Cheat Sheet: Shaders and Materials

UNITY CHEAT SHEET: 15

Basic Material Properties

• material.color = Simple color setting
• material.mainTexture = Main texture assignment
• material.shader = Shader selection
• Don't modify these every frame - breaks batching!

Custom Shader Properties

• SetColor() for specific color properties
• SetTexture() for custom texture maps
• SetFloat() for numeric properties (transparency, gloss)
• SetVector() for Vector3/Vector4 properties
• Perfect for controlled material modifications

Performance Heroes

• EnableInstancing for reduced draw calls
• Proper render queue management for layered effects
• Shader.WarmupAllShaders() prevents stutters
• Avoid per-frame property changes
• Never use Shader.Find() in Update()

Global Shader Control

• SetGlobalFloat() affects all shaders at once
• SetGlobalColor() perfect for day/night cycles
• Override tags for custom rendering passes
• Efficient for system-wide visual effects

Pro Tips:

• Cache material references in Awake()
• Use Shader.PropertyToID to avoid string lookups
• Enable GPU instancing for repeated meshes
• Warm up shaders during load screens
• Use MaterialPropertyBlock for instance variations

Common Pitfalls:

• Excessive runtime material creation (use sparingly!)
• Modifying shared materials affects ALL instances
• Memory leaks from undisposed runtime materials
• Heavy emission effects on mobile platforms
• Untested shader compatibility across devices

Cheat Sheet: Physics Rigidbody

UNITY CHEAT SHEET: 14

Basic Movement Controls

• Velocity: Direct control over object speed and direction
• AddForce: Apply continuous or instant forces
• MovePosition: Physics-aware position changes
• GetPointVelocity: Calculate how fast any point on your object is moving (great for large rotating objects like windmills or swinging wrecking balls)
• GetRelativePointVelocity: Same as above, but in object's local space (useful for checking speed of specific parts like wheel rims or robot arms)

Rotation Controls

• Angular Velocity: Control spinning speed
• AddTorque: Apply rotational forces
• AddRelativeTorque: Rotation force relative to orientation
• MoveRotation: Physics-based rotation control

Impact & Physics State

• AddExplosionForce: Create blast effects with radius and upward force
• AddForceAtPosition: Apply force at specific world position
• Sleep: Disable physics temporarily for optimization
• WakeUp: Re-enable physics calculations
• IsSleeping: Check if physics simulation is disabled

Core Properties & Management

• Mass: Affect force impact
• Drag: Air resistance simulation
• Angular Drag: Rotational resistance
• UseGravity: Toggle gravity effects
• IsKinematic: Switch between physics/script control
• Constraints: Freeze position/rotation on specific axes
• Center of Mass: Control physics pivot point
• ResetCenterOfMass: Return to default center of mass

Force Modes

• Force: Continuous, mass-dependent
• Impulse: Instant, mass-dependent
• VelocityChange: Instant, mass-independent
• Acceleration: Continuous, mass-independent

Pro Tips:

• Handle ALL physics in FixedUpdate()
• Use IsKinematic for cutscenes/animations
• Combine forces for complex movements
• Adjust drag for fine-tuned control
• Reset center of mass when physics behave unexpectedly

Cheat Sheet: Camera

UNITY CHEAT SHEET: 13

Core Camera Setup

• Field of View: Controls camera view angle (60° default)
• Orthographic: Perfect for 2D games, no perspective
• Aspect Ratio: Screen proportion control (16:9, 4:3)
• Clip Planes: What's visible to the camera
• Culling Mask: Which layers to render

Render Settings

• HDR: Enhanced lighting range
• MSAA: Smooth edges with anti-aliasing
• RenderTexture: Custom render outputs
• Depth Mode: Generate depth information
• Command Buffers: Custom render passes

Coordinate Systems

• WorldToScreenPoint: Convert 3D positions to screen space
• ScreenToWorldPoint: Convert screen clicks to world space
• ScreenPointToRay: Convert screen position to 3D ray

Physical Camera

• Physical Mode: Real camera simulation
• Focal Length: Lens zoom (50mm default)
• Sensor Size: Match real cameras (36x24mm full frame)

Camera Events

• OnPreCull: Before visibility check
• OnPreRender: Before drawing scene
• OnPostRender: After scene is drawn
• Multi-Display: Handle multiple screens

