Movement modes do not all calculate or respond to contacts the same way. Begin with a shared-kernel mode when you want the configured preview and collision response to follow the same rules.
Compare movement families#
| Movement family | Setup and prediction notes |
|---|---|
| Straight / Ballistic / Kinematic | Straight or force-based motion with swept circle/sphere queries. |
| Homing / Returning | Assign a target where required. Moving-target prediction is a snapshot approximation. |
| Bezier / Spline / FollowPath | Assign authored controls or path points. Contacts can end prescribed positional motion. |
| Orbit / Spiral | Configure a fixed center and orbit settings. These are authored position modes. |
| Rigidbody | Unity owns physics integration. Preview is approximate; use native collider materials and layers. |
Configure contacts#
For a bouncing projectile, use a Bouncing preset or a swept movement mode with Collision enabled. Set response, restitution, friction, collision layers and contact budgets. Add a matching floor collider. Optional Projectile Surface profiles let different surfaces use different responses.
Set a Homing target and tune turn speed and target lead. Returning movement can visit a target and return to the original launch position. Without a target, it uses the configured return timer. Collision, lifetime and range still apply.
Understand the prediction scope#
- In Rigidbody mode, the actual Unity solver uses native physics materials; swept surface coefficients do not replace it.
- Prediction is approximate for dynamic collisions, external scripts and moving targets.
- Triggers need matching collider setup for native physics pass-through behavior.
- Preview bounce limits are separate from the projectile's actual contact budget.
Choose the behavior that fits the game, then compare the real projectile and preview in the target scene.