Greeble

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title: "Greeble" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["computer-graphic-techniques", "film-and-video-technology", "scale-modeling", "special-effects", "1970s-neologisms", "science-fiction-terminology", "star-wars", "sculpture-techniques", "george-lucas"] description: "Detailing added to make models appear more complex" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greeble" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Detailing added to make models appear more complex ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Smithsonian_NASM_-Close_Encounters_of_the_Third_Kind_Mother_Ship_spacecraft_model(5144012861).jpg" caption="A visual effects model of a ship from ''[[Close Encounters of the Third Kind]]'', featuring an extensive use of greebles"] ::

Greebles, also called greeblies (singular: greebly) or nurnies, are small relief details used to give visual complexity to a model. The act of decorating a model with greebles is known as greebling. While greebling originated as a technique in filmmaking, it is commonly used in model-making, toy design, and kitbashing.

The term "greeblies" was coined by George Lucas in the 1970s to describe details on model ships used in the production of Star Wars. Ron Thornton is credited with coining the term "nurnies" to refer to CGI technical detail that his company Foundation Imaging produced for the Babylon 5 series, while the model-making team of 2001: A Space Odyssey referred to them as "wiggets".

In science-fiction model design, greebles are used to imply mechanical function without necessarily having any real purpose. They may also serve to create an illusion of scale. In the production of Star Wars, many ship models began as simple shapes that were given visual complexity by attaching greebles taken from commercial model kits. Greebling is a common aspect of Lego model design.

References

References

1. "Revell V-8 Engine Model".
2. Fronczek, Steve. (January 20, 2008). "Interview: Charles Adams". Future-past.com.
3. (2021-02-19). "Interstellar Illusions: "Greebles" Lend Large Sci-Fi Structures a Sense of Scale".
4. "What are Nurnies". LEde Designs.
5. Norling, Staffan. "Comments about greebling".
6. Spencer, Theo. (2025-04-14). "LEGO builders join forces for some greebley goodness".
7. (2019-09-19). "Skulls could use more greebling in general".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::