Roblox UtilitiesDevlHub Roblox Documentation

Class

Model

Inherits
PVInstance › Instance › Object
Memory category
BaseParts
Subclasses
5

Models are container objects, meaning they group objects together. They are best used to hold collections of BaseParts and have a number of functions that extend their functionality.

Models are container objects, meaning they group objects together. They are best used to hold collections of BaseParts and have a number of functions that extend their functionality.

Models are intended to represent geometric groupings. If your grouping has no geometric interpretation, for instance a collection of Scripts, use a Folder instead.

Models whose constituent parts are joined together with joints (so that they can move around or be destroyed via physics simulation) usually have a PrimaryPart set, as it specifies which part within the model the pivot and bounding box will "follow" as the model moves. Static models which stay in one place do not benefit from having a primary part set.

Models have a wide range of applications, including Roblox player characters. They also have a number of unique behaviors that are important to keep in mind:

As with all Instance types, the fact that a parent Model is replicated to a client does not guarantee that all its children are replicated. This is particularly important if these instances are being accessed by code running on the client, such as in a LocalScript. Using ModelStreamingMode with values such as Atomic can ensure that the entire model and all of its descendants are present if the parent model exists on the client, or you can use WaitForChild() when atomicity is not desired.

Properties 5#

LevelOfDetailModelLevelOfDetailSets the level of detail on the model for experiences with instance streaming enabled.ReadSafe
ModelStreamingModeModelStreamingModeControls the model streaming behavior on Models when instance streaming is enabled.ReadSafe
PrimaryPartBasePartThe primary part of the Model, or nil if not explicitly set.ReadSafe
ScalefloatEditor-only property used to scale the model around its pivot. Setting this property will move the scale as though Model:ScaleTo() was called on it.ReadSafeNotReplicatedNotScriptable
WorldPivotCFrameDetermines where the pivot of a Model which does not have a set Model.PrimaryPart is located.ReadSafeNotReplicated

LevelOfDetail: ModelLevelOfDetail#

ReadSafe

Sets the level of detail on the model for experiences with instance streaming enabled. Composite or imposter meshes do not support physics, collision detection, or raycasting.

When set to StreamingMesh, a lower resolution "imposter" mesh (colored, coarse mesh that wraps around all child parts of the model) renders outside the streaming radius. Does not support textures.

When set to SLIM, a SLIM model (Scalable Lightweight Interactive Model) renders a composite of all child parts at progressively lower resolutions at distances based on the streaming radius. This greatly improves visual quality over StreamingMesh.

When set to Disabled or Automatic, lower resolution meshes will not be displayed.

ModelStreamingMode: ModelStreamingMode#

ReadSafe

Controls how Models are streamed in and out when instance streaming is enabled. Behavior depends on the selected enum. Has no effect when streaming is not enabled.

This property should only be changed in Studio via the Properties window when streaming is enabled, or in Scripts, but never in LocalScripts (doing so can result in undefined behavior).

PrimaryPart: BasePart#

ReadSafe

Points to the primary part of the Model. The primary part is the BasePart that acts as the physical reference for the pivot of the model. That is, when parts within the model are moved due to physical simulation or other means, the pivot will move in sync with the primary part.

Note that Models do not have PrimaryPart set by default. If you are creating a model that needs to be acted upon by physics, you should manually set this property in Studio or within a script. If the primary part is not set, the pivot will remain at the same location in world space, even if parts within the model are moved.

Also note that when setting this property, it must be a BasePart that is a descendant of the model. If you try to set Model.PrimaryPart to a BasePart that is not a descendant of the model, it will be set to that part but reset to nil during the next simulation step — this is legacy behavior to support scripts which assume they can temporarily set the primary part to a BasePart which isn't a descendant of the model.

The general rule for models is that:

  • Models whose parts are joined together via physical joints such as WeldConstraints or Motor6Ds should have a primary part assigned. For example, Roblox character models have their Model.PrimaryPart set to the HumanoidRootPart by default.
  • Static (usually Anchored) models which stay in one place unless a script explicitly moves them don't require a Model.PrimaryPart and tend not to benefit from having one set.

Scale: float#

NotReplicatedNotScriptableReadSafe

Setting this property in the Properties window will scale the model as though Model:ScaleTo() was called on it, scaling all descendant Instances in the model, such as materials, images, and the 3D geometry of parts, so that the model has the specified scale factor relative to its original size.

This property is only available in Studio and will throw an error if used in a Script or LocalScript. Model:ScaleTo() and Model:GetScale() should be used from scripts.

