Moving with Translate

Learn relative motion with transform.Translate.

Moving with Translate

transform.Translate is used to move an object relative to its current position. The Vector3 values you provide are added to the object's movement. This allows you to move an object by a certain amount instead of assigning an absolute position.

transform.Translate(1, 0, 0);

This example moves the object one unit along its movement directions.

Understanding Relative Movement

Movement performed with Translate starts from the current position and adds the provided amount to it. For example, transform.Translate(0, 1, 0) moves the object one unit along the Y direction. You can perform the same operation by passing a Vector3 to the method.

Vector3 movement = new Vector3(0, 0, 3);
transform.Translate(movement);

By default, Translate operates relative to the object's local coordinate directions.

Exercise Move an Object with Translate

Inside the Start method, move the object three units along the X axis, zero units along the Y axis, and two units along the Z axis from its current position. Use transform.Translate and Vector3.

Show example solution

using UnityEngine;

public class TranslateMover : MonoBehaviour
{
    void Start()
    {
        transform.Translate(new Vector3(3, 0, 2));
    }
}

Test yourself

Which code moves an object two units along the X axis from its current position?
- transform.position = new Vector3(2, 0, 0);
- transform.Translate(0, 2, 0);
- transform.Translate(2, 0, 0);
- transform.localScale = new Vector3(2, 0, 0);
Show answer

transform.Translate(2, 0, 0); — Translate(2, 0, 0) moves the object two units along the X axis from its current position.

Set the Relative Movement Amount

transform.Translate(new Vector3(0, ____, 0));

Show answer

transform.Translate(new Vector3(0, 4, 0));

Translate Movement

transform.Translate

Moves the object relatively
new Vector3(1, 0, 0)

Specifies one unit along the X axis
new Vector3(0, 1, 0)

Specifies one unit along the Y axis
new Vector3(0, 0, 1)

Specifies one unit along the Z axis

Next lesson: Changing rotation

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