{"id":994,"date":"2026-02-12T23:13:34","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T23:13:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sz3c23\/?p=994"},"modified":"2026-03-02T01:29:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T01:29:00","slug":"coding-development-npc-ai-navigation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.wsagames.com\/sz3c23\/coding-development-npc-ai-navigation\/","title":{"rendered":"Coding Development: Animal Auto Navigation"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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In Soulkeeper<\/em>, the core characters of the game are animals<\/strong>. Because of this, I wanted them to feel alive, natural, and dynamic rather than static objects in the scene. To achieve this, I implemented an automatic walking system<\/strong> for the animal character, specifically the peacock.<\/p>

Engine Setup<\/h4>

First, under the Ground<\/strong> layer, I added a NavMesh Surface<\/strong> component. This allows the ground to be baked as a walkable navigation area for AI agents.<\/p>

Next, I selected the peacock object and added a NavMesh Agent<\/strong> component in the Inspector. This component enables the peacock to move intelligently within the baked NavMesh area.<\/p>

I then opened the Navigation window<\/strong> separately and adjusted the agent\u2019s Radius<\/strong> and Height<\/strong> to appropriate values. These parameters define the peacock\u2019s physical navigation boundaries and collision size. By fine-tuning them, I ensured that the peacock would move naturally within its valid activity range without clipping into obstacles or exceeding walkable areas.<\/p>

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After configuring the NavMesh system, I attached a custom script called PeacockNavAuto<\/strong> to control the peacock\u2019s autonomous wandering behaviour.<\/p>

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At the top of the script, I included using UnityEngine.AI<\/code> so that I could use Unity\u2019s NavMesh system. The script defines two public variables: wanderRadius<\/code> and wanderInterval<\/code>. The wanderRadius controls how far the peacock is allowed to move<\/strong> from its current position, while wanderInterval determines how often it chooses a new destination<\/strong>. Because they are public, I can easily adjust them in the Inspector to fine-tune the movement behaviour.<\/p>

I then declared a NavMeshAgent<\/code> variable to control movement, a Transform visual<\/code> variable to control the sprite\u2019s facing direction<\/strong>, and a timer<\/code> to track time between movements.<\/p>

In the Start()<\/code> method, the script gets the NavMeshAgent component attached to the peacock and finds the SpriteRenderer in its children. I disabled automatic rotation and vertical axis updates because this is a 2D character<\/strong>, and I don\u2019t want Unity\u2019s 3D rotation system to affect it.<\/p>

In the Update()<\/code> method, a timer increases every frame. When the peacock reaches its destination or when the set time interval has passed, it chooses a new random position to walk toward. This keeps the movement feeling natural and continuous<\/strong>.<\/p>

The SetNewDestination()<\/code> function generates a random point within a certain radius around the peacock. It then uses NavMesh.SamplePosition()<\/code> to make sure that the chosen position is actually on a walkable NavMesh area<\/strong>. If the position is valid, the agent moves toward that target. This creates a smooth wandering effect within a limited range.<\/p>

The FlipByVelocity()<\/code> function makes the peacock face the direction it is moving<\/strong>. If the velocity on the X-axis is positive, the sprite faces right; if it is negative, the sprite faces left.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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