WorldPivot: CFrame#

NotReplicatedReadSafe

This property determines where the pivot of a Model which does not have a set Model.PrimaryPart is located. If the Model does have a PrimaryPart, the pivot of the Model is equal to the pivot of that primary part instead, and this WorldPivot property is ignored.

For a newly created Model, its pivot will be treated as the center of the bounding box of its contents until the first time its Model.WorldPivot property is set. Once the world pivot is set for the first time, it is impossible to restore this initial behavior.

Most commonly, moving the model with the Studio tools, or with model movement functions such as PVInstance:PivotTo() and Model:MoveTo(), will set the world pivot and thus end this new model behavior.

The purpose of this behavior is to allow Luau code to get a sensible pivot simply by creating a new model and parenting objects to it, avoiding the need to explicitly set Model.WorldPivot every time you create a model in code.

Methods 21#

AddPersistentPlayerSets this model to be persistent for the specified player. ModelStreamingMode must be set to PersistentPerPlayer for behavior to be changed as a result of addition.
BreakJointsBreaks connections between BaseParts, including surface connections with any adjacent parts, WeldConstraints and all Welds and other JointInstances.
breakJointsDeprecated
GetBoundingBoxReturns a description of a volume that contains all parts of a Model.
GetExtentsSizeReturns the size of the smallest bounding box that contains all of the BaseParts in the Model, aligned with the Model.PrimaryPart if it is set.
GetModelCFrameThis value historically returned the CFrame of a central position in the model.Deprecated
GetModelSizeReturns the Vector3 size of the Model.Deprecated
GetPersistentPlayersReturns all the Player objects that this model object is persistent for. Behavior varies based on whether this method is called from a Script or a LocalScript.
GetPrimaryPartCFrameReturns the CFrame of the model's Model.PrimaryPart. This function will throw an error if no primary part exists for the Model.
GetScaleReturns the canonical scale of the model, which defaults to 1 for newly created models and will change as it is scaled via Model:ScaleTo().
MakeJointsGoes through all BaseParts in the Model. If any part's side has a SurfaceType that can make a joint it will create a joint with any adjacent parts.Deprecated
makeJointsDeprecated
moveDeprecated
MoveToMoves the PrimaryPart to the given position. If a primary part has not been specified, the root part of the model will be used.
moveToDeprecated
RemovePersistentPlayerMakes this model no longer persistent for the specified player. ModelStreamingMode must be set to PersistentPerPlayer for behavior to be changed as a result of removal.
ResetOrientationToIdentityResets the rotation of the model's parts to the previously set identity rotation, which is done through the Model:SetIdentityOrientation() method.Deprecated
ScaleToSets the scale factor of the model, adjusting the sizing and location of all descendant Instances such that they have that scale factor relative to their initial sizes and locations when scale factor was 1.
SetIdentityOrientationSets the identity rotation of the given model, allowing you to reset the rotation of the entire model later, through the use of the ResetOrientationToIdentity method.Deprecated
SetPrimaryPartCFrameSets the BasePart.CFrame of the model's Model.PrimaryPart. All other parts in the model will also be moved and will maintain their orientation and offset respective to the Model.PrimaryPart.
TranslateByShifts a Model by the given Vector3 offset, preserving the model's orientation. If another BasePart or Terrain already exists at the new position then the Model will overlap said object.

AddPersistentPlayer(playerInstance: Player = nil): ()#

Sets this model to be persistent for the specified player. Persistent models stay present for the player regardless of streaming settings or conditions.

ModelStreamingMode must be set to PersistentPerPlayer for behavior to be changed as a result of addition.

NameTypeDefaultDescription
playerInstancePlayernilThe Player to make this model persistent for.
Returns
  • ()

BreakJoints(): ()#

Deprecated

Breaks connections between BaseParts, including surface connections with any adjacent parts, WeldConstraints, and all Welds and other JointInstances.

When BreakJoints is used on a Player character Model, the character's Humanoid will die as it relies on the Neck joint.

Note that although joints produced by surface connections with adjacent Parts can technically be recreated using Model:MakeJoints(), this will only recreate joints produced by surfaces. Developers should not rely on this as following the joints being broken parts may no longer be in contact with each other.

Returns
  • ()

breakJoints(): ()#

DeprecatedDeprecated

Deprecated. This deprecated function is a variant of Model:BreakJoints() which should be used instead.

