Surface
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A surface or triangle in Super Mario 64 is a piece of geometry that exerts some kind of force or effect on Mario. Every triangle falls into one of three categories: a floor triangle, a wall triangle, or a ceiling triangle. However, a triangle does not store what category it is. Instead, its category is determined based on the y component of the triangle's normal vector[1]. If y component > 0.01, then it is a floor. If y component < -0.01, then it is a ceiling. Otherwise, it is a wall.
Walls
A triangle is a wall triangle if and only if -0.01 < normal.y < 0.01.
Hitbox
All wall hitboxes are handled once per frame and once per quarter step of Mario's movement. Most of the time, a wall has two separate hitboxes handled one after the other within a frame or quarter step.
- A wall hitbox's initial frame handle has a hitbox extending 50 units forward and 50 units backward, offset down 60, and then a hitbox extending 24 units in each direction offset down 30.
- A quarter step of ground movement has a hitbox extending 24 units forward and 24 units backward, offset down 30, and then a hitbox extending 50 units in each direction offset down 60. This is the opposite order from the initial handle, but the outcome is the same.
- A quarter step of air movement gives the wall a hitbox of 50 units in each direction offset down 150, and then a hitbox of 50 units offset down 30.
- Water movement does not implement quarter steps. After one frame of water movement, a wall hitbox extends 110 units in each direction, offset down 10. Since both the water handle and the initial handle both happen once per frame, the hitboxes can be overlaid.
Non-vertical walls
The majority of walls in the game are perfectly vertical, but not all. Walls that are not vertical are one cause of Glitchy Ledge Grabs.
Floors
A floor triangle is a triangle with normal.y > 0.01.
Hitbox
A floor's hitbox extends 78 units below and 100 units above the floor triangle. This allows Mario to move vertically along floors; if he is moving up or down a slope or stairs, he will be off the floor after his horizontal motion but still in its hitbox, which will snap him to the floor. He will always be snapped up if he's in a floor's hitbox below the floor, but he'll only be snapped down while above a floor if he is in a ground movement state. When walking on a slope, Mario will move horizontally at a rate slower than his actual speed, known as his De Facto Speed.
Any location that is not inside or above a floor hitbox is considered out of bounds; Mario will not be able to move into it of his own volition, and if forced into it, he will die.
Ceilings
A ceiling hitbox extends from 160 units below the ceiling to infinitely above. For ground and air movement, the ceiling will try its best to keep Mario out of it. If Mario walks into the ceiling, his quarter step will be canceled, and he will remain in place and do the pushing animation. If Mario is moving upwards in the air when coming in contact with the ceiling, his quarter step will be canceled and his vertical speed will be set to 0. On the contrary, when Mario falls onto a ceiling while airborne, his quarter step will be canceled and his horizontal speed will get set to 0, making him fall straight down. Although a ceiling will extend upwards infinitely, a floor can overwrite the ceiling hitbox, meaning that its hitbox will stop right when the floor hitbox starts.
On the American release of the game, there is an interesting ceiling example found in Rainbow Ride, where the top of the chimney is not capped off, making the ceiling go up forever, softlocking Mario if he ends up sliding into it.
Even though ceilings try to push Mario outwards, they can still be accessed using various techniques, such as getting pushed by an enemy. Note that once Mario is standing inside the ceiling, he is no longer able to move anywhere due to his quarter steps being cancelled.
For Water movement, Mario instead gets warped downward by ceilings. These downwarps are used in various TASes and speedruns.
