Example
Prefabs are an asset type that allows the storage of a complete GameObject with its components, properties, attached components and serialized property values. There are many scenarios where this is useful, including:
- Duplicating objects in a scene
- Sharing a common object across multiple scenes
- Being able to modify a prefab once and having the changes apply across multiple objects/scenes
- Creating duplicate objects with minor modifications, while having the common elements be editable from one base prefab
- Instantiating GameObjects at runtime
There is a rule of thumb of sorts in Unity that says "everything should be Prefabs". While this is probably exaggeration, it does encourage code reuse and the building of GameObjects in a reusable way, which is both memory efficient and good design.
