ar4mirez/unity

Unity Guide

Applies to: Unity 2022 LTS+, C#, Games, VR/AR, Simulations, Interactive Media

Core Principles

1. Component-Based Architecture: One MonoBehaviour = one responsibility
2. Composition Over Inheritance: Combine components on GameObjects; avoid deep class hierarchies
3. Data-Driven Design: Use ScriptableObjects for configuration and shared data
4. Event-Driven Communication: Decouple systems with C# events, UnityEvents, or ScriptableObject events
5. Cache Everything: Never call Find, GetComponent, or allocate in Update

Guardrails

MonoBehaviour Rules

• Keep Update() bodies under 20 lines; delegate to focused methods
• Cache all GetComponent results in Awake() (never call in Update)
• Subscribe to events in OnEnable, unsubscribe in OnDisable
• Use [SerializeField] private instead of public for inspector fields
• Apply [RequireComponent] attribute when a script depends on another component
• Never use GameObject.Find or FindObjectOfType at runtime (cache in Start/Awake)
• Use CompareTag("Tag") instead of gameObject.tag == "Tag" (avoids GC allocation)

Project Organization

• Prefix project folder with _Project/ to keep it at top of Assets
• Group assets by feature, not by type (e.g., Player/ contains scripts, prefabs, materials)
• Keep Resources/ minimal; prefer Addressables for runtime asset loading
• Store all runtime configuration in ScriptableObjects under _Project/ScriptableObjects/
• Place editor-only scripts inside Editor/ folders

Performance

• Object pool frequently spawned objects (bullets, particles, enemies)
• Avoid allocations in hot paths (Update, FixedUpdate, physics callbacks)
• Reuse collections instead of creating new ones each frame
• Use StringBuilder for string operations; never concatenate in loops
• Prefer value types (struct) for small, short-lived data
• Set physics layers properly; disable unnecessary collision pairs in Physics settings
• Use Time.deltaTime for frame-independent movement, Time.fixedDeltaTime in FixedUpdate

Naming Conventions

• Scripts: PascalCase.cs matching the class name (e.g., PlayerController.cs)
• Private fields: camelCase (e.g., moveSpeed, jumpHeight)
• Serialized fields: prefix with [Header("Section")] for inspector grouping
• Interfaces: IPrefixed (e.g., IDamageable, IInteractable)
• ScriptableObjects: PascalCase with descriptive asset menu name
• Scenes: PascalCase (e.g., MainMenu.unity, Level01.unity)
• Prefabs: PascalCase matching the primary component (e.g., EnemyGoblin.prefab)

Project Structure

MyGame/
├── Assets/
│   ├── _Project/
│   │   ├── Art/                    # Materials, Models, Sprites, Textures
│   │   ├── Audio/                  # Music, SFX
│   │   ├── Prefabs/                # Characters, Environment, UI
│   │   ├── Scenes/
│   │   ├── Scripts/
│   │   │   ├── Core/              # GameManager, SceneLoader, ServiceLocator
│   │   │   ├── Player/            # PlayerController, PlayerHealth, PlayerInput
│   │   │   ├── Enemies/           # AI, spawning, enemy types
│   │   │   ├── UI/                # HUD, menus, dialogs
│   │   │   ├── Systems/           # Audio, save, pooling, events
│   │   │   └── Data/              # ScriptableObjects, serializable structs
│   │   ├── ScriptableObjects/     # Items, Enemies, Settings assets
│   │   └── Settings/              # InputActions.inputactions
│   ├── Plugins/
│   └── Resources/                  # Keep minimal; prefer Addressables
├── Packages/manifest.json
├── ProjectSettings/
├── Tests/                          # EditMode/ and PlayMode/
└── .gitignore

MonoBehaviour Lifecycle

Understanding execution order is critical for correct initialization.

public class LifecycleExample : MonoBehaviour
{
    // INITIALIZATION (called once)
    private void Awake()    { /* Cache components, init self. Runs even if disabled. */ }
    private void OnEnable() { /* Subscribe to events. Runs when enabled. */ }
    private void Start()    { /* Cross-object setup. Runs before first Update, only if enabled. */ }

    // UPDATE LOOP (called every frame/tick)
    private void Update()      { /* Game logic, input. Use Time.deltaTime. */ }
    private void FixedUpdate() { /* Physics. Constant timestep. Rigidbody movement here. */ }
    private void LateUpdate()  { /* Camera follow, post-processing. After all Updates. */ }

    // CLEANUP
    private void OnDisable()  { /* Unsubscribe events. */ }
    private void OnDestroy()  { /* Final cleanup. */ }
}

Key rules: Awake initializes self-references. Start accesses other objects. OnEnable/OnDisable always pair event subscriptions. Physics in FixedUpdate only.

Component Patterns

Singleton (DontDestroyOnLoad)

public class GameManager : MonoBehaviour
{
    public static GameManager Instance { get; private set; }

    public GameState CurrentState { get; private set; }
    public event System.Action<GameState> OnStateChanged;

    private void Awake()
    {
        if (Instance != null && Instance != this) { Destroy(gameObject); return; }
        Instance = this;
        DontDestroyOnLoad(gameObject);
    }

    public void SetState(GameState state)
    {
        if (CurrentState == state) return;
        CurrentState = state;
        OnStateChanged?.Invoke(state);
    }
}

Use singletons sparingly. Prefer Service Locator or dependency injection for testability.