Pro Tips

• Cache main camera reference
• Keep FOV between 60-90 for most games
• Use physical camera for cinematic looks
• Handle aspect ratio changes properly

Common Issues

• Wrong clip planes causing z-fighting
• Missing culling mask layers
• HDR without proper setup
• Command buffer memory leaks

Cheat Sheet: Collisions

UNITY CHEAT SHEET: 12

Basic Collider Setup

• Enabled: Toggle collision detection

• IsTrigger: Pass-through collision detection

• PhysicMaterial: Control bounce and friction

• ContactOffset: Fine-tune collision detection distance

Collider Types & Properties

• BoxCollider: Simple cubic collision, size & center

• SphereCollider: Radius-based collision, perfect for rolling

• CapsuleCollider: Character controllers, standing objects

• MeshCollider: Complex shape collision, performance heavy

• TerrainCollider: Landscape collision

• WheelCollider: Vehicle physics & suspension

Collision Events

• OnCollisionEnter: First contact

• OnCollisionStay: Continuous contact

• OnCollisionExit: End of contact

• OnTriggerEnter: Enter trigger zone

• OnTriggerStay: Inside trigger zone

• OnTriggerExit: Exit trigger zone

Physics Detection

• Raycast: Line-based object detection

• BoxCast: Box-shaped detection beam

• SphereCast: Sphere-shaped detection sweep

• OverlapSphere: Find objects in radius

• OverlapBox: Find objects in box area

• RaycastAll: Get all objects in ray path

Pro Tips

• Use simple colliders (Box, Sphere) over Mesh for performance

• Combine multiple simple colliders instead of one complex MeshCollider

• Cache collision results for better performance

• Use RaycastNonAlloc for optimized memory usage

Common Pitfalls

• Setting MeshCollider convex without understanding implications

• Heavy calculations in collision callbacks

• Forgetting to set proper collision layers

• Using too many overlapping colliders

• Not considering physics performance impact

Cheat Sheet: UI

UNITY CHEAT SHEET: 11

Canvas Management

• RenderMode: Control how your UI renders

• PixelPerfect: Crisp UI on all resolutions

• CanvasGroup: Master control for alpha, interaction, and raycasts

• SortingOrder: Layer management for multiple canvases

RectTransform

• AnchoredPosition: Precise positioning relative to anchors

• Anchors & Offsets: Responsive layout control

• SizeDelta: Size management relative to anchors

• Pivot: Rotation and scaling reference point

TextMeshPro

• Rich Text Support

• Font Style & Size Control

• Dynamic Text Alignment

• Color & Material Control

Visual Elements

• RawImage: Direct texture display

• Image: Sprite-based visuals with fill controls

• Color Tinting: Visual state management

• UV Rect: Texture mapping control

Interactive Elements

• Button: Click events and state management

• Slider: Value range controls

• Toggle: Boolean state management

• InputField: Text input handling

• Dropdown: Option selection management

ScrollRect Control

• Vertical/Horizontal scrolling: Enable scrolling in either direction

• Normalized position control: Programmatic scroll position (0-1)

• Viewport & Content Management: Control over scrollable area

• Scroll Sensitivity & Inertia: Fine-tune scrolling behavior.

Event System

• Navigation Control

• Pointer and Touch Detection

• Raycast Management

• Module Updates

Pro Tips:

• Use CanvasGroups for smooth UI transitions

• Anchor presets for quick responsive layouts

• Cache references to frequently accessed components

• Use Layout Groups for dynamic content

Common Pitfalls:

• Incorrect anchor setup leading to broken layouts

• Forgetting to set Canvas Camera in World Space mode

• Not handling different screen resolutions

• Heavy operations in UI event callbacks

• Missing references in prefab variants

Cheat Sheet: AI Navmesh Agent

UNITY CHEAT SHEET: 10

Agent Movement Control

• SetDestination: Set the destination for the agent

• isStopped: Emergency brake for your agent

• speed & angularSpeed: Fine-tune movement

• acceleration: Control how quickly agent speeds up/slows down

• radius: Set collision detection size

• Move: Direct control when needed

State & Information

• remainingDistance: How far to go

• pathPending: Is path still calculating?

