Navigation & Pathfinding

NavigationServer-powered pathfinding with avoidance and dynamic obstacles define robust AI movement.

Available Scripts

dynamic_nav_manager.gd

Expert runtime navigation mesh updates for moving platforms.

NEVER Do in Navigation & Pathfinding

• NEVER set target_position before awaiting physics frame — NavigationServer not ready in _ready()? Path fails silently. MUST call_deferred() then await get_tree().physics_frame.
• NEVER use NavigationRegion2D.bake_navigation_polygon() at runtime — Synchronous baking freezes game for 100+ ms. Use NavigationServer2D for dynamic updates OR pre-bake.
• NEVER forget to check is_navigation_finished() — Calling get_next_path_position() after reaching target = stale path, AI walks to old position.
• NEVER use avoidance_enabled without setting radius — Default radius = 0, agent passes through others. Set nav_agent.radius = collision_shape.radius for proper avoidance.
• NEVER poll target_position every frame for chase AI — Setting target 60x/sec = path recalculation spam. Use timer (0.2s intervals) or distance threshold for updates.
• NEVER assume path exists — Target unreachable (blocked by walls)? get_next_path_position() returns invalid. Check is_target_reachable() or validate path length.