Physics Query Patterns -- Correctness Patterns

Prerequisite skills: unity-physics (Rigidbody, colliders, raycasting API), unity-foundations (layers, GameObjects)

These patterns target the most common physics query bugs: using the wrong query type, misunderstanding allocation, and ignoring subtle defaults that cause silent failures.

PATTERN: Query Type Selection

WHEN: Choosing which physics query to use

WRONG (Claude default):

// Always defaulting to Raycast for everything
Physics.Raycast(origin, direction, out hit, maxDistance);