• pathStatus: Current navigation status

• nextPosition: Where agent heads next

• hasPath: Valid path check

• autoBraking: Control stopping behavior

Pathfinding & Queries

• CalculatePath: Manual path planning

• NavMesh.SamplePosition: Find valid NavMesh positions

• path: Assign custom navigation paths

• NavMesh.AddNavMeshData: Dynamic NavMesh updates

OffMeshLink Features

• isOnOffMeshLink: Check special path segments

• currentOffMeshLinkData: Get link details

• ActivateCurrentOffMeshLink(bool): Enable/disable link traversal

• CompleteOffMeshLink: Finish special path segment

• autoTraverseOffMeshLink: Automatic link handling

Advanced Control

• avoidancePriority: Agent collision importance

• obstacleAvoidanceType: Quality vs Performance

• Warp: Instant position changes

• areaMask: Control walkable areas

• stoppingDistance: Fine-tune arrival precision

CRITICAL Pro Tips:

• Cache your NavMeshAgent reference in Awake()

• Always check pathStatus before moving

• Use NavMesh.SamplePosition before SetDestination

• Handle OffMeshLinks for jumps/teleports

• Configure stopping distance carefully

• Check isStopped && !pathPending to detect obstacles

• Consider NavMeshObstacle carving performance impact

Common Pitfalls:

• Setting destination every frame

• Ignoring path validation

• Mishandling OffMeshLink activation (forgot the bool parameter)

• Wrong avoidance settings in crowds

• Forgetting to clear paths with ResetPath()

• Not handling pathPending status

• Assuming positions are valid without SamplePosition check

Cheat Sheet: Animations

UNITY CHEAT SHEET: 9

Parameter Control

• SetBool/Float/Integer - Control your animation states

• SetTrigger/ResetTrigger - Manage animation transitions

• GetBool/Float/Integer - Read current parameter values

Performance Boost

• StringToHash - Convert parameter names to IDs

• Use hashed IDs instead of strings

• Cache hash values at startup

Animation Control

• Play - Direct animation playback

• CrossFade - Smooth transitions

• PlayInFixedTime - Precise timing control

• StopPlayback - Halt animations

State Management

• IsInTransition - Check transition status

• GetCurrentAnimatorStateInfo - Track current state

• GetNextAnimatorStateInfo - Preview upcoming state

• Rebind - Reset entire animator

Layer System

• SetLayerWeight - Fine-tune blending

• GetLayerWeight - Read blend values

• GetLayerName/Index - Layer identification

• Layer indexing for partial animations

Core Properties

• applyRootMotion - Physics-based movement

• bodyPosition/Rotation - Direct transforms

• updateMode - Sync with physics

• stabilizeFeet - Improved grounding

Events & Timing

• AnimationEvent - Trigger callbacks

• Multiple parameter types (float/int/string)

• Precise timing control

• Runtime event creation

Animation Curves

• Linear/EaseInOut - Quick curve creation

• AddKey/RemoveKey - Custom curve editing

• MoveKey - Adjust timing

• Evaluate - Get values at any time

Pro Tips:

• Always use StringToHash for parameters

• Cache animator references

• Use layers for partial body animations

• CrossFade for smoother transitions

Common Pitfalls:

• Using string parameters in Update

• Not resetting triggers

• Ignoring layer weights

• Forgetting to handle transitions

Cheat Sheet: Rendering Pipeline

UNITY CHEAT SHEET: 8

Camera Pipeline Settings

• renderingPath: Forward (mobile) vs Deferred (complex lighting)
• allowHDR: Extended color range rendering
• allowMSAA: Multi-sample anti-aliasing control
• HDR increases memory but enables bloom effects

Quality Configuration

• antiAliasing: Configure MSAA levels (2x,4x,8x)
• softParticles: Depth-based particle blending
• shadowQuality: All/Hard/Disable modes
• shadowResolution: Memory vs quality trade-off
• shadowCascades: Split shadow map quality zones

Lighting Controls

• renderMode: ForcePixel for accurate lighting
• shadows: Soft shadows with PCF filtering
• reflectionProbe: Real-time environment mapping
• ambientMode: Global illumination source
• lightProbes: Baked lighting data points

Material & Shader Setup

• globalRenderPipeline: URP/HDRP pipeline selection
• enableInstancing: GPU batch rendering
• globalIlluminationFlags: How materials interact with global illumination
• Custom shader loading and management

Performance Features

• DrawMeshInstanced: Batch GPU rendering
• DrawProceduralNow: Direct mesh generation
• LOD System: Distance-based detail control
• Probe resolution vs performance balance

Technical Pro-Tips:

