Dynamic NavMesh Surface

The DynamicNavMeshSurface is a wrapper for Unity’s built-in NavMeshSurface that integrates with the Runtime Navmesh Baker system.

Add a DynamicNavmeshSurface component to every NavMeshSurface in your scene to register it with the runtime baker

It acts as the bakeable unit of geometry: each surface defines a region that can be collected and baked at runtime.

Unlike a standard NavMeshSurface, a DynamicNavMeshSurface can:

• Register/unregister itself with the BakerCoordinator

• Be marked dirty on demand (triggering re-bakes)

• Show live links to the active Coordinator

• Expose runtime registration controls in Play Mode

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Overview

• Surface Binding Wraps and references a NavMeshSurface component.

• Coordinator Integration Registers itself with the active BakerCoordinator (if Auto Register is enabled).

• Dirty Marking Surfaces can be marked dirty either locally or around the current Center Target.

• Runtime Controls Can be registered/unregistered dynamically at runtime for procedural workflows.

• One Shot Support (new in 1.4.0) In One Shot mode, surfaces contribute geometry once at startup or when the one-shot bake is triggered.

  • After the bake, registration state is retained but no rebakes are scheduled automatically.

  • Manual MarkDirty() calls are still valid if you want to force a rebake of a changed surface.

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Typical Setup

1. Add a NavMeshSurface to a GameObject.

2. Add a DynamicNavMeshSurface to the same GameObject.

3. In the inspector:

   • Assign the NavMeshSurface to the Surface field, or click Assign from this GameObject.

   • Enable Auto Register (recommended) so the surface registers automatically with the Coordinator.

4. Ensure a BakerCoordinator exists in the scene with a profile and center target set.

5. At runtime, the surface will be managed automatically by the baking system.

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Inspector Reference

Core Fields

• Surface Reference to a NavMeshSurface. Required for baking.

• Auto Register If enabled, the surface registers automatically with the active Coordinator on Play.

Status Box

• If no surface is assigned:

  • Shows “No NavMeshSurface assigned”

  • Button: Assign from this GameObject (tries to auto-bind a NavMeshSurface)

• If assigned:

  • Status shows Ready

  • Button: Ping Surface (highlights the bound NavMeshSurface in the Project/Hierarchy)

Coordinator Snapshot

Shows the state of the active BakerCoordinator in the scene:

• Coordinator reference

• Has Profile (bool)

• Center Target reference

Actions

• Open Coordinator – Selects and pings the active Coordinator

• Mark Dirty (Local) – Marks this surface as dirty, enqueuing a bake for its own bounds

• Mark Dirty (Around Target) – Marks this surface dirty for a region around the Coordinator’s Center Target, using the profile’s base bounds size

• If no Coordinator is present, displays “No active BakerCoordinator found in the scene.”

Runtime Controls (Play Mode only)

• Register Now – Registers this surface with the Coordinator manually

• Unregister – Unregisters this surface from the Coordinator

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Public API

void MarkDirty(Bounds? region = null);
void Register();
void Unregister();

• MarkDirty() — Marks this surface as dirty and enqueues a bake for the given region (or its own bounds if null).

• Register() / Unregister() — Can be called manually, but are usually managed automatically by the Coordinator.

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Best Practices

• Always pair a DynamicNavMeshSurface with a valid NavMeshSurface.

• Use Auto Register unless you need explicit runtime control.

• Use Mark Dirty (Around Target) for moving targets (e.g., player/camera) to ensure relevant regions are updated.

• Break large worlds into multiple surfaces so only relevant sections need baking.

• In procedural workflows, combine with ProceduralTileManager to spawn/destroy surfaces dynamically.

• In One Shot mode, keep surfaces stable at startup so the bake can succeed. If geometry changes later, call MarkDirty() to trigger a manual rebake.