claude-bridge-api

name

claude-bridge-api

description

Use when writing or modifying C# for a Unity project driven through the Claude Bridge — MonoBehaviour components, ScriptableObjects, Editor scripts, and gameplay code. Teaches idiomatic Unity 6 / C# patterns (MonoBehaviour lifecycle, [SerializeField] serialization, Editor vs runtime, AssetDatabase, coroutines, prefabs, physics) and the s&box/Unreal -> Unity translations, so the agent writes Unity, not another engine's patterns. Verify exact signatures live via the bridge's describe_type.

Claude Bridge — Unity C# Skill

READ BEFORE WRITING CODE

Unity is not s&box, and not Unreal. If you came from the maintainer's s&box bridge, your muscle memory is wrong here. In Unity there is no Component base with OnUpdate(), no [Property] attribute, no [Sync], no Scene.Trace builder, no WorldPosition on the component, no prefab.Clone(), no Razor UI, no Z-up. Unity has its own lifecycle, serialization model, and API surface. If you write an s&box-ism (or a Unreal-ism), you've hallucinated.

Unity is a C# scripting layer over the Unity engine. Gameplay code is MonoBehaviour subclasses attached to **GameObject**s; data lives in **ScriptableObject**s; editor tooling lives in Editor-assembly scripts. The single source of truth is the LIVE editor reflection via the Claude Bridge — mcp__claude-bridge-unity__describe_type / search_types / get_method_signature query your actually-installed Unity version + packages. If anything here disagrees with what the bridge reports for your build, the live reflection wins.

This skill is the brain — how to write correct Unity C#. To build, run, and SEE it, pair it with the claude-bridge-build-feature skill (the screenshot-driven editor workflow + the verify-the-mutation / two-phase / play-mode disciplines). Write it right here; verify it live there.

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Architecture in 30 seconds

Scene  ──>  GameObject (Transform is mandatory; has tags, layer, children, components)
                  └── MonoBehaviour (gameplay code)        ← Component subclass, attached in scene/prefab
            ScriptableObject (data asset, lives in Assets/, not in the scene)
            Editor script (Assembly "Editor" only; AssetDatabase, custom inspectors, menus)

• All gameplay code is a class Foo : MonoBehaviour. Attach it to a GameObject.
• Lifecycle methods are magic-named (Unity calls them by name via reflection): Awake(), OnEnable(), Start(), Update(), FixedUpdate(), LateUpdate(), OnDisable(), OnDestroy(). They are private void by convention — not override (MonoBehaviour does not declare them virtual).
• Transforms are on the GameObject's Transform component, reached via transform.position / transform.localPosition / transform.rotation from any MonoBehaviour.
• Serialize a field to the inspector with [SerializeField] private T x; (or a public T x;, but [SerializeField] private is the idiom). Only serializable types persist (see the serialization rules below).
• Data assets are ScriptableObjects — create with [CreateAssetMenu], instantiate in the project, reference from components.
• Coordinate system is Y-up, left-handed: Vector3.forward = (0,0,1), Vector3.up = (0,1,0), Vector3.right = (1,0,0).
• Physics: Rigidbody + Collider components; raycasts are Physics.Raycast(origin, dir, out hit, maxDist, layerMask); collisions arrive via OnCollisionEnter(Collision) / OnTriggerEnter(Collider) magic methods (the body needs a Rigidbody for these to fire).
• Async: Unity uses coroutines (IEnumerator + StartCoroutine, yield return), or plain async/await / Awaitable (Unity 6). Task works but be careful — it doesn't auto-cancel on object destroy.

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Routing table — "I need to…"

Match the task. For exact signatures on your build, always finish with the bridge's describe_type / get_method_signature.

