GroundNode
A navigation node used by the AI pathfinding system. Invisible at runtime. AI agents cannot pathfind in maps that have no GroundNodes.
Notes
GroundNode entities define the navigation graph that AI agents use to find paths through the map. The engine uses an A* search across the node graph to calculate routes, then refines movement using direct line-of-sight checks between nodes.
Without GroundNodes in your map, AI agents will not be able to pathfind at all. They will still attempt to move toward their target, but will be unable to navigate around obstacles or through doorways.
Place nodes throughout any area where you want AI to be able to navigate. General placement guidelines:
- Place one node roughly every few world units in open areas
- Place nodes on both sides of every doorway and at the top and bottom of every staircase (possibly even every couple steps)
- Place nodes in alcoves, rooms, and any area an AI might need to enter
- Nodes do not need to be on the ground exactly — they are projected onto the floor at runtime — but placing them near floor level helps
The nodes are constructed into a “node graph” on map compile, which automatically tell the AI which nodes can be walked to from other nodes.
GroundNode despawns immediately on spawn and has no runtime presence. It exists purely as data for the node graph.