[HELP] Move instantiated objects with transform.Translate

Scripting
1

I’m making a game where you have to swipe a circle around to avoid squares that come into the screen from all four directions. I’m currently working on randomly spawning the squares and I got the spawning part done, now I need to move them across the screen.

Problem:
-I think I’m referring to the instantiated gameobjects (north,east,south,west) wrong when I transform.Translate them because I get the following error in Unity:

NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object
Square.Update () (at Assets/Square.cs:51)

Any help is appreciated :slight_smile:

public float speed = 1f;
    public float spawnTempo = 2f;
    public GameObject north;
    public GameObject east;
    public GameObject south;
    public GameObject west;
    float startSide = 0;

    void Start()
    {
        InvokeRepeating("SquareSpawn",3f,spawnTempo);
    }

    void SquareSpawn()
    {
        //1=north 2=east 3=south 4=west
        startSide = UnityEngine.Random.Range(1,5);
        Debug.Log(startSide);

        if (startSide == 1)
        {
            Instantiate(north, new Vector2(UnityEngine.Random.Range(-2f, 2f), 5.5f), Quaternion.identity);
        }

        if (startSide == 2)
        {
            Instantiate(east, new Vector2(3.5f,UnityEngine.Random.Range(-3.5f,3.5f)), Quaternion.identity);
        }

        if (startSide == 3)
        {
            Instantiate(south, new Vector2(UnityEngine.Random.Range(-2f, 2f), -5.5f), Quaternion.identity);
        }

        if (startSide == 4)
        {
            Instantiate(west, new Vector2(-3.5f, UnityEngine.Random.Range(-3.5f, 3.5f)), Quaternion.identity);
        }
    }

    void Update()
    {
        if (startSide == 1)
        {
            GameObject.Find("north").transform.Translate(Vector2.down * speed);
        }

        if (startSide == 2)
        {
            GameObject.Find("east").transform.Translate(Vector2.left * speed);
        }

        if (startSide == 3)
        {
            GameObject.Find("south").transform.Translate(Vector2.up * speed);
        }

        if (startSide == 4)
        {
            GameObject.Find("west").transform.Translate(Vector2.right * speed);
        }
    }
}
2

So when you Instantiate a new GameObject you can set it equal to a GameObject variable so you can use it later in code. Also consider using “else if” statements as well. Side note: GameObject.Find is not good practice to use.

3

Am I not already doing what you are saying? The GameObject variable and setting it in the Instantiate? If not then what should I do different?
And what do I use instead of GameObject.Find?