unravel-prefabs

name	unravel-prefabs
description	Works on UnravelEngine prefabs: prefab assets, scene instances, property overrides, and path-aware serialization. Use for prefab creation, instance overrides, prefab unlinking, or deserialization path matching.
disable-model-invocation	true

Unravel Prefabs

Start here

Purpose	Path
Prefab struct	engine/engine/ecs/prefab.h
Prefab component	engine/engine/ecs/components/prefab_component.h
Prefab ID component	engine/engine/ecs/components/prefab_id_component.h
Meta	engine/engine/meta/ecs/components/prefab_component.hpp
Override paths	editor/editor/hub/panels/inspector_panel/inspectors/inspectors.h
Path context	engine/core/serialization/ (serialization::path_context)
Hierarchy UI	hierarchy_panel — prefab icons, unlink

Prefab model

• Prefab asset — serialized entity subtree as binary/associative buffer
• Instance — entity with prefab_component + prefab_id_component
• Overrides — per-instance property changes tracked separately from base

Property overrides

Inspector stores two paths per override (prefab_property_override):

• pretty_path — display: "Transform/Position/X"
• serialization_path — matching: "entities[0]/components/Transform/..."

Deserialization matches overrides by serialization_path. Never change serialization paths for existing fields without migration.

Workflow

Create prefab

From hierarchy context menu → save selection as prefab asset.

Instantiate

Drag prefab into scene or create from content browser.

Override

Edit instance property in inspector → stored as override, not written to base prefab.

Apply / revert

Inspector supports reset to prefab default for overridden properties.

Verification checklist

• New instance matches prefab base
• Override persists save/reload
• Revert override restores base value
• Unlink produces independent entity subtree
• Nested prefabs resolve correctly
• UID references intact after reimport

Common mistakes

• Modifying base prefab when intending instance-only change
• Breaking serialization_path format in refactor
• Missing prefab components on instantiated entities
• Confusing prefab_component vs prefab_id_component roles