Legacy Documentation: Version 5.0
Advanced NavMesh Bake Settings
Creating a NavMesh Obstacle

Creating a NavMesh Agent

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Once you have a NavMesh baked for your level it is time to create a character which can navigate the scene. We’re going to build our prototype agent from a cylinder and set it in motion. This is done using a NavMesh Agent component and a simple script.

First let’s create the character:

  1. Create a cylinder: GameObject > 3D Object > Cylinder.
  2. The default cylinder dimensions (height 2 and radius 0.5) are good for a humanoid shaped agent, so we will leave them as they are.
  3. Add a NavMesh Agent component: Component > Navigation > NavMesh Agent.

Now you have simple NavMesh Agent set up ready to receive commands!

When you start to experiment with a NavMesh Agent, you most likely are going to adjust its dimensions for your character size and speed.

The NavMesh Agent component handles both the pathfinding and the movement control of a character. In your scripts, navigation can be as simple as setting the desired destination point - the NavMesh Agent can handle everything from there on.

    // MoveTo.cs
    using UnityEngine;
    using System.Collections;
    
    public class MoveTo : MonoBehaviour {
       
       public Transform goal;
       
       void Start () {
          NavMeshAgent agent = GetComponent<NavMeshAgent>();
          agent.destination = goal.position; 
       }
    }

Next we need to build a simple script which allows you to send your character to the destination specified by another Game Object, and a Sphere which will be the destination to move to:

  1. Create a new C# script (MoveTo.cs) and replace its contents with the above script.
  2. Assign the MoveTo script to the character you’ve just created.
  3. Create a sphere, this will be the destination the agent will move to.
  4. Move the sphere away from the character to a location that is close to the NavMesh surface.
  5. Select the character, locate the MoveTo script, and assign the Sphere to the Goal property.
  6. Press Play; you should see the agent navigating to the location of the sphere.

To sum it up, in your script, you will need to get a reference to the NavMesh Agent component and then to set the agent in motion, you just need to assign a position to its destination property. The Navigation How Tos will give you further examples on how to solve common gameplay scenarios with the NavMesh Agent.

Further Reading

Advanced NavMesh Bake Settings
Creating a NavMesh Obstacle