Getting your roblox studio scale increment setting dialed in is honestly one of the first things you should do before building anything serious. If you've ever tried to line up two parts and found they just won't sit flush, or you're trying to make a thin window pane and the part keeps jumping from "way too thick" to "basically invisible," you're dealing with an increment issue. It's one of those small settings that completely changes how the engine feels. When it's set correctly, building feels like playing with high-end LEGOs; when it's wrong, it feels like fighting with magnets that don't want to touch.
Where to find the increment settings
If you're looking for where this actually lives, head over to the Model tab at the top of Roblox Studio. It's right there in the "Snap to Grid" section. You'll see two main boxes: one for Move and one for Rotate. The roblox studio scale increment setting is actually tied directly to that "Move" value. I know, it's a bit confusing because there isn't a specific box labeled "Scale Increment," but the Move increment governs both how far a part travels when you drag it and how much it grows or shrinks when you use the Scale tool.
By default, this is usually set to 1 stud. In the world of Roblox, a stud is the basic unit of measurement. One stud is actually pretty big when you're trying to do detail work. If you leave it at 1, every time you pull on one of those little colored scaling dots, your part is going to snap in huge 1-stud chunks. That's fine if you're laying down a giant floor baseplate, but it's a nightmare for anything else.
Why 1 stud is usually a bad idea
Most builders I know immediately change that 1-stud default to something much smaller. If you're trying to build a chair, a computer desk, or even just a door frame, a 1-stud jump is way too aggressive. You'll end up with objects that look chunky and "unrefined."
The thing about the roblox studio scale increment setting is that it dictates the "resolution" of your build. Think of it like a screen resolution. High increments mean low resolution—everything is blocky. Low increments mean high resolution—you can get those tiny, smooth details. Most people find a "sweet spot" at 0.1 or even 0.05. At 0.1, you have enough control to make things look realistic without losing the benefit of the grid. Because, let's be honest, you want a grid. Building with the increment set to 0 (which is totally possible) sounds like freedom, but it usually leads to "micro-gaps" that you won't notice until you zoom in really close, and by then, it's too late.
Finding your perfect number
There isn't really a "perfect" number for everyone, but there are some standards that most builders stick to.
If you're doing Blocky/Classic builds, 1 or 0.5 is usually fine. It keeps everything aligned perfectly with the old-school Roblox aesthetic. It's fast, it's clean, and you never have to worry about parts overlapping in weird ways.
For Mid-poly or General building, 0.1 is the king. It's small enough to make thin walls and detailed furniture, but it still "snaps" enough that you can easily align two parts without having to type in coordinates manually.
Then there's High-detail building. This is where you might drop the roblox studio scale increment setting down to 0.01 or 0.02. This is for when you're making complex machinery, intricate light fixtures, or anything where "close enough" isn't good enough. Just be careful here—the lower you go, the easier it is to accidentally create "Z-fighting." That's that annoying flickering effect you see when two parts are occupying the exact same space. If your increment is too small, you might accidentally scale a part just a fraction of a millimeter into another one, and the engine won't know which texture to show on top.
Scaling shortcuts and tricks
While the increment setting does the heavy lifting, how you actually use the Scale tool matters too. A lot of newer builders just grab the handles and pull, but there are two keys that make the roblox studio scale increment setting much more powerful: Shift and Ctrl.
If you hold Shift while scaling, the part will scale uniformly. This means if you pull the top handle, the whole part grows in all directions while keeping its proportions. This is a lifesaver when you're resizing things like spheres or complex models that you don't want to distort. The increment still applies here, but it applies to the overall size.
Holding Ctrl (or Command on a Mac) while scaling is a bit different. It scales the part from the center. Instead of just growing out from the side you're pulling, it grows out from both sides simultaneously. If you have your increment set to 0.1 and you pull a side with Ctrl held down, the part actually grows by 0.1 on both sides, meaning the total length increases by 0.2. It takes a second to get used to the math, but it's the best way to keep things centered.
Using the Properties panel for ultimate precision
Sometimes, even the best roblox studio scale increment setting isn't quite enough. Maybe you're trying to match a specific size from a reference image, or you're working with a scripted system that needs exact dimensions.
In those cases, don't be afraid to skip the visual tools and go straight to the Properties window. If you select a part and scroll down to "Size," you can type in the exact numbers. If you want a part to be exactly 4.345 studs wide, you can just type it. The increment setting won't stop you; it only affects the manual dragging tools. I usually use a mix of both. I'll use a 0.1 increment to get the general shape of a building, and then I'll go into the Properties panel to fine-tune the thickness of things like windows or trim.
Dealing with collisions
One thing that often trips people up when they're messing with the roblox studio scale increment setting is the "Collisions" toggle. It's right next to the increment boxes in the Model tab.
If Collisions are ON, you won't be able to scale a part through another part. It'll just stop dead when it hits an obstacle. This can make it feel like your increment setting isn't working or that the tool is "stuck." If you're trying to do detailed work where parts need to overlap or nest inside each other, make sure to turn Collisions OFF. Once you do that, the scale tool will respect your increment setting perfectly, allowing you to slide parts through each other with total precision.
Workflow tips for faster building
Switching your increment constantly can be a bit of a pain. What I like to do is keep the roblox studio scale increment setting at 0.1 for about 90% of the build. It's a great "all-purpose" number. If I hit a spot where I need more detail, I'll quickly click the box, type 0.05, do what I need to do, and then switch it back.
It's also worth mentioning that your "Move" increment and your "Rotate" increment are separate. While the Scale tool uses the Move increment, the Rotate tool uses the degrees increment (usually 15 or 45 degrees). If you're trying to make a circular room or a curved wall, you'll want to lower that Rotate increment as well, but that's a whole different conversation.
To be honest, the best way to get a feel for this is just to spend an hour building a small house. Start with a 1-stud increment for the floor and main walls. Switch to 0.5 for the door and windows. Then drop it to 0.1 for the furniture and trim. You'll quickly realize how much smoother the process becomes when you aren't fighting the grid. It's all about making the tools work for you, rather than you working around the tools. Once you get the hang of it, you'll find yourself changing those numbers without even thinking about it.