NavMesh

NavMesh is a tool for creating a navigation mesh, vital for player movement in the game world.

Importance

Without a NavMesh, player movement and navigation in the game world wouldn't be possible, impacting the game's realism and immersion.

NavMesh Benefits

• Player Navigation: Enables movement in the game world.
• Pathfinding: Finds the shortest route to destinations.
• Obstacle Avoidance: Automatically steers clear of obstacles.
• Dynamic Navigation: Adapts to real-time changes in the game world.

Creating a NavMesh

In Highrise Studio, a NavMesh is automatically generated for new scenes. Alternatively, follow these steps to create one manually:

1. Right-click in the Hierarchy window.
2. Select Create Empty.
3. Rename the new GameObject to NavMesh.
4. In the Inspector window, click Add Component.
5. Search for NavMesh Surface and add it to the GameObject.
6. Click Bake to generate the NavMesh.

Ensure your player character has a NavMesh Agent attached for the NavMesh to function. (This is enabled by default in Highrise Studio)

Editing the NavMesh

Adjust settings in the NavMesh Surface component to customize the NavMesh for your game world.

When editing the NavMesh make sure you select the Show NavMesh option in the AI Navigation window in the Scene view to see the changes in real-time.

Type of NavMesh

There are different types of NavMesh that you can create based on the requirements of your game. Some common types of NavMesh include:

• NavMesh Agent: Used for player characters and NPCs.
• NavMesh Obstacle: Used for dynamic obstacles in the game world.
• NavMesh Link: Used for connecting different NavMesh areas.
• NavMesh Modifier: Used for modifying the NavMesh based on specific rules.
• NavMesh Modifier Volume: Used for modifying the NavMesh in a specific area.
• NavMesh Surface: Used for generating the NavMesh in the game world.

Excluding Areas or Objects

If you ever need to exclude certain areas or objects from the NavMesh, you can use the NavMesh Modifier component and set the Mode to Remove Object. You can also change the other properties to customize the exclusion area.

Baking the NavMesh

When editing the NavMesh, you must bake it to apply the changes to the game world. Select the Object with the NavMesh Surface component and click Clear to remove the existing NavMesh and then click Bake to generate the new NavMesh.

Conclusion

NavMesh is essential for creating immersive game worlds. Utilize its features to enable player navigation, pathfinding, obstacle avoidance, and dynamic navigation for a polished gaming experience.