Technical notes from Vav Labs on Unity, Godot, rendering, product engineering, and maintaining long-lived software.https://vav-labs.com/en-ushttps://vav-labs.com/blog/rts-crowd-movement-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/rts-crowd-movement-in-godot/Build a Godot RTS move order with reachable destination slots, shared claims, partial allocation, and honest arrival states. Includes a tested 2D demo.Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/infinite-world-pathfinding-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/infinite-world-pathfinding-in-godot/Plan paths through unloaded Godot terrain with bounded implicit A*, explicit overlay state, and a measured GDScript demo.Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/godot-2d-water-depth-maps-and-bathymetry/https://vav-labs.com/blog/godot-2d-water-depth-maps-and-bathymetry/Build a shared water depth map in Godot 4 for top-down 2D swimming and boat clearance. Includes an MIT example project and CPU/GPU checks.Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot waterhttps://vav-labs.com/blog/navigationserver3d-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/navigationserver3d-in-godot/Use NavigationServer3D directly in Godot 4. Query a map RID, wait for synchronization, diagnose short paths, and inspect query metadata.Mon, 24 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/tilemaplayer-custom-data-for-movement-costs-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/tilemaplayer-custom-data-for-movement-costs-in-godot/Store terrain costs in TileSet custom data, validate missing values, and import safe movement weights from TileMapLayer into AStarGrid2D.Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/smooth-grid-paths-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/smooth-grid-paths-in-godot/Godot grid paths can zigzag through open space. See when Theta* is the right fix, how it differs from smoothing, and what line of sight must prove.Fri, 21 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/large-map-pathfinding-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/large-map-pathfinding-in-godot/Scale Godot pathfinding across large maps with region filters, bounded queries, revision-safe caches, and a measured HPA* hierarchy.Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/tuning-rvo-avoidance-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/tuning-rvo-avoidance-in-godot/Tune Godot RVO avoidance by matching radius, neighbor distance, neighbor caps, and time horizons to your agents, then verify desired and safe velocity.Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/formation-movement-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/formation-movement-in-godot/Build formation movement in Godot with a virtual anchor, stable unit-to-slot assignment, checked destinations, and deliberate release and reformation.Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/godot-reachability-rules-anti-softlock/https://vav-labs.com/blog/godot-reachability-rules-anti-softlock/Build Godot reachability rules that catch navigation softlocks across doors, bridges, actor profiles, quest phases, and saved games.Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/how-to-make-energy-shield-godot-4/https://vav-labs.com/blog/how-to-make-energy-shield-godot-4/Build a reactive energy shield in Godot 4 with a holographic shader, local-space impacts, multiple hits, sustained beams, particles, and positional audio.Mon, 27 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot VFXhttps://vav-labs.com/blog/godot-hit-effect-not-following-node/https://vav-labs.com/blog/godot-hit-effect-not-following-node/Fix Godot hit effects that stay behind, slide across a mesh, stretch under scale, trail the wrong way, or jitter after the receiving Node3D moves.Mon, 27 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot VFXhttps://vav-labs.com/blog/local-space-vs-world-space-effects-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/local-space-vs-world-space-effects-godot/Learn when Godot VFX should follow a node or remain in the world, how to convert hit positions safely, and why shield ripples, particles, and trails drift.Mon, 27 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot VFXhttps://vav-labs.com/blog/2d-pathfinding-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/2d-pathfinding-in-godot/Choose and set up 2D pathfinding in Godot 4 with AStarGrid2D, AStar2D, or NavigationServer2D, using verified grid, graph, and navmesh examples.Sun, 19 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/3d-pathfinding-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/3d-pathfinding-in-godot/Set up 3D pathfinding in Godot 4 with NavigationRegion3D, NavigationAgent3D, click-to-move, navmesh baking, and the AStar3D decision.Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/pac-man-style-maze-chase-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/pac-man-style-maze-chase-in-godot/Build a Pac-Man-style maze chase in Godot with TileMapLayer, buffered grid movement, shared Dijkstra fields, ghost modes, tunnels, and reservations.Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/a-star-pathfinding-in-godot-and-unity/https://vav-labs.com/blog/a-star-pathfinding-in-godot-and-unity/Download MIT-licensed A* grid pathfinding projects for Godot GDScript, Godot C#, and Unity C#, with authored scenes and verified source.Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGame pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/why-navigationagent2d-lags-with-hundreds-of-units/https://vav-labs.com/blog/why-navigationagent2d-lags-with-hundreds-of-units/Hundreds of NavigationAgent2D units lag Godot through same-tick request bursts, per-frame target resets, and path_max_distance repath storms. Fix each.Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/weighted-terrain-pathfinding-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/weighted-terrain-pathfinding-in-godot/Make AStarGrid2D prefer roads over mud and swamp with verified terrain weights, correct route-cost math, safe heuristics, and per-unit profiles.Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/runtime-astargrid2d-updates-without-full-rebuilds/https://vav-labs.com/blog/runtime-astargrid2d-updates-without-full-rebuilds/Update doors, blockers, and terrain costs in AStarGrid2D without rebuilding the grid. Learn when update() is required and how to replay point data.Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/fire-emblem-into-the-breach-and-xcom-movement-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/fire-emblem-into-the-breach-and-xcom-movement-in-godot/Fire Emblem terrain profiles, Into the Breach's telegraphed intents, and XCOM 2's action bands — three movement contracts mapped to verified Godot systems.Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/turn-order-and-movement-planning-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/turn-order-and-movement-planning-in-godot/Build deterministic tactical turns in Godot with explicit phases, movement intents, initiative tie-breakers, conflict resolution, and safe state commits.Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/action-points-and-terrain-costs-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/action-points-and-terrain-costs-in-godot/Build Godot tactical movement where terrain entry costs consume action points, previews stay pure, confirms validate first, and undo restores state.Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/rectangular-and-circular-agent-clearance-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/rectangular-and-circular-agent-clearance-in-godot/Handle rectangular and circular agents on Godot grids with footprint masks, summed-area tables, radius fields, and explicit rotation rules.Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/annotated-astar-for-multi-size-agents-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/annotated-astar-for-multi-size-agents-in-godot/Use one clearance map inside A* to pathfind for 1x1, 2x2, and larger square agents in Godot without rebuilding the grid for every size.Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/move-multi-tile-units-on-a-grid-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/move-multi-tile-units-on-a-grid-in-godot/Move 2x2 and larger units on a Godot grid: anchor conventions, the map_to_local half-cell trap, touched-cell checks, rotation, and ownership.Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/prevent-two-units-moving-to-same-tile-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/prevent-two-units-moving-to-same-tile-in-godot/Prevent two Godot units from claiming one tile with a small reservation table: pure previews, atomic confirms, deterministic conflicts, and reversible undo.Sat, 11 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/why-no-path-reports-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/why-no-path-reports-in-godot/Turn an empty Godot path into a useful no-path report: system, query, reason code, evidence, next check, and copyable output.Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/building-a-navigation-debug-panel-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/building-a-navigation-debug-panel-in-godot/Build a runtime navigation debug panel in Godot 4: built-in debug toggles, NavigationServer2D stats, and a click-to-probe tester that explains failed paths.Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/dijkstra-maps-for-roguelike-ai/https://vav-labs.com/blog/dijkstra-maps-for-roguelike-ai/Build Dijkstra maps in Godot for roguelike AI: pursuit fields, shared maps for many actors, source bias, flee maps, autoexplore, hazards, and INF-safe scoring.Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/tactical-rpg-movement-range-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/tactical-rpg-movement-range-in-godot/Build tactical RPG movement range in Godot with TileMapLayer, AStarGrid2D, terrain costs, unit blockers, reachable-cell highlights, and path preview.Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/godot-pathfinding-addons-compared/https://vav-labs.com/blog/godot-pathfinding-addons-compared/Godot 4 pathfinding addons compared against the built-ins: Asset Library and GitHub options, maintenance state, licenses, and the gaps left.Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/why-navigationagent-gets-stuck-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/why-navigationagent-gets-stuck-in-godot/Diagnose a stuck NavigationAgent2D in Godot: bake-radius mismatch, repath loops, avoidance push-off, unreachable targets, and callback traps.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/astar2d-complete-reference/https://vav-labs.com/blog/astar2d-complete-reference/AStar2D reference for Godot 4: points, connections, one-way segments, weights, disabled points, closest-point lookup, partial paths, and custom costs.Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/navigationagent-setup-and-common-gotchas-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/navigationagent-setup-and-common-gotchas-in-godot/Fix NavigationAgent2D not moving, first-frame empty paths, early finished states, jitter, and avoidance wiring in Godot 4.7, with runnable proof.Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/navigationobstacle-avoidance-vs-pathfinding-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/navigationobstacle-avoidance-vs-pathfinding-in-godot/NavigationObstacle avoidance steers Godot agents locally. It does not make path queries reroute by itself. Use an explicit route query to prove what changed.Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/tilemaplayer-custom-data-for-walkability-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/tilemaplayer-custom-data-for-walkability-in-godot/Use a Godot TileSet custom data layer as the AStarGrid2D walkability source: read TileData, handle empty cells, and avoid navigation-layer confusion.Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/tilemap-to-navigation-grid-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/tilemap-to-navigation-grid-in-godot/Build an AStarGrid2D from a Godot TileMapLayer using get_used_rect(), tile custom data, and set_point_solid(). Verified in Godot 4.7.Sat, 27 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/tower-defense-path-validation-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/tower-defense-path-validation-in-godot/Validate tower placement in Godot before the player seals the maze. A temporary blocker check, a real demo, and measured full-vs-incremental cost.Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/navigationserver2d-godot-complete-guide/https://vav-labs.com/blog/navigationserver2d-godot-complete-guide/Set up NavigationServer2D in Godot 4, validate reachable paths, connect regions and links, handle sync and rebakes, and diagnose empty or partial paths.Tue, 23 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/astargrid2d-complete-reference/https://vav-labs.com/blog/astargrid2d-complete-reference/Set up AStarGrid2D correctly in Godot 4.7.1 with practical code and an interactive demo: update(), solids, weights, diagonals, jumping, and partial paths.Sun, 21 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/moving-10000-agents-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/moving-10000-agents-in-godot/Godot pathfinding slow with many agents? A Godot 4.6 benchmark: one shared field holds 10,000 at a 5 ms median frame where per-agent queries collapse at 500.Mon, 15 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/why-is-my-path-failing-in-godot/https://vav-labs.com/blog/why-is-my-path-failing-in-godot/Godot returned an empty path? Check coordinates, bounds, solid starts, stale grid data, sync timing, clearance, region gaps, and weights first.Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/godot-pathfinding-failure-modes/https://vav-labs.com/blog/godot-pathfinding-failure-modes/When Godot returns an empty path, ask which assumption failed: start, goal, blocker, clearance, terrain rule, stale data, or disconnected region.Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/godot-pathfinding-grid-vs-navmesh/https://vav-labs.com/blog/godot-pathfinding-grid-vs-navmesh/The short answer first, then the full decision: movement model, runtime changes, scale, agent size, path stability. Current for Godot 4.6, FAQ included.Sat, 06 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/godot-dynamic-blockers-without-full-rebuild/https://vav-labs.com/blog/godot-dynamic-blockers-without-full-rebuild/A placed tower or closed door should invalidate a region, not rebuild the whole grid. Update Godot pathfinding locally, without the full-rebuild frame spike.Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/quest-vrc-60-or-72-fps/https://vav-labs.com/blog/quest-vrc-60-or-72-fps/Meta's official Quest guidance still says both 60 and 72 fps. Here is why 72 is the conservative pre-submit target, and what to verify.Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTMeta Quest VRhttps://vav-labs.com/blog/godot-flow-fields-shared-goal/https://vav-labs.com/blog/godot-flow-fields-shared-goal/When a crowd shares one destination, per-agent A* repeats the same work. A flow field solves the grid once so every agent can read the next direction.Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/what-is-a-monobehaviour-in-unity/https://vav-labs.com/blog/what-is-a-monobehaviour-in-unity/A MonoBehaviour is the base class that lets Unity attach a C# script to a GameObject and call it each frame. What it is, its lifecycle, and when to skip it.Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTUnity fundamentalshttps://vav-labs.com/blog/unity-no-monobehaviour-scripts-in-the-file-fix/https://vav-labs.com/blog/unity-no-monobehaviour-scripts-in-the-file-fix/Unity's “no MonoBehaviour scripts in the file” error: check for compile errors first, then the file/class name match, then whether it's really a MonoBehaviour.Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMTUnity troubleshootinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/ai-bug-fix-prompt-structure-over-volume/https://vav-labs.com/blog/ai-bug-fix-prompt-structure-over-volume/Pasting a whole scene dump into an AI assistant and asking it to fix the bug is not a prompt. It is a hope. A useful AI bug report is small and structured.Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTUnity toolinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/godot-influence-maps-tactical-awareness/https://vav-labs.com/blog/godot-influence-maps-tactical-awareness/A* finds the shortest path — even when it runs straight through the enemy's firing line. Influence maps turn a grid from a floor plan into a tactical opinion.Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/unity-bug-reports-evidence-not-folklore/https://vav-labs.com/blog/unity-bug-reports-evidence-not-folklore/Most Unity bug reports arrive as folklore: vague memory, no scene, no logs, no screenshot. Capture the evidence on screen, before the trail goes cold.Wed, 27 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTUnity toolinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/godot-multi-size-agent-pathfinding-clearance/https://vav-labs.com/blog/godot-multi-size-agent-pathfinding-clearance/Godot grid pathfinding treats every unit as one cell, so a 2×2 agent routes through gaps it can't fit. Clearance maps fix it with one grid for all sizes.Mon, 25 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/godot-pathfinding-frame-spikes-fix/https://vav-labs.com/blog/godot-pathfinding-frame-spikes-fix/Stop repathing when nothing changed, spread queries across frames, share one map between agents, stop allocating on the hot path. Four fixes, with tradeoffs.Mon, 25 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot / Performancehttps://vav-labs.com/blog/open-sourcing-old-unity-game-not-a-button/https://vav-labs.com/blog/open-sourcing-old-unity-game-not-a-button/Re-shipping a 2018 Unity game raised the obvious question: open source it. The real answer lives in asset licensing, archaeology, and maintenance promises.Mon, 25 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTEngineering practicehttps://vav-labs.com/blog/tda-real-time-constraints-hyperplex/https://vav-labs.com/blog/tda-real-time-constraints-hyperplex/Topological data analysis has strong offline algorithms. A 16ms frame budget is where they stop being convenient and become an engineering problem.Sat, 16 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTResearchhttps://vav-labs.com/blog/astargrid2d-limitations-godot-production-pathfinding/https://vav-labs.com/blog/astargrid2d-limitations-godot-production-pathfinding/AStarGrid2D limitations in Godot: when the built-in grid stops being enough, which alternatives fit, and what dynamic blockers, clearance, and crowds cost.Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTGodot pathfindinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/asset-store-tools-with-private-source/https://vav-labs.com/blog/asset-store-tools-with-private-source/Private source is fine. Private evidence is where it gets awkward. How to package and sell a closed-source Unity Asset Store tool buyers can still trust.Thu, 14 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTProduct engineeringhttps://vav-labs.com/blog/urp-performance-mistakes-first/https://vav-labs.com/blog/urp-performance-mistakes-first/The first URP rendering checks before we blame the engine, the GPU, or the phase of the moon — overdraw, extra passes, and settings that quietly cost frames.Wed, 13 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTRenderinghttps://vav-labs.com/blog/unity-projects-that-outgrow-monobehaviour/https://vav-labs.com/blog/unity-projects-that-outgrow-monobehaviour/A boundary-first approach for Unity projects after the inspector stops being a filing system — separating data, logic, and scene wiring so code keeps scaling.Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 GMTUnity architecture