Working in the Inspector
Editing properties

Focus an Inspector window

You can use a focused InspectorA Unity window that displays information about the currently selected GameObject, asset or project settings, allowing you to inspect and edit the values. More info
See in Glossary
window to track a specific GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary
, component, asset, or property regardless of your selection in the Editor.

A focused Inspector window is a dedicated Inspector window for a specific GameObject, component, or asset. It always displays the properties of the item you opened it for, even if you select something else in the sceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary
or project.

A focused Inspector window works just like a regular Inspector window, except for the following differences:

  • They do not update to show the properties for the current selection.
  • You cannot lock them. Each focused Inspector displays a specific item’s properties, so there’s no need to lock the window.

You can open as many focused Inspector windows as you want. Focused Inspector windows open in floating windows that you can reposition, dock, and resize like any other window.

The Editor saves any open focused Inspectors when you close a project, and restores them when you reopen it.

How you open a focused Inspector window depends on what you want to inspect. You can open a focused Inspector for:

  • GameObjects and project assets
  • Components
  • Reference properties
  • Hovered over GameObjects in the Hierarchy window

Open a focused Inspector window for a GameObject or an asset in your project

You can open a focused Inspector window for a GameObject or project in several ways.

The following image shows three selected items (left), two GameObjects and one asset, and the window you get when you open a focused Inspector for them (right).

To open a focused Inspector for a single GameObject or asset:

  1. Right-click a GameObject in the Hierarchy view or an asset in the Project view.
  2. From the context menu, select Properties.

Alternatively, select the GameObject or Asset and do one of the following:

  • From the main menu, select Assets > Properties.
  • Press Alt+P (macOS: Option+Shift+P).
  • In the Inspector window, select More items () > Properties.

To open focused Inspectors for multiple GameObjects and assets:

  1. Select any combination of GameObjects in the Hierarchy view and assets in the Project view.
  2. Do one of the following:
    • Right-click one of the selected items, and from the context menu, select Properties.
    • From the main menu, select Assets > Properties.
    • Use the Alt+P (macOS: Option+Shift+P) shortcut.

Open a focused Inspector window for a component

A focused Inspector window is helpful for frequently edited properties. For example, if you often move a GameObject but really change its other properties, you can open its Transform component in a focused Inspector window.

The following image shows a Camera component open in a regular Inspector (1), and its Transform componentA Transform component determines the Position, Rotation, and Scale of each object in the scene. Every GameObject has a Transform. More info
See in Glossary
open in a focused Inspector (2). The tab header for the focused Inspector displays the name of the GameObject that the component belongs to.

To open a focused Inspector for a component attached to a GameObject:

  1. Inspect the GameObject and locate the component you want to open a focused Inspector for.
  2. From the component’s More items () menu, select Properties.

Open a focused Inspector window for reference properties

When a GameObject has reference properties, you can open focused Inspector windows for the GameObjects or assets they reference.

  1. Inspect the GameObject and locate the property whose reference you want to open in a focused Inspector.
  2. Right-click the reference field and select Properties from the context menu.

Set a shortcut to open a focused Inspector window for a hovered-over GameObject

You can set up a shortcut to open a focused Inspector for the item your mouse hovers over in the Hierarchy window. This lets you open a focused Inspector for an item without affecting the current selection.

To assign a keyboard shortcut to the PropertyEditor > OpenMouseOver command, use the Shortcuts Manager.

Locate a focused Inspector’s source

To locate the item whose properties are displayed in a focused Inspector, do one of the following:

  • From the focused Inspector window’s More Items () menu, select Ping to highlight the item in the Hierarchy or the Project windowA window that shows the contents of your Assets folder (Project tab) More info
    See in Glossary
    .
  • Hover over the focused Inspector window’s tab header to display a tooltip that shows the full path to the item in the Hierarchy or the Project view.

Did you find this page useful? Please give it a rating:

  • Working in the Inspector
    Editing properties