Surface Types
While the surface type of a surface is not restricted to only floors, walls, or ceilings, in practice they are only used in certain scenarios, or wouldn't have any affect if such surface was of a different type, i.e. there could be a vertical wind ceiling or a death barrier wall, but those surfaces would have the behaviour. Todo: Explain what slipperiness means.
| Type | Surface Hex | Behavior | Slipperiness | Unused | Sample Level | Description/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floor/Wall/Ceiling | 0x00 | Default | Default | Most | Regular Ground | |
| Floor/Wall | 0x01 | Lava | Default | LLL/BitFS/SL/RR | Lava that burns Mario | |
| Floor | 0x04 | Default | X | Has Exertion | ||
| Ceiling | 0x05 | Climbable | Default | Many | Ceilings that Mario can climb on | |
| Floor | 0x09 | Slow Movement | Default | X | Slows movement for Mario when he moves | |
| Floor | 0x0A | Death Plane | Default | Many | Triggers death, used in most stages where you can fall off | |
| Floor | 0x0B | Default | BoB/SSL Pyramid | Camera mode 1025, close camera | ||
| Floor | 0x0D | Default | Courtyard (fountain) | For camera behavior | ||
| Floor | 0x0E | Flowing Water | Default | Basement/Outside/CotMC | Has exertion and pushes Mario in water | |
| Floor | 0x12 | Intangible | Default | BBH | Seperates BBH mansion from merry-go-round, for room usage | |
| Floor | 0x13 | Slide Default | Slide | Most | The default slide floor | |
| Floor | 0x14 | Slippery Default | Slippery | Most | The default slippery floor | |
| Floor | 0x15 | Non-slippery Default | Non-Slippery | Most | The default non-slippery floor | |
| Floor | 0x1A | Different Noise | Default | BBH | Has a varied noise depending on terrain (mostly unused) | |
| Floor | 0x1B | Loading Zone | Default | Endless Stairs/WDW | Changes Mario's position/can load new level | |
| Floor | 0x1C | Loading Zone | Default | WDW | Changes Mario's position/can load new level | |
| Floor | 0x1D | Loading Zone | Default | SSL Pyramid/DDD | Changes Mario's position/can load new level | |
| Floor | 0x1E | Loading Zone | Default | SSL Pyramid/DDD | Changes Mario's position/can load new level | |
| Floor | 0x21 | Shallow Quicksand | Default | THI Huge/TTM | Has a depth of 10 units | |
| Floor | 0x22 | Deep Quicksand | Default | SSL Pyramid | Has a depth of 160, kills Mario at the bottom | |
| Floor | 0x23 | Instant Quicksand | Default | SSL | Instant death quicksand, underneath mist | |
| Floor | 0x24 | Deep Moving Quicksand | Default | SSL | Has a depth of 160, kills Mario at the bottom, has exertion | |
| Floor | 0x25 | Shallow Moving Quicksand | Default | SSL | Has a depth of 25, has exertion | |
| Floor | 0x26 | Quicksand | Default | SSL | Has a depth of 60 | |
| Floor | 0x27 | Moving Quicksand | Default | SSL | Has a depth of 60, has exertion | |
| Floor/Wall | 0x28 | Constructions | Default | Most | Fences, cannons | |
| Floor | 0x29 | Default with Noise | Default | BoB/WF/BBH | Default floor with different noises | |
| Floor | 0x2A | Slippery with Noise | Slippery | BoB/Outside | Slippery floor with different noises | |
| Floor | 0x2C | Horizontal Wind | Default | SL/BitS/RR/THI Huge | Creates sideways wind | |
| Floor | 0x2D | Instant Moving Quicksand | Default | SSL | Instant death quicksand, has exertion | |
| Floor | 0x2E | Ice | Slide | CCM/SL/THI | Is slippery, transparent, and has a unique shadow | |
| Floor | 0x2F | TotWC Trigger/Sun Carpet | Default | Lobby | Floor to trigger TotWC | |
| Floor | 0x30 | Hard Default | Default | CCM/SSL/SL | Always has fall damage, regardless of terrain | |
| Floor | 0x32 | Surface Warp | Default | TotWC/DDD/JRB | Warp with no height check (moving above triggers it) | |
| Floor | 0x33 | Slide Timer Start | Default | PSS | Starts the timer for the slide | |
| Floor | 0x34 | Slide Timer End | Default | PSS | Ends the timer for the slide | |
| Floor | 0x35 | Hard Slippery Surface | Slippery | SSL | Always has fall damage, slippery | |
| Floor | 0x36 | Hard Slide Surface | Slide | SL | Always has fall damage, slide | |
| Floor | 0x37 | Hard Non-Slippery Surface | Non-Slippery | CCM/SL/WMotR | Always has fall damage, Non-Slippery | |
| Floor | 0x38 | Upwards Wind | Default | CCM/THI/TTM | Creates upward wind, also acts as a death barrier | |
| 0x40 | Vertices Information | - | Beginning of the vertices information in the level data | |||
| 0x41 | Continue | - | ||||
| 0x42 | End | - | Marks the end of level data | |||
| 0x43 | Objects | - | Beginning of some object information in the level data | |||
| 0x44 | Waterlike Collision | - | Beginning of the waterlike information in the level data | |||
