# Unit Description
**URL:** https://forum.highend3d.com/t/unit-description/5688
**Category:** Maya
**Tags:** mel
**Created:** [November 15, 2002, 12:30am UTC](https://forum.highend3d.com/t/unit-description/5688 "2002-11-15T00:30:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@da-coach](https://forum.highend3d.com/u/da-coach)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2002, 12:30am UTC](https://forum.highend3d.com/t/unit-description/5688/1 "2002-11-15T00:30:39Z")
Hey,
I was wondering if anyone can give me a good description of what the Unit command actually does in MEL. The reference isn't very descriptive. I have seen it used a couple times but I am curious to the math and meaning behind it. Just a question!! Thanks 😉
Da\_Coach
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### Author:  [@jeffd](https://forum.highend3d.com/u/jeffd)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2002, 1:38am UTC](https://forum.highend3d.com/t/unit-description/5688/2 "2002-11-15T01:38:14Z")
The unit command takes a vector and turns it into a "unit normal". A unit normal is a vector in the same direction as the original vector but with a magnitude of 1. Unit normals are very useful for the vector math that is used so frequently in 3D.
-JeffD