How do I instantiate a prefab to a specific coordinate?

Question

I have a prefab called ‘road’. How can I instantiate it (using C#) such that it appears initially at coordinates (5, 5, 5)?

Answer 1

If you put the prefab into a directory called Resources inside your Assets directory, you'll be able to use the Resources class and its load functionality. This will load a prefab up as a GameObject, which can then be instantiated.

For example:

GameObject myRoadInstance = Instantiate(Resources.Load("road")) as GameObject;

Will create a instance of your "road" prefab in the game world.

You can either set its position by modifying its transform, or you can use the alternate version of Instantiate to specify a position.

GameObject myRoadInstance =
            Instantiate(Resources.Load("road"),
            new Vector3(5, 5, 5),
            Quaternion.identity) as GameObject;

Answer 2

The Unity Manual contains an example:

public class ExampleClass : MonoBehaviour {
    public Transform prefab;
    void Start() {
        for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
            Instantiate(prefab, new Vector3(i * 2.0F, 0, 0), Quaternion.identity);
        }
    }
}

Note the vector3 passed as the second parameter and the quaternion as the third.

Answer 3

Vector3 position = new Vector3(5, 5, 5);

GameObject newGameObject = Instantiate(GameObjectToInstantiate);

newGameObject.transform.position = position;

You will always need to know what your going to instantiate, but from there you just call Instantiate as a function and load it into a new gameObject. You have to position it separately.