| Floor | 0x65 | Default | BoB/WF | Camera mode 2817, zoomed out | ||
| Floor | 0x66 | Default | SSL Pyramid/TTC/THI | For camera behavior | ||
| Floor | 0x68 | Default | THI Wiggler | For camera behavior | ||
| Floor | 0x69 | Default | THI Tiny | For camera behavior | ||
| Floor | 0x6E | Default | WF/SSL | For camera behavior | ||
| Floor | 0x6F | Default | BitDW/THI | For camera behavior | ||
| Floor | 0x70 | Default | BoB/TTM | For camera behavior | ||
| Floor/Wall/Ceiling | 0x72 | Camera-only Surface | Default | Basement/CotMC/SL | Intangible as a surface for Mario, however restricts camera movement | |
| Floor | 0x73 | Slide with Noise | Slide | X | Has noises, unused | |
| Floor | 0x74 | Slide with Noise | Slide | X | Has noises, unused | |
| Floor | 0x75 | Snowman's Path | Slide | CCM | Snowmans head race path; has noise | |
| Floor/Wall | 0x76 | Surfaces with Flags | Default | Most | Most surfaces that have flags use this type | |
| Floor | 0x77 | Default | X | Can have flags | ||
| Floor | 0x78 | Slide | THI Huge | Possibly for camera behavior, has noise | ||
| Floor | 0x79 | Slippery | CCM | For camera behavior | ||
| Floor | 0x7A | Switch Surface | Non-Slippery | Many | Switches and Dorrie use this surface | |
| Wall | 0x7B | Invisi-Cap Mesh's | Default | Many | Passible with invisible cap | |
| Floor | 0xA6 | BoB Painting/TTM Slide Entrance | Default | Lobby/TTM | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xA7 | BoB Painting/TTM Slide Entrance | Default | Lobby/TTM | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xA8 | BoB Painting/TTM Slide Entrance | Default | Lobby/TTM | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xA9 | CCM Painting | Default | Lobby | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xAA | CCM Painting | Default | Lobby | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xAB | CCM Painting | Default | Lobby | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xAC | WF Painting | Default | Lobby | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xAD | WF Painting | Default | Lobby | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xAE | WF Painting | Default | Lobby | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xAF | JRB Painting | Default | Lobby | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xB0 | JRB Painting | Default | Lobby | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xB1 | JRB Painting | Default | Lobby | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xB2 | LLL Painting | Default | Basement | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xB3 | LLL Painting | Default | Basement | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xB4 | LLL Painting | Default | Basement | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xB5 | SSL Wall | Default | Basement | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xB6 | SSL Wall | Default | Basement | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xB7 | SSL Wall | Default | Basement | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xB8 | Unused HMC Wall? | Default | X | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xB9 | Unused HMC Wall? | Default | X | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xBA | Unused HMC Wall? | Default | X | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xBB | DDD Wall | Default | Basement | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xBC | Unused DDD Wall? | Default | X | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xBD | Unused DDD Wall? | Default | X | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xBE | WDW Painting | Default | Upstairs | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xBF | WDW Painting | Default | Upstairs | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xC0 | WDW Painting | Default | Upstairs | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xC1 | THI-Tiny Painting | Default | Upstairs | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xC2 | THI-Tiny Painting | Default | Upstairs | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xC3 | THI-Tiny Painting | Default | Upstairs | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xC4 | TTM Painting | Default | Upstairs | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xC5 | TTM Painting | Default | Upstairs | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xC6 | TTM Painting | Default | Upstairs | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xC7 | Default | X | Wobbles camera, locks it | ||
| Floor | 0xC8 | Default | X | Wobbles camera, locks it | ||
