Manual Update

Where to toggle

Edit → Project Settings → VAT Settings → Manual Update

This adds or removes the scripting define NL_VAT_MANUAL_UPDATE on every build target group. Changing the toggle recompiles scripts.

Default: off (Unity drives updates).

When to enable

Enable Manual Update when you need full control over animation stepping — for example in an online / networked project, or whenever playback must run at a specific point in your frame.

Leave it off when Unity Update / LateUpdate is enough.

What changes at compile time

Public Tick / LateTick methods always exist so hosts can drive playback explicitly.

Host tick loop

Order matters: locomotion writes → player advances → instanced draw.

using NOT_Lonely.VertexAnimator.Runtime;
using UnityEngine;

public class VatManualHost : MonoBehaviour
{
    [SerializeField] VertexAnimLocomotionDriver[] drivers;
    [SerializeField] VertexAnimPlayer[] players;

    void Update()
    {
#if NL_VAT_MANUAL_UPDATE
        var dt = Time.deltaTime;

        for (int i = 0; i < drivers.Length; i++)
        {
            if (drivers[i] != null)
                drivers[i].Tick();
        }

        for (int i = 0; i < players.Length; i++)
        {
            if (players[i] != null)
                players[i].Tick(dt);
        }

        if (InstancedRenderSystem.TryGetExisting(out var system))
            system.LateTick();
        // Or: InstancedRenderSystem.Instance.LateTick();
#endif
    }
}

For large crowds, tick from your existing simulation loop (not necessarily a MonoBehaviour Update) — same call order.

Avoid double-ticking

If Manual Update is off, do not call Tick / LateTick from your own loop to prevent double-ticking.

Guard optional host code with the define:

#if NL_VAT_MANUAL_UPDATE
    player.Tick(deltaTime);
#endif

Edit Mode

Even with Manual Update on, the player still runs a small Edit Mode Update path so authoring previews (for example Custom Data) can refresh without Play Mode.