Inspector Fields

Part of the Unity Scripting Basics section of Coddy's Unity journey. Lesson 14 of 85.

A public field of a script shows up in the Inspector, under the script's name, where anyone building the scene can change it without touching the code. That is how one Spinner script turns a fan fast and a windmill slowly: the same code, a different number on each object.

The number in the code is only the starting value Unity uses when the script is first added. After that, the value saved in the scene wins. Here the code says 3, but this rocket's Inspector says 8, so the rocket climbs 8 units per second:

public float speed = 3f;   // the Inspector shows 8 on this rocket

void Update()
{
    transform.position += new Vector3(0, speed * Time.deltaTime, 0);
}

Changing = 3f in the code does not change a rocket already in the scene. This trips up most Unity beginners at least once: when a number seems to be ignored, look at the Inspector. Select an object in the Hierarchy to see its fields.

Challenge

Easy

Make the elevator rise at the speed its Inspector sets.

In Update(), replace the 2 with the field: lift * Time.deltaTime.
Leave public float lift = 2f; as it is: the Inspector sets lift to 6.

Press Play: the elevator rises 6 units a second. Then Check.

Try it yourself

using UnityEngine;

public class Elevator : MonoBehaviour
{
    public float lift = 2f;

    void Update()
    {
        transform.position += new Vector3(0, 2 * Time.deltaTime, 0);
    }
}