Task	Approach (verify live with the bridge)
Write a component	class Foo : MonoBehaviour; lifecycle in Awake/OnEnable/Start/Update/FixedUpdate/OnDisable/OnDestroy
Expose a field to the inspector	[SerializeField] private float speed = 5f; (or public); use [Range], [Tooltip], [Header]
Reference another object/component	[SerializeField] private Transform target; and wire it in the inspector (or via the bridge)
Find components/objects at runtime	GetComponent<T>(), GetComponentInChildren<T>(), FindObjectsByType<T>(...) (NOT the old FindObjectsOfType in Unity 6)
Create/destroy/clone	Instantiate(prefab, pos, rot), Destroy(go) (or DestroyImmediate in editor code only)
A data asset (config, item, recipe)	class Item : ScriptableObject + [CreateAssetMenu(menuName="…")]
Timed/sequenced logic	coroutine (IEnumerator, yield return new WaitForSeconds(t)) or async/Awaitable
Physics movement	move a Rigidbody in FixedUpdate (MovePosition/AddForce/set linearVelocity)
Raycast / overlap	Physics.Raycast(...), Physics.OverlapSphere(...), Physics.SphereCast(...) with a LayerMask
Collisions/triggers	implement OnCollisionEnter(Collision) / OnTriggerEnter(Collider) (collider + Rigidbody required)
Input	the Input System package (InputAction/PlayerInput) is current; legacy Input.GetKey/GetAxis still exists — check which the project uses
UI	UI Toolkit (.uxml/.uss, UIDocument) for new work, or uGUI (Canvas/Image/Text/TMP) — check which the project uses
Editor tooling (menus, inspectors, asset ops)	an Editor-assembly script using UnityEditor.* — wrap usages in #if UNITY_EDITOR if in a runtime file
Load/save/create assets (editor)	AssetDatabase.CreateAsset/LoadAssetAtPath/Refresh/SaveAssets — editor only, never at runtime
Persist game data at runtime	Application.persistentDataPath + JSON (JsonUtility) / a binary writer — NOT AssetDatabase
Exact signature of any Unity type	Claude Bridge (live): describe_type / get_method_signature / list_components

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s&box / Unreal → Unity translation table

If you write the left column in a Unity project, you've hallucinated. Use the right column.

s&box / Unreal / wrong	Unity / correct
class Foo : Component (s&box) / : Actor/: UObject (Unreal)	class Foo : MonoBehaviour
protected override void OnUpdate() (s&box) / Tick() (Unreal)	void Update() (magic method, not override)
protected override void OnStart()	void Start()
protected override void OnAwake()	void Awake()
protected override void OnFixedUpdate()	void FixedUpdate()
protected override void OnEnabled() / OnDisabled()	void OnEnable() / void OnDisable()
protected override void OnDestroy()	void OnDestroy() (same name, but NOT override)
[Property] public float Speed { get; set; } (s&box) / UPROPERTY() (Unreal)	[SerializeField] private float speed;
[Hide]	[HideInInspector]
WorldPosition / LocalPosition (on the component)	transform.position / transform.localPosition
WorldRotation	transform.rotation (a Quaternion); euler via transform.eulerAngles
GameObject.Enabled = false	gameObject.SetActive(false)
GameObject.Destroy() / prefab.Clone(pos)	Destroy(gameObject) / Instantiate(prefab, pos, rot)
Scene.Get<T>() / Scene.GetAll<T>() (s&box)	FindFirstObjectByType<T>() / FindObjectsByType<T>(FindObjectsSortMode.None) (Unity 6)
Scene.Directory.FindByName("X")	GameObject.Find("X") (avoid in hot paths; prefer a serialized ref)
Scene.Trace.Ray(a,b).Run() (builder)	Physics.Raycast(origin, direction, out RaycastHit hit, maxDistance, layerMask)
Component.ICollisionListener.OnCollisionStart(c)	void OnCollisionEnter(Collision c) (magic method)
Component.ITriggerListener.OnTriggerEnter(c)	void OnTriggerEnter(Collider other) (magic method)
Rigidbody.ApplyImpulse(f) / Rigidbody.Velocity	rb.AddForce(f, ForceMode.Impulse) / rb.linearVelocity (Unity 6 renamed velocity→linearVelocity)
Input.Down("forward") / Input.Pressed("x") (s&box actions)	legacy: Input.GetKey/GetKeyDown; new: an InputAction (action.IsPressed() / action.WasPressedThisFrame())
Input.AnalogMove	Vector2 move = moveAction.ReadValue<Vector2>(); (Input System) or Input.GetAxis (legacy)
Scene.Camera	Camera.main (the camera tagged MainCamera)
async Task Foo() + await Task.DelaySeconds(n) (s&box)	a coroutine: IEnumerator Foo(){ yield return new WaitForSeconds(n); } + StartCoroutine(Foo()); or await Awaitable.WaitForSecondsAsync(n) (Unity 6)
await Task.Frame()	yield return null; (coroutine)
Log.Info(x) / Log.Warning / Log.Error	Debug.Log(x) / Debug.LogWarning(x) / Debug.LogError(x)
Time.Now / Time.Delta	Time.time / Time.deltaTime (fixed step: Time.fixedDeltaTime)
MathX.Lerp / Clamp	Mathf.Lerp / Mathf.Clamp
Game.Random.Next(a,b)	Random.Range(a,b) (UnityEngine.Random; int overload is max-exclusive, float overload max-inclusive)
Vector3.Forward = (1,0,0) (s&box Z-up)	Vector3.forward = (0,0,1) — Unity is Y-up; re-check every literal direction
Scene.LoadFromFile(...)	`SceneManager.LoadScene("Name"
go.Flags = GameObjectFlags.DontDestroyOnLoad	DontDestroyOnLoad(gameObject)
Game.IsPlaying	Application.isPlaying; in editor code, EditorApplication.isPlayingOrWillChangePlaymode
FileSystem.Data.ReadAllText(...) (s&box sandbox)	System.IO.File.* under Application.persistentDataPath (full BCL IO is allowed — Unity is not sandboxed)
[Sync] / [Rpc.Broadcast] (s&box netcode)	Unity has no built-in equivalent; use Netcode for GameObjects (NetworkBehaviour, NetworkVariable<T>, [Rpc]) or another netcode package — verify the project's choice