Returns
  • ()

GetBoundingBox(): Tuple#

This function returns a description of a volume that contains all BasePart children within a Model. The volume's orientation is based on the orientation of the PrimaryPart, and matches the selection box rendered in Studio when the model is selected. Mirroring the behavior of Terrain:FillBlock(), it returns a CFrame representing the center of that bounding box and a Vector3 representing its size. The size may be inaccurate at runtime if physics constraints are acting upon the parts within the Model.

The orientation of the bounding box matches the orientation of the Pivot - either the pivot of the PrimaryPart (if present) or the WorldPivot of the model.

Returns
  • Tuple — A CFrame representing the orientation of the volume followed by a Vector3 representing the size of the volume.

GetExtentsSize(): Vector3#

Returns the size of the smallest bounding box that contains all of the BaseParts in the Model. The orientation matches the orientation of the Pivot - either the pivot of the PrimaryPart (if present) or the WorldPivot of the model.

Note this function only returns the size of the smallest bounding box, and the developer must employ their own method to obtain the position of the bounding box.

Returns

GetModelCFrame(): CFrame#

DeprecatedDeprecated

Deprecated. This function has been deprecated as it did not provide reliable results. You can instead use Model:GetPrimaryPartCFrame() to retrieve the CFrame of the model's primary part.

This value historically returned the CFrame of a central position in the model.

Returns
  • CFrame — A CFrame representing a central position in the model.

GetModelSize(): Vector3#

DeprecatedDeprecated

Deprecated. This item is deprecated. Do not use it for new work. Developers can instead use Model.GetExtentsSize.

The GetModelSize function returns the Vector3 size of the Model.

Returns

GetPersistentPlayers(): List<Player>#

When this method is called from a Script, it returns all the Player objects that this model is persistent for. When called from a LocalScript, this method only checks if this model is persistent for the LocalPlayer.

Returns
  • List<Player> — A table with all the Player objects that this model object is persistent for.

GetPrimaryPartCFrame(): CFrame#

Deprecated

This function has been superseded by PVInstance:GetPivot() which acts as a replacement and does not change your code's behavior. Use PVInstance:GetPivot() for new work and migrate your existing Model:GetPrimaryPartCFrame() calls when convenient.

Returns the CFrame of the model's Model.PrimaryPart.

This function is equivalent to the following.

Model.PrimaryPart.CFrame

Note this function will throw an error if no primary part exists for the Model. If this behavior is not desired developers can do the following, which will be equal to nil if there is no primary part.

local cFrame = Model.PrimaryPart and Model.PrimaryPart.CFrame

Returns

GetScale(): float#

Models contain a persistent canonical scale factor, which starts out at 1 for newly created models and changes as the model is scaled by calling Model:ScaleTo(). This function returns the current canonical scale factor of the model.

The current scale factor does not directly impact the size of Instances under the model. It is used for content authoring and scripting purposes to remember how the model has been scaled relative to its original size.

Within a given session, the model will cache the precise original size information of the descendant Instances after the first Model:ScaleTo() call. This means that calling ScaleTo(x) followed by ScaleTo(1) will get you back exactly the original configuration of the model with no floating point drift. Avoiding floating point drift is the motivation for having a ScaleTo function instead of a ScaleBy function.

The scale factor does impact engine behavior in one way: The scale factor of a model will be applied to joint offsets of Animations played on an AnimationController under that model, so that animated rigs will correctly play back animations even when scaled.

Returns
  • float — The current canonical scale factor of the model.

MakeJoints(): ()#

DeprecatedDeprecated

Deprecated. This joint type has been deprecated. Don't use it for new work. Use WeldConstraints and HingeConstraints instead.

SurfaceType based joining is deprecated. Don't use MakeJoints for new projects. Use WeldConstraints and HingeConstraints instead.

Goes through all Parts in the Model and creates joints between the specified Parts and any planar touching surfaces, depending on the parts' surfaces.

  • Smooth surfaces will not create joints
  • Glue surfaces will create a Glue joint
  • Weld will create a Weld joint with any surface except for Unjoinable
  • Studs, Inlet, or Universal will each create a Snap joint with either of other the other two surfaces (e.g. Studs with Inlet and Universal)
  • Hinge and Motor surfaces create Rotate and RotateV joint instances

This function doesn't work if the Part is not a descendant of Workspace. Therefore, you must first ensure the Model is parented to Workspace before using MakeJoints.

Returns
  • ()

makeJoints(): ()#

DeprecatedDeprecated

Deprecated. This deprecated function is a variant of Model:MakeJoints() which should be used instead.

