Tier 1 Series 5

5F: The Inspector List

Pilot Record
Student Profile
"A cargo manifest isn't just a pile of boxes; it's a labeled inventory. If your AI generates a list of 50 mission waypoints but provides no way for the Pilot to see or edit them in the Inspector, you've created Operational Blindness. A skilled Engineer audits for Inspector Accessibility."

The Concept: Serialized Collections

In Unity, simple Lists and Arrays are automatically visible in the Inspector if they are public or marked with [SerializeField]. However, as these collections grow, they need "Dashboard Tuning" to remain usable by the flight crew.

Visibility: Use [SerializeField] to keep your data private (safe from other scripts) but visible to the Pilot in the Inspector.
Naming: Pluralize your collection names (e.g., targetPoints instead of targetPoint) so the crew knows it's a group.
Organization: Use [Header] attributes to separate different collections on the same dashboard.
Red Flag Detected

The AI Trap: "The Hidden Inventory"

You ask the AI: "Create a list of patrol points for the drone."

// AI-Generated Code: Invisible and non-tunable
private List<Vector3> patrolPoints = new List<Vector3>(); 

void Update() {
    // Audit Fail: The Pilot cannot see these points in the Unity Inspector.
    // To change the patrol route, someone has to re-write the script.
    FollowPath(patrolPoints);
}

This is "Logic Isolation." In a Digital Twin or complex simulation, the person designing the mission might not be the person writing the C#. A professional pilot demands "Inspector Transparency" so variables can be tuned in real-time.

Elite Telemetry

Research shows "Elite" teams achieve 15% faster lead times by keeping AI on a "very tight leash."

  • Small Batches Solving one problem at a time prevents logic drift.
  • Modular Design Localizing the "blast radius" of AI changes.
  • Tight Loops Rapid iteration with constant code review.

The Mechanic's Correction

Corrective Protocol
// Corrected: Tunable and visible.
[Header("Mission Navigation")]
[Tooltip("List of world positions the drone will visit in sequence.")]
[SerializeField] private List<Vector3> patrolPoints = new List<Vector3>();

void Update() {
    // Audit Pass: The Pilot can now drag and drop points in the Inspector.
    FollowPath(patrolPoints);
}
Your Pilot Command
> Final Mission: Combine multiple patterns for a robust system audit.
Next Mission
The Agency Exam