If a pattern isn't here, assume it differs and verify with describe_type before writing it.

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The rules you must not break

1. Gameplay classes extend MonoBehaviour; data classes extend ScriptableObject. Not Component (that's s&box / the Unity base you don't subclass directly), not Actor.
2. Lifecycle methods are magic-named, not override. void Update() — Unity finds it by name. Writing override won't compile (they aren't virtual); writing OnUpdate() does nothing.
3. Update for per-frame logic, FixedUpdate for physics. Read input in Update; move/force a Rigidbody in FixedUpdate. Multiply per-frame rates by Time.deltaTime.
4. Serialize with [SerializeField]. A private field without it is NOT saved or shown. Only Unity-serializable types persist: primitives, string, enums, UnityEngine.Object references, Vector*/Color/Quaternion, and [System.Serializable] plain classes/structs — not Dictionary, interfaces, or plain object (use [SerializeReference] for polymorphism, or parallel lists for a dict).
5. Wire references in the inspector, don't Find in hot paths. [SerializeField] private Foo foo; set once beats GameObject.Find/GetComponent every frame.
6. UnityEditor is editor-only. Never call AssetDatabase, EditorUtility, [MenuItem], custom inspectors, etc. from runtime code. If a runtime file must, guard with #if UNITY_EDITOR … #endif. Editor scripts live in an Editor/ folder or an asmdef marked Editor.
7. AssetDatabase is for editor assets; persistentDataPath is for player saves. Don't try to write game saves via AssetDatabase — it doesn't exist in a build.
8. Check for "fake null." A destroyed UnityEngine.Object compares == null (overloaded ==) even though the C# reference isn't null. Always null-check serialized refs before use; don't cache a reference across a Destroy.
9. Coroutines need an active MonoBehaviour. StartCoroutine stops if the component/GameObject is disabled or destroyed. For lifetime-safe timed work prefer coroutines over raw Task (a Task keeps running after the object dies and swallows exceptions).
10. Look up every API before you use it — live. describe_type (members), search_types (does it exist?), get_method_signature (exact overloads + param names). Unity's API shifts across versions, render pipelines, and packages; live reflection beats any static list. Several APIs were renamed in recent versions (velocity→linearVelocity, FindObjectsOfType→FindObjectsByType) — don't assume.

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Project structure (Unity)

MyGame/
├── Assets/
│   ├── Scenes/            *.unity
│   ├── Scripts/           gameplay *.cs (compiled into Assembly-CSharp unless an asmdef scopes them)
│   │   └── Editor/        editor-only *.cs (or an asmdef with Editor platform only)
│   ├── Prefabs/           *.prefab
│   ├── Materials/         *.mat
│   ├── Models/  Textures/  Audio/  …
│   └── Resources/         loadable at runtime via Resources.Load (use sparingly; Addressables preferred)
├── Packages/
│   └── manifest.json      UPM dependencies (this is where a local file: package ref goes)
├── ProjectSettings/       render pipeline, tags & layers, input, physics
└── Library/  Temp/  Logs/ (generated — never edit)

Notable:

• Every asset has a .meta with a stable GUID — references survive renames. Don't delete .meta files; let Unity manage them.
• C# under Assets/ compiles into Assembly-CSharp by default; an .asmdef scopes a folder into its own assembly (faster compiles, explicit deps, an Editor platform flag).
• Asset paths in editor APIs are project-relative and start with Assets/: AssetDatabase.LoadAssetAtPath<GameObject>("Assets/Prefabs/Player.prefab").
• The render pipeline (Built-in / URP / HDRP) is a project-wide choice in ProjectSettings — materials and shaders are pipeline-specific.

