Access children using Find() returns 'null'?

Questions & Answers
1

I'm trying to access the children in a prefab. Internet says that I should use: `var child = transform.Find("child");`

I got it to work once (that file is long gone), but since then it always returns a null. My current scene includes the following hierarchy: vehRigA -axleFront -axleRear

But the following code,

var axleF = transform.Find("axleFront");
function update(){
    print(axleF); // returns: null
}

shows that the Find() is not finding.

What am I doing wrong? Should I be using GameObject.Find(),(tried it and got an error) or another kind of Find?

(why can't we access a child by "parent.child"? I thought that was the definition of OO programing?)

2

Is this script attached to the object "vehRigA"? If not you should use the whole path to the child

(vehRigA may not have a parent in the hierarchy view): 

var axleF : Transform;

function Start () {
  axleF = transform.Find("/vehRigA/axleFront"); //use the full path from root
}

function Update(){
  ...
}

(or use GameObject.Find() which finds every object and child without the path)

4

note capitalization: Start vs start (its even colored purple in one versus the other )

3

Okay, seems I'm learning a scripting syntax lesson: Spaces are important; you must put spaces everywhere or it does not work.

//does not work
var axleF:Transform; 

function start(){
    axleF = transform.Find("/vehRigA/axleFront");
}
function Update () {
    print(axleF);
}

//works
var axleF : Transform;

function Start () {
  axleF = transform.Find("/vehRigA/axleFront");
}

function Update(){
    print(axleF);
}

Thanks for your help :)