3D Pathfinding with Octrees - Unity 6 Compatible

Overview

Ever wanted to take navmeshes off the level and extend them into 3D space? The techniques revealed in this course will show you how to use Octrees to recursively divide space for use with the A* algorithm to find paths from one location to another.

Throughout, you will follow along in the Unity game engine to develop a project that creates and visualises Octrees in carving up the space around game objects before developing an automatic navigating AI character that uses A* for pathfinding.

Syllabus

• Introduction to 3D Pathfinding
Overview of pathfinding concepts
Introduction to Octrees and their advantages
Course objectives and project overview
• Setting Up Unity Environment
Installing Unity 6 and necessary tools
Setting up a new Unity project
Importing assets and initial setup
• Understanding Octrees
Theory behind Octrees
Recursive division of space
Practical applications in 3D space navigation
• Implementing Octrees in Unity
Scripting Octrees in Unity
Visualizing Octree nodes
Handling dynamic objects and environment changes
• Introduction to the A* Algorithm
Principles of the A* algorithm
Comparing A* with other pathfinding algorithms
Optimizing A* for performance
• Integrating A* with Octrees
Applying A* to Octree-structured space
Managing node traversal and heuristic functions
Strategies for efficient path calculation
• Developing Navigating AI Characters
Designing AI characters in Unity
Implementing AI with pathfinding capabilities
Testing and refining AI navigation
• Project: Creating a 3D Pathfinding System
Setting project goals and parameters
Building the 3D pathfinding solution
Debugging and performance tuning
• Advanced Topics and Extensions
Handling large and complex environments
Incorporating moving obstacles and dynamic adjustments
Multi-agent pathfinding considerations
• Course Wrap-up
Review of key concepts
Final project showcase and feedback
Additional resources and further learning paths

Taught by

Penny de Byl and Penny Holistic3D

Subjects

Programming