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A reference component (shape only — not the content)

The shape of an idiomatic Unity component. The content depends on what you're building — verify the APIs live, then write it.

using UnityEngine;

[DisallowMultipleComponent]
public class Mover : MonoBehaviour
{
    [Header("Tuning")]
    [SerializeField, Range(0f, 20f)] private float speed = 6f;
    [SerializeField, Tooltip("Wired in the inspector or via the bridge")]
    private Transform target;

    private Rigidbody _rb;          // cached in Awake; '_' private-field convention

    private void Awake()
    {
        _rb = GetComponent<Rigidbody>();   // cache component refs once
    }

    private void Update()
    {
        // per-frame, non-physics: input, timers, visuals
        if (target == null) return;        // guard fake-null / unwired refs
    }

    private void FixedUpdate()
    {
        // physics: move the Rigidbody here, scaled by the fixed step
        if (_rb == null || target == null) return;
        Vector3 dir = (target.position - _rb.position).normalized;
        _rb.MovePosition(_rb.position + dir * speed * Time.fixedDeltaTime);
    }

    private void OnTriggerEnter(Collider other)
    {
        // collider + Rigidbody required for this to fire
    }
}

And a data asset:

using UnityEngine;

[CreateAssetMenu(menuName = "MyGame/Item")]
public class ItemDef : ScriptableObject
{
    public string displayName;
    public Sprite icon;
    public int maxStack = 99;
}

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Gotchas captured from real Unity builds

• FindObjectsOfType is obsolete in Unity 6 — use FindObjectsByType<T>(FindObjectsSortMode.None) (and FindFirstObjectByType<T>()). The old names warn or error depending on version.
• Rigidbody.velocity → linearVelocity, angularVelocity stays (Unity 6 rename). describe_type "Rigidbody" to confirm on your build.
• A [SerializeField] private field already present in the scene/prefab keeps its saved value — changing the initializer in code does NOT change existing instances. Reset in the inspector or set via the bridge.
• Awake runs on load even if the component is disabled; Start waits for the first frame the component is enabled; OnEnable runs every enable. Order: Awake (all) → OnEnable → Start → Updates.
• Execution order across objects is undefined unless you set Script Execution Order — don't rely on one object's Awake running before another's.
• Destroy is deferred to end of frame; DestroyImmediate is immediate but editor-only / dangerous at runtime. The object survives the rest of the current frame after Destroy.
• In code reachable from EDIT mode, bare Destroy(o) silently no-ops AND logs a warning — it only acts in play mode. A bootstrapper that builds the scene in Awake is very often also run as an edit-mode bake (a [ContextMenu] "bake", [ExecuteAlways], or an editor script), and bare Destroy there leaves the very objects (colliders, temp props) it meant to strip. Use the play-mode-aware form in any teardown reachable from the editor: if (Application.isPlaying) Destroy(o); else DestroyImmediate(o);. (Pure play-mode paths — pickups, despawns, singleton dedup — stay plain Destroy.)
• GetComponent returns C#-null (not fake-null) when absent, but a destroyed component is fake-null — handle both with a plain == null check (Unity's operator covers both).
• OnCollision*/OnTrigger* need a Rigidbody on at least one of the two bodies, and the right isTrigger settings — a missing Rigidbody is the #1 reason a trigger "doesn't fire."
• Coroutine yield return new WaitForSeconds(t) uses scaled time (stops when Time.timeScale == 0); use WaitForSecondsRealtime for unscaled.
• [SerializeField] won't serialize a Dictionary, an interface, or a property — use parallel Lists, [SerializeReference], or a [System.Serializable] wrapper.
• Camera.main does a tag search — cache it; don't call it every frame.
• Material instancing leak: reading renderer.material clones the material (a per-renderer instance you must clean up); read renderer.sharedMaterial if you don't intend to instance.
• Resources.Load and a Resources/ folder ship everything in it, always loaded — prefer Addressables for anything non-trivial; verify which the project uses.
• Editor API in a runtime file breaks the build — #if UNITY_EDITOR guard or move it to an Editor asmdef.

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Verification loop (when in doubt)

1. Check this skill for the pattern + the translation away from s&box/Unreal.
2. Verify it live with the bridge. search_types query="Foo" to find it, describe_type typeName="Foo" for members, get_method_signature for exact overloads. This reflects YOUR Unity + packages — the real source of truth.
3. If reflection doesn't show it, it doesn't exist in your build (or it's in a package you haven't imported). Don't write it — find the Unity-idiomatic way.
4. For prose/manual docs (render pipeline, Input System, a package), use WebFetch on the Unity Manual / Scripting API or the context7 MCP.

This skill teaches the patterns + mental model; the bridge's live reflection is the authoritative signature check. Then go build/run/SEE it with claude-bridge-build-feature.