Item Dimensions - Stud Dimensions and Other Standards
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Stud Dimensions - also called Modular Dimensions (M) or LEGO Units (L) - represent the most natural way of measuring and identifying standard LEGO parts. Many Stud Dimensions are embedded in the item name and serve as the primary identifier for the part (e.g. various lengths of axles). However, Stud Dimensions are not used for every part in the BrickLink catalog, but only those where the dimensions can easily be perceived by counting studs and bricks. Organic shapes that do not fit neatly into the system grid may not have stud dimensions.
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Stud Dimensions (Width x Length x Height) must be entered using a measurement of Studs for width and length and Bricks for height. For example, Brick 1 x 1 has dimensions of 1 x 1 x 1.
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The base LEGO unit is a full brick with only one stud on top (a stud is the round peg on top of a brick or a plate) as shown here. The dimensions of a LEGO piece can be given in the order Width by Length by Height, using LEGO Units. Width and length are a count of Studs, height is a count of Bricks.
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This part is described as a Brick 2 x 4 x 3. It is 2 studs wide, 4 studs long, and equal to the height of 3 bricks.
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For parts where height is less than one Brick (for example Plates or Tiles), enter dimensions of width and length and omit height by entering the number '0' in the box for height. This piece is described as a Plate 1 x 2. It is 1 stud wide, 2 studs long and height is omitted.
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| | Notes: |
- Different Standards: The LEGO Group has also produced bricks of different size - some larger (including those from the Primo, DUPLO, and Explore lines) and some smaller (e.g. Modulex). The unit of measurement within those lines is based on a full brick from that line. So a DUPLO LEGO Unit will be bigger than a System LEGO Unit, and will be based on a single stud DUPLO Brick. No extra description is included to denote these different sized units, since the origin of the part will describe the base unit.
- Plates and Bricks: For System parts it takes 3 plates stacked on each other to equal the height of one brick, so a height dimension of "1/3" is equal to one plate high. For DUPLO parts, it takes 2 plates to equal the height of one brick. While System plates are not described specifically with "1/3" in their dimensions, DUPLO plates may be described with "1/2" simply to emphasize this fact.
- Stud Dimensions in the Item Name: When the height of a piece is standard for how that piece is categorized, only 2 dimensions are used in the Item Name. For example, bricks that are 1 brick high, and plates that are 1 plate high have their height omitted from their Item Names. The first example above is described as a Brick 1 x 1, the height dimension being assumed as 1 and omitted. Conversely, pieces with very non-standard modifications in their design often exceed such standard heights and just as often do not have the maximum overall height dimension indicated in their name.
- The format Width x Length x Height, while common among fans, may be replaced on occasion with the more widely used standard Length x Width x Height. This is due to consistency and sorting needs among similar items, or to an alternate common name used by fans. Establishing which dimension is which for a particular part often depends on the part's common applications. For Slopes, the first dimension listed should be that of the direction of the slope. For example, the dimensions for part 4286 are 3 x 1, not 1 x 3.
- Slopes include an approximation of the degree of the slope in their descriptions. Some common degrees are 33, 45, 65, and 75.
- Metric Units: Dimensions of some non-brick items can be stated in metric units in the item name. When this occurs, the unit of measurement will be expressly included in the description. For example, electric wires are often measured in centimeters, and the description includes the cm abbreviation. In most cases, measurements not expressly described can be assumed to be LEGO Units.
- LEGO Units (L): Dimensions of some non-brick items can be stated as LEGO Units in the item name. This is usually by giving a number followed by "L". The number represents how many LEGO studs in a straight line, and a small space immediately around them, would be covered by a particular portion or surface of the item. Which portion or surface is generally obvious from pictorial context.
- Nominative Units: Numbers that look like dimensions in the name of some wheel and tire items, but which do not carry a measurement unit abbreviation in any way, are assumed to be nominative only. That means the numbers may or may not represent an actual measured dimension. But one thing is certain - the number is used to distinguish and sort the item within the BrickLink catalog. Such numbers are often molded into tires almost purely as decoration.
- Learning more about Stud Dimensions: Use the Dimensions Item Filter on the Advanced Catalog Search page to study the way Stud Dimensions have been used throughout the catalog. Set the Item Type to "Part" and enter values in the dimensions search fields. You may enter any of the following: a whole number (20), a decimalized fraction (1.33), zero (0), or leave a field blank.
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