• Forward rendering costs scale with light count
• Deferred shading suits complex light scenes
• Each shadow cascade increases memory usage
• GPU instancing requires compatible meshes

Cheat Sheet: New Input System Part 2

UNITY CHEAT SHEET: 7

Interaction Types (Beyond Basic Input)

• Tap: Quick press & release
• Hold: Press & hold detection
• SlowTap: Delayed press recognition
• MultiTap: Double/triple click handling

How to use:

action.AddBinding().WithInteraction("Hold", duration: 0.5f);

Device Management (The Complete Suite)

• All Devices: InputSystem.devices
• All Gamepads: Gamepad.all
• Current Gamepad: Gamepad.current
• Enable Device: InputSystem.EnableDevice()
• Disable Device: InputSystem.DisableDevice()

Haptic Feedback (Full Control)

• Set Vibration: gamepad.SetMotorSpeeds()
• Pause Effects: gamepad.PauseHaptics()
• Resume Effects: gamepad.ResumeHaptics()
• Stop All: gamepad.ResetHaptics()

Control Schemes (Multi-Platform Done Right)

• Switch Schemes: playerInput.SwitchCurrentControlScheme()
• Check Current: playerInput.currentControlScheme
• Active Devices: playerInput.devices

Advanced Settings & Configuration

• Update Mode: InputSystem.settings.updateMode

- Fixed Update

- Dynamic Update

- Manual Update

• Noise Filtering: InputSystem.settings.filterNoiseOnCurrent
• Input Processing: action.processors = "normalize(min=0,max=1)"

Debugging Tools (Every Dev Must Know)

• Action State: Debug.Log(action.enabled)
• Bound Controls: Debug.Log(action.controls)
• Device Count: Debug.Log(InputSystem.devices.Count)

Pro Tips for Advanced Usage:

• Use control schemes for seamless platform switching
• Implement proper haptic feedback for immersion
• Monitor device connection/disconnection events
• Process raw input values for custom behavior
• Profile input performance with Unity's Profiler

Advanced Pitfalls to Avoid:

• Overusing haptic feedback (battery drain)
• Not handling device hot-plugging
• Ignoring input processor overhead
• Missing platform-specific input quirks
• Poor control scheme organization

Cheat Sheet: New Input System Part 1

UNITY CHEAT SHEET: 06

NEW INPUT SYSTEM:

InputActionMap

• Container for related input actions
• Represents a gameplay context/state
• One map active at a time (like Gameplay, UI, Menu)
• Enable/Disable entire groups of inputs
• Switch between maps during state changes
• Example: "UIMap"- Menu navigation controls

InputAction

• Single input definition (jump, move, shoot)
• Can have multiple device bindings
• Has specific value type (Button/Value/Vector2)
• Processes input through interactions
• Can modify input through processors

Setup

• [SerializeField] InputActionAsset asset - Reference in Inspector

• [SerializeField] PlayerInput playerInput - Add component

• InputActionMap gameplayMap - Reference in script

• InputAction moveAction - Individual action reference

Action Map Setup

• Create: new InputActionMap("GameplayMap")

• Enable: gameplayMap.Enable()

• Disable: gameplayMap.Disable()

• Get Action: gameplayMap.FindAction("move")

InputAction Properties

• Name: Unique identifier
• Type: Button/Value/Vector2
• Control Scheme: Device grouping
• Interactions: Tap/Hold/Press
• Processors: Normalize/Invert/Scale

InputAction Phases

• Started: Input begins
• Performed: Input recognized
• Canceled: Input ends

Binding Syntax

• Single Key: "<Keyboard>/space"
• Modifiers: "<Keyboard>/leftShift+w"
• Mouse: "<Mouse>/position", "<Mouse>/scroll/y"
• Gamepad: "<Gamepad>/buttonSouth", "<Gamepad>/rightTrigger"
• Touch: "<Touchscreen>/touch*/position"
• VR: "<XRController>{RightHand}/trigger"

Input Reading Methods

• moveAction.ReadValue<Vector2>()
• shootAction.ReadValue<float>()
• jumpAction.IsPressed()
• jumpAction.WasPressedThisFrame()
• jumpAction.WasReleasedThisFrame()

Event System Methods

• moveAction.performed += OnMove
• moveAction.started += OnMoveStart
• moveAction.canceled += OnMoveEnd
• InputSystem.onDeviceChange += OnDeviceChange
• playerInput.onActionTriggered += OnAction

