallest gap the player can pass through
+| 32 units
+| 75 cm
+| 2.4 ft
+|-
+| regular [[crate]]<br>small [[teleporter]] gate
+| 64 units
+| 1.5 m
+| 4.9 ft
+|-
+| big door<br>width of regular corridor such as the main hallway in [[MAP01: Entryway (Doom II)]]
+| 128 units
+| 3 × 4 m
+| 9.8 × 13.1 ft
+|-
+| small room
+| 200 units - 400 units
+| 4.6 - 9.3 m
+| 15.3 - 30.7 ft
+|-
+| medium-size room<br>start room of [[E1M1: Hangar (Doom)]]
+| 500 units - 800 units
+| 11.7 - 18.7 m
+| 38.4 - 61.5 ft
+|-
+| [[Final boss]]
+| 768 units × 384 units
+| 18 × 12 m
+| 59 × 39.3 ft
+|-
+| large room such as the [[Spider Mastermind]] room in [[MAP06: The Crusher (Doom II)]]
+| 800 units - 1500 units
+| 18.7 - 35.1 m
+| 61.5 - 115.3 ft
+|-
+| typical Doom level ([[Knee-Deep in the Dead]])
+| 4000 units
+| 93.7 m
+| 307.5 ft
+|}
 ==See also==
 * [[Angle]]
 [[Category:Doom engine]]