I have a 2D Unity project where I’m implementing AI navigation using A* pathfinding library. The pathfinding works great overall - my bots can find routes and dodge obstacles perfectly. But there’s this weird issue with the Z axis that’s driving me crazy.
My bot spawns at position (0,0,0) and needs to reach a target that’s also at Z=0. When I check the waypoints along the calculated route, they all show Z=0 which looks correct. However, while the AI agent moves along this path, its Z coordinate keeps jumping around between -9 and -1 instead of staying at 0.
I followed the setup guide exactly as written and didn’t change any of the package code. Has anyone encountered this before? What might be causing the Z position to drift like this in a 2D setup?
Had this same issue last month. Your NavMeshAgent’s Y position is locked but not the Z axis. Even in 2D, NavMeshAgent still thinks it’s doing 3D navigation internally. Lock the Y position constraint in your NavMeshAgent component, then add a script that resets Z to 0 every frame in LateUpdate: transform.position = new Vector3(transform.position.x, transform.position.y, 0). It’s hacky but it works. The pathfinding’s fine - it’s the movement interpolation that’s causing the drift.
I experienced a similar Z drift issue while using A* pathfinding in Unity 2D. The problem was linked to the RigidBody2D component; even if the waypoints were accurately set at Z=0, Unity’s physics engine was inadvertently altering the Z position during the AI’s movement. A straightforward solution is to check the constraints in your RigidBody2D settings and ensure that ‘Freeze Position Z’ is enabled. This will restrict any movement on the Z axis. Additionally, review your movement script to make sure you are directly setting the transform.position with a fixed Z value instead of relying on methods like AddForce or velocity, which might introduce slight inconsistencies. This approach resolved my issue and maintained consistency on the 2D plane.
hmmm, sounds like a funky issue! Maybe look at any other scripts that could mess with the position. Also, double check if you’re using a 3D collider by accident. Unity’s physics settings can cause some strange stuff too!