Required Function Implementations

• Awake(): Cache action references
• OnEnable(): Subscribe to events
• OnDisable(): Unsubscribe from events
• OnMove(CallbackContext): Handle input
• OnDestroy(): Cleanup

Runtime Checks Required

• Null action references
• Action enabled status
• Valid bindings exist
• Device connectivity
• Control scheme validity

Cheat Sheet: Debugging

UNITY CHEAT SHEET: 05

Console Debugging

• Debug.Log(): For general info tracking
• Debug.LogWarning(): Non-critical issues
• Debug.LogError(): Critical problems
• Debug.LogAssertion(): Condition validation
• Debug.LogException(): Exception tracking

Scene View Debugging

• Debug.DrawLine(): Visualize connections & paths
• Debug.DrawRay(): Show raycasts & sight lines
• OnDrawGizmos(): Always visible scene markers
• OnDrawGizmosSelected(): Selected object markers

Performance Profiling

• ProfilerMarker: Modern, low-overhead profiling
• Profiler.BeginSample: Legacy but flexible
• Editor Profiler Window: Deep performance analysis

Physics Debugging

• Physics.IgnoreCollision(): Ignore collisions between specific objects
• Physics.OverlapSphere(): Check for objects in a given radius

Network & Input Debugging

• Application.internetReachability: Check network connectivity
• SystemInfo.deviceName: Log the current device’s name
• Input.GetKeyDown(): Track keypresses during gameplay
• Input.mousePosition: Log mouse position for UI debugging

Pro Tips:

• Never leave Debug.Logs in production builds
• Use conditional compilation for debug code
• Keep Gizmos clean and organized
• Profile specific sections, not entire methods

Common Mistakes:

• Debug spam in Update() methods
• Forgetting to remove debug code
• Using wrong log levels
• Not cleaning up profiler markers
• Over-relying on console logs

Cheat Sheet: Inspector Attributes

UNITY CHEAT SHEET: 4

Core Serialization

• [SerializeField]: The RIGHT way to show private fields
• [Serializable]: Make ANY class appear in the Inspector
• [NonSerialized]: Keep that public field out of serialization
• [FormerlySerializedAs]: Rename without breaking everything!

Inspector Magic

• [Header]: Group your variables like a pro
• [Tooltip]: Help text that future-you will thank you for
• [Space]: Give your Inspector room to breathe
• [TextArea]/[Multiline]: Perfect for those long text fields
• [ColorUsage]: HDR colors? Alpha? You got it!

Value Control

• [Range]: Sliders for numbers, no more typing!
• [Min]/[Max]: Set boundaries, prevent disasters
• [Delayed]: Update only when you're done typing
• [EnumFlags]: Multi-select enums, finally!

Editor

• [ExecuteInEditMode]/[ExecuteAlways]: Live updates without play
• [CustomEditor]: Build your dream, Inspector
• [CreateAssetMenu]: Custom assets made easy
• [PropertyDrawer]: Your fields, your rules

Component Control

• [DisallowMultipleComponent]: Keep it unique
• [AddComponentMenu]: Organize that Components menu
• [DefaultExecutionOrder]: Control the flow
• [CanEditMultipleObjects]: Batch edit like a boss

Pro Tips:

• Cache serialized references in Awake()
• Use [Header] + [Tooltip] combo for crystal clear organization
• [SerializeField] > public for better encapsulation
• Group related fields with [Space]

Common Pitfalls:

• Making fields public just for Inspector visibility
• Forgetting [Serializable] on custom classes
• Not using [Range] for numeric limits
• Messy Inspector organization

Cheat Sheet: Data Structures

UNITY CHEAT SHEET: 3

Basic Collections (Managed)

• Arrays: Fast, fixed-size, perfect for known collections
• List<T>: Flexible size but watch for GC spikes
• Dictionary<K,V>: Lightning-fast lookups, memory hungry

Common Issues:

• All generate garbage collection
• Can cause memory fragmentation
• Performance degrades with large datasets

Specialized Unity Collections

• SerializedDictionary: Editor-friendly, great for config data
• ObservableList: Perfect for UI-bound collections
• CircularBuffer: Ideal for command history, rolling stats
• ObjectPool: Must-have for spawning systems

Issues:

• More complex than standard collections
• Higher memory overhead
• Require careful implementation

High Performance (Native)

• NativeArray: Burst-compatible, no GC overhead
• NativeList: Dynamic size without the GC cost
• NativeHashMap: High-performance lookups in Jobs

Issues:

• Must manually manage memory (Dispose)
• Not visible in Inspector
• More complex to debug

Pro Tips:

• Always profile before optimizing
• Start simple (List/Array) before going native
• Use ObjectPools for frequently spawned objects
• Don't forget to Dispose() native collections!