Service Locator

public static class ServiceLocator
{
    private static readonly Dictionary<Type, object> Services = new();

    public static void Register<T>(T service) where T : class
        => Services[typeof(T)] = service;

    public static T Get<T>() where T : class
        => Services.TryGetValue(typeof(T), out var s) ? s as T : null;

    public static void Clear() => Services.Clear();
}

// Register in bootstrapper Awake(), resolve anywhere

Health / Damageable Interface

public interface IDamageable
{
    void TakeDamage(int amount);
    bool IsAlive { get; }
}

public class Health : MonoBehaviour, IDamageable
{
    [SerializeField] private int maxHealth = 100;
    public int Current { get; private set; }
    public bool IsAlive => Current > 0;

    public UnityEvent<int, int> OnHealthChanged; // current, max
    public UnityEvent OnDeath;

    private void Start() { Current = maxHealth; OnHealthChanged?.Invoke(Current, maxHealth); }

    public void TakeDamage(int amount)
    {
        if (!IsAlive) return;
        Current = Mathf.Max(0, Current - amount);
        OnHealthChanged?.Invoke(Current, maxHealth);
        if (Current <= 0) OnDeath?.Invoke();
    }

    public void Heal(int amount)
    {
        if (!IsAlive) return;
        Current = Mathf.Min(maxHealth, Current + amount);
        OnHealthChanged?.Invoke(Current, maxHealth);
    }
}

Input Handling (New Input System)

[RequireComponent(typeof(CharacterController))]
public class PlayerController : MonoBehaviour
{
    [Header("Movement")]
    [SerializeField] private float moveSpeed = 5f;
    [SerializeField] private float jumpHeight = 2f;
    [SerializeField] private float gravity = -15f;

    private CharacterController controller;
    private PlayerInput playerInput;
    private Vector2 moveInput;
    private Vector3 velocity;

    private void Awake()
    {
        controller = GetComponent<CharacterController>();
        playerInput = GetComponent<PlayerInput>();
    }

    private void OnEnable()
    {
        playerInput.actions["Move"].performed += ctx => moveInput = ctx.ReadValue<Vector2>();
        playerInput.actions["Move"].canceled += ctx => moveInput = Vector2.zero;
        playerInput.actions["Jump"].performed += _ => TryJump();
    }

    private void Update() => HandleMovement();

    private void HandleMovement()
    {
        if (controller.isGrounded && velocity.y < 0) velocity.y = -2f;

        var move = (transform.forward * moveInput.y + transform.right * moveInput.x) * moveSpeed;
        velocity.y += gravity * Time.deltaTime;
        controller.Move((move + velocity) * Time.deltaTime);
    }

    private void TryJump()
    {
        if (controller.isGrounded)
            velocity.y = Mathf.Sqrt(jumpHeight * -2f * gravity);
    }
}

Always use the new Input System package. Define actions in .inputactions asset, not hardcoded KeyCode checks.

Physics Basics

// Move Rigidbody in FixedUpdate only
private void FixedUpdate()
{
    rb.MovePosition(rb.position + moveDirection * speed * Time.fixedDeltaTime);
}

// Collision detection (requires Collider + Rigidbody on at least one)
private void OnCollisionEnter(Collision collision)
{
    if (collision.gameObject.CompareTag("Enemy"))
    {
        var damageable = collision.gameObject.GetComponent<IDamageable>();
        damageable?.TakeDamage(10);
    }
}

// Trigger detection (Collider with isTrigger = true)
private void OnTriggerEnter(Collider other)
{
    if (other.CompareTag("Pickup"))
        CollectItem(other.gameObject);
}

Rules: Rigidbody movement in FixedUpdate. Use layers to filter collisions. Prefer CompareTag over string comparison. Set Rigidbody interpolation for smooth rendering.

UI / Canvas

public class HUDController : MonoBehaviour
{
    [Header("Health")]
    [SerializeField] private Slider healthBar;
    [SerializeField] private TextMeshProUGUI healthText;

    [Header("Score")]
    [SerializeField] private TextMeshProUGUI scoreText;

    public void UpdateHealth(int current, int max)
    {
        healthBar.value = (float)current / max;
        healthText.text = $"{current}/{max}";
    }

    public void UpdateScore(int score) => scoreText.text = score.ToString("N0");
}

UI guidelines: Use TextMeshPro for all text (never legacy UI.Text). Anchor UI elements properly for responsive layouts. Use Canvas Groups for fade effects. Keep UI logic in dedicated controllers, not game logic scripts.