| Floor | 0xC9 | Default | X | Wobbles camera, locks it | ||
| Floor | 0xCA | Unused SL Painting? | Default | X | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xCB | Unused SL Painting? | Default | X | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xCC | Unused SL Painting? | Default | X | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xCD | THI-Large Painting | Default | Upstairs | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xCE | THI-Large Painting | Default | Upstairs | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xCF | THI-Large Painting | Default | Upstairs | Wobbles camera, locks it | |
| Floor | 0xD0 | HMC/CotMC Pool Loading | Default | Basement/HMC | Possibly for triggering the pool graphic to load | |
| Floor | 0xD1 | Default | X | |||
| Floor | 0xD2 | Default | X | |||
| Floor | 0xD3 | BoB Painting/TTM Slide Entrance | Default | Lobby | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xD4 | BoB Painting/TTM Slide Entrance | Default | Lobby | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xD5 | BoB Painting/TTM Slide Entrance | Default | Lobby | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xD6 | CCM Painting | Default | Lobby | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xD7 | CCM Painting | Default | Lobby | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xD8 | CCM Painting | Default | Lobby | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xD9 | WF Painting | Default | Lobby | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xDA | WF Painting | Default | Lobby | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xDB | WF Painting | Default | Lobby | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xDC | JRB Painting | Default | Lobby | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xDD | JRB Painting | Default | Lobby | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xDE | JRB Painting | Default | Lobby | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xDF | LLL Painting | Default | Basement | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xE0 | LLL Painting | Default | Basement | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xE1 | LLL Painting | Default | Basement | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xE2 | SSL Wall | Default | Basement | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xE3 | SSL Wall | Default | Basement | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xE4 | SSL Wall | Default | Basement | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xE8 | DDD Wall | Default | Basement | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xE9 | DDD Wall | Default | Basement | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xEA | DDD Wall | Default | Basement | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xEB | WDW Painting | Default | Upstairs | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xEC | WDW Painting | Default | Upstairs | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xED | WDW Painting | Default | Upstairs | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xEE | THI Tiny Painting | Default | Upstairs | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xEF | THI Tiny Painting | Default | Upstairs | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xF0 | THI Tiny Painting | Default | Upstairs | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xF1 | TTM Painting | Default | Upstairs | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xF2 | TTM Painting | Default | Upstairs | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xF3 | TTM Painting | Default | Upstairs | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xF4 | TTC Painting | Default | Upstairs | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xF5 | TTC Painting | Default | Upstairs | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xF6 | TTC Painting | Default | Upstairs | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xF7 | SL Wall | Default | Upstairs | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xF8 | SL Wall | Default | Upstairs | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xF9 | SL Wall | Default | Upstairs | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xFA | THI Huge Painting | Default | Upstairs | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xFB | THI Huge Painting | Default | Upstairs | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xFC | THI Huge Painting | Default | Upstairs | Horizontal Course Warp | |
| Floor | 0xFD | Hole Course Entry | Default | Basement/HMC | Flat Course Entry | |
| Floor | 0xFF | BitDW Entry (Not a Warp) | Default | Lobby | BitDW Entry |