Common Pitfalls:

• Using List<T> in performance-critical loops
• Forgetting to pre-allocate capacities
• Missing Dispose() calls on Native collections
• Over-engineering with complex structures too early

Cheat Sheet: Component Communication

UNITY CHEAT SHEET: 2

The Performance Killers:

• Calling Find() or FindObjectOfType() in Update()
• GetComponent() every frame
• Searching entire hierarchies repeatedly
• Multiple GetComponentInChildren() calls per frame

The Performance Heroes:

• Cached references in Awake()
• SerializeField in Inspector
• GetComponent for local components
• One-time initialization searches

WHEN TO USE WHAT:

1. GameObject.Find() & FindObjectOfType()

• One-time setup in Awake()
• Prototyping & quick tests
• Not for regular gameplay updates
• Not for physics or input handling

2. GetComponent<T>()

• Getting sibling components
• Initialization in Awake/Start
• Not for every frame updates
• Not for repeatedly accessing the same component

3. GetComponentInChildren<T>()

• One-time setup of hierarchies
• Prefab initialization
• Not for continuous parent-child communication
• Not for frame-by-frame checks

Pro Tips:

• Cache everything you'll use more than once
• Use [SerializeField] for direct references
• Design hierarchies to minimize searches
• Consider Scriptable Objects for global data

ALL THE COMPONENT COMMUNICATION FUNCTIONS:

Direct References

• GetComponent<T>()
• GetComponents<T>()
• GetComponentInChildren<T>()
• GetComponentInParent<T>()
• FindObjectOfType<T>()
• FindObjectsOfType<T>()

Search Methods

• Find()
• FindWithTag()
• FindGameObjectsWithTag()

Cheat Sheet: Event Functions

UNITY CHEAT SHEET: 1

Initialization & Lifecycle

• Awake(): First! Before ANY Start()
• OnEnable(): Object/Component activation
• Start(): Before first frame, after ALL Awake()
• OnDisable(): Component deactivation
• OnDestroy(): Final cleanup

Update Loops

• Update(): Every frame
• FixedUpdate(): Fixed timestep (physics)
• LateUpdate(): After all Updates

Physics & Collisions

• OnCollisionEnter(): First contact
• OnCollisionStay(): During contact
• OnCollisionExit(): Contact ends
• OnTriggerEnter(): Enter trigger zone
• OnTriggerStay(): Inside trigger
• OnTriggerExit(): Exit trigger

Rendering & Visibility

• OnBecameVisible(): Enters camera view
• OnBecameInvisible(): Exits all views
• OnRenderObject(): After camera render
• OnWillRenderObject(): Before camera render
• OnGUI(): UI/Debug rendering

Application Flow

• OnApplicationFocus(): Window focus
• OnApplicationPause(): App pause/resume
• OnApplicationQuit(): Before app closes

Input & Interaction

• OnMouseEnter(): Mouse enters collider
• OnMouseOver(): Mouse stays over collider
• OnMouseExit(): Mouse leaves collider
• OnMouseDown(): Mouse click on collider
• OnMouseUp(): Mouse release on collider
• OnMouseDrag(): Mouse drag on collider

Editor & Development

• OnDrawGizmos(): Draw debug in Scene view
• OnDrawGizmosSelected(): Draw when selected
• OnValidate(): After inspector value change

CRITICAL Pro Tips:

• Awake() runs before ANY Start() - perfect for manager initialization
• Never reference other objects in Awake() - they might not be ready
• Physics ONLY in FixedUpdate()
• Camera follow in LateUpdate()
• OnEnable/OnDisable for event subscriptions
• Input handling belongs in Update()
• OnValidate() for inspector value validation
• Use OnDrawGizmos() for debug visualization
• OnMouseOver() only works with colliders

Common Pitfalls:

• Running physics in Update()
• Initializing dependencies in wrong order
• Missing OnDisable() cleanup
• Heavy calculations in OnGUI()
• Forgetting collider requirement for mouse events
• Not handling OnApplicationPause() on mobile
• Using OnMouseDrag() for UI elements