Returns
  • ()

move(location: Vector3): ()#

DeprecatedDeprecated

Deprecated. This item has been superseded by Model:MoveTo() which should be used in all new work

NameTypeDefaultDescription
locationVector3
Returns
  • ()

MoveTo(position: Vector3): ()#

Moves the PrimaryPart to the given position. If a primary part has not been specified, the root part of the model will be used, but the root part is not deterministic and it is recommended that you always set a primary part when using MoveTo().

If there are any obstructions where the model is to be moved, such as Terrain or other BaseParts, the model will be moved vertically upward until there is nothing in the way. If this behavior is not desired, PVInstance:PivotTo() should be used instead.

Note that rotation is not preserved when moving a model with MoveTo(). It is recommended to use either TranslateBy() or PVInstance:PivotTo() if the current rotation of the model needs to be preserved.

NameTypeDefaultDescription
positionVector3The Vector3 the Model is moved to.
Returns
  • ()

moveTo(location: Vector3): ()#

DeprecatedDeprecated

Deprecated. This deprecated function is a variant of Model:MoveTo() which should be used instead.

NameTypeDefaultDescription
locationVector3
Returns
  • ()

RemovePersistentPlayer(playerInstance: Player = nil): ()#

Makes this model no longer persistent for the specified player. This does not guarantee the model will immediately be removed for the player; after calling this method, the model will be treated as Atomic for that player and will remain present as long as it is within the target streaming radius.

ModelStreamingMode must be set to PersistentPerPlayer for behavior to be changed as a result of removal.

NameTypeDefaultDescription
playerInstancePlayernilThe Player to make this model no longer persistent for.
Returns
  • ()

ResetOrientationToIdentity(): ()#

DeprecatedDeprecated

Deprecated. This function has been deprecated; it remains to prevent legacy scripts from throwing errors, but it does nothing when called.

Resets the rotation of the model's parts to the previously set identity rotation, which is done through the Model:SetIdentityOrientation() method.

Returns
  • ()

ScaleTo(newScaleFactor: float): ()#

Models contain a persistent canonical scale factor, which starts out at 1 for newly created models. This function scales the model, around the pivot location, relative to how it would look at a scale factor of 1. To accomplish this it does two things:

  • Sets the current scale factor of the model to the specified value
  • Resizes and repositions all descendant Instances accordingly

The scaling of locations is done around the pivot location.

All "geometric" properties of descendant Instances will be scaled. That obviously includes the sizes of parts, but here are some other examples of properties which are scaled:

NameTypeDefaultDescription
newScaleFactorfloatThe new scale factor for the model, which must be a positive non-zero number. A value of 1 represents the model's original size.
Returns
  • ()

SetIdentityOrientation(): ()#

DeprecatedDeprecated

Deprecated. This function has been deprecated; it remains to prevent legacy scripts from throwing errors, but it does nothing when called.

Sets the identity rotation of the given model, allowing you to reset the rotation of the entire model later, through the use of the ResetOrientationToIdentity method.

Returns
  • ()

SetPrimaryPartCFrame(cframe: CFrame): ()#

Deprecated

This function has been superseded by PVInstance:PivotTo() which acts as a more performant replacement and does not change your code's behavior. Use PVInstance:PivotTo() for new work and migrate your existing Model:SetPrimaryPartCFrame() calls when convenient.

Sets the BasePart.CFrame of the model's Model.PrimaryPart. All other parts in the model will also be moved and will maintain their orientation and offset respective to the Model.PrimaryPart.

Note, this function will throw an error if no Model.PrimaryPart exists for the model. This can cause issues if, for example, the primary part was never set or has been destroyed.

NameTypeDefaultDescription
cframeCFrameThe CFrame to be set.
Returns
  • ()

TranslateBy(delta: Vector3): ()#

Shifts a Model by the given Vector3 offset, preserving the model's orientation. If another BasePart or Terrain already exists at the new position then the Model will overlap said object.

The translation is applied in world space rather than object space, meaning even if the model's parts are orientated differently it will still move along the standard axis.

NameTypeDefaultDescription
deltaVector3The Vector3 to translate the Model by.
Returns
  • ()

Inherited members#

Inherited from PVInstance 4
Properties (2)

Origin, Pivot Offset

Methods (2)

GetPivot, PivotTo

Inherited from Instance 58
Inherited from Object 6
Properties (2)

ClassName, className

Events (1)

Changed

Subclasses 5#