ScriptableObjects

[CreateAssetMenu(fileName = "New Item", menuName = "Game/Items/Item Data")]
public class ItemData : ScriptableObject
{
    [Header("Basic Info")]
    public string itemName;
    [TextArea(3, 5)] public string description;
    public Sprite icon;
    public ItemType itemType;
    public Rarity rarity;

    [Header("Properties")]
    public int maxStack = 99;
    public int buyPrice;
    public int sellPrice;
}

Use ScriptableObjects for: item definitions, enemy configs, game settings, event channels, audio libraries. They live as .asset files, are editable in the Inspector, and shared across scenes without singletons.

ScriptableObject Event Channel

[CreateAssetMenu(menuName = "Game/Events/Game Event")]
public class GameEvent : ScriptableObject
{
    private readonly List<System.Action> listeners = new();

    public void Raise() { for (int i = listeners.Count - 1; i >= 0; i--) listeners[i](); }
    public void Register(System.Action listener) => listeners.Add(listener);
    public void Unregister(System.Action listener) => listeners.Remove(listener);
}

Wire listeners in OnEnable/OnDisable. This decouples systems completely -- the publisher does not know about subscribers.

Object Pooling

public class ObjectPool<T> where T : Component
{
    private readonly T prefab;
    private readonly Transform parent;
    private readonly Queue<T> pool = new();

    public ObjectPool(T prefab, Transform parent, int initialSize)
    {
        this.prefab = prefab;
        this.parent = parent;
        for (int i = 0; i < initialSize; i++) pool.Enqueue(CreateInstance());
    }

    public T Get(Vector3 pos, Quaternion rot)
    {
        var obj = pool.Count > 0 ? pool.Dequeue() : CreateInstance();
        obj.transform.SetPositionAndRotation(pos, rot);
        obj.gameObject.SetActive(true);
        return obj;
    }

    public void Return(T obj) { obj.gameObject.SetActive(false); pool.Enqueue(obj); }

    private T CreateInstance()
    {
        var obj = Object.Instantiate(prefab, parent);
        obj.gameObject.SetActive(false);
        return obj;
    }
}

Pool bullets, particles, enemies -- anything spawned frequently. Never call Instantiate/Destroy in tight loops.

Testing

Edit Mode Tests (Pure Logic)

using NUnit.Framework;

[TestFixture]
public class InventoryTests
{
    [Test]
    public void AddItem_WhenSlotAvailable_ReturnsTrue()
    {
        var inventory = new Inventory(maxSlots: 10);
        Assert.IsTrue(inventory.AddItem(itemData, quantity: 1));
    }

    [Test]
    public void AddItem_WhenFull_ReturnsFalse()
    {
        var inventory = new Inventory(maxSlots: 0);
        Assert.IsFalse(inventory.AddItem(itemData, quantity: 1));
    }
}

Play Mode Tests (MonoBehaviour)

using System.Collections;
using NUnit.Framework;
using UnityEngine;
using UnityEngine.TestTools;

[TestFixture]
public class HealthTests
{
    [UnityTest]
    public IEnumerator TakeDamage_ReducesCurrentHealth()
    {
        var go = new GameObject();
        var health = go.AddComponent<Health>();
        yield return null; // Wait for Start()

        health.TakeDamage(25);
        Assert.AreEqual(75, health.Current);

        Object.Destroy(go);
    }
}

Testing rules: Edit Mode for pure logic (no MonoBehaviour dependency). Play Mode for component behavior that requires the Unity lifecycle. Always Destroy test GameObjects in TearDown or inline.

Commands

# Command-line build (macOS)
/Applications/Unity/Hub/Editor/2022.3.0f1/Unity.app/Contents/MacOS/Unity \
  -quit -batchmode -projectPath ~/Projects/MyGame \
  -buildTarget StandaloneOSX -buildPath Builds/macOS/MyGame.app

# Run Edit Mode tests
Unity -runTests -projectPath /path/to/project \
  -testResults results.xml -testPlatform EditMode

# Run Play Mode tests
Unity -runTests -projectPath /path/to/project \
  -testResults results.xml -testPlatform PlayMode

# Export package
Unity -exportPackage Assets/MyPlugin MyPlugin.unitypackage

Common Mistakes

// BAD: Finding objects every frame
void Update() { var player = GameObject.Find("Player"); }
// GOOD: Cache in Awake/Start
private Transform player;
void Awake() => player = GameObject.Find("Player").transform;

// BAD: String tag comparison (GC alloc)
if (gameObject.tag == "Player") { }
// GOOD: CompareTag (no allocation)
if (gameObject.CompareTag("Player")) { }

// BAD: Allocating in Update
void Update() { var list = new List<Enemy>(); }
// GOOD: Reuse collections
private readonly List<Enemy> enemies = new();
void Update() { enemies.Clear(); /* reuse */ }

// BAD: Moving Rigidbody in Update
void Update() { rb.MovePosition(target); }
// GOOD: Physics in FixedUpdate
void FixedUpdate() { rb.MovePosition(target); }

Advanced Topics

For detailed patterns and examples, see:

• references/patterns.md -- Animation, networking, editor scripting, performance profiling, state machines, save systems, advanced pooling

External References

• Unity Documentation
• Unity Learn
• Unity Scripting API
• Game Programming Patterns
• Unity Best Practices