# realvirtualBehavior Lifetime Methods

When you inherit from **realvirtualBehavior** in your scripts, the **realvirtualController** automatically invokes several core lifecycle methods at key moments. This mechanism ensures a consistent flow for starting, stopping, and updating your simulation logic.

***

### Overview of Methods

1. **AwakeAlsoDeactivated()**
   * Called by **realvirtualController** in its own `Awake()` method.
   * Runs even if the `realvirtualBehavior` component (or its GameObject) is not active.
   * Ideal for any early setup logic that normally would run in `Awake()`, but needs to occur even if disabled.
2. **PreStartSim()**
   * Called once **realvirtualController** is ready to start the simulation.
   * Use this to finalize any pre-simulation configuration, such as resetting positions or clearing caches.
3. **StartSim()**
   * Immediately after **PreStartSim()**.
   * Begin your runtime logic here—start animations, open connections, spawn objects, etc.
4. **StopSim()**
   * Called when the simulation is being paused or stopped (for instance, via the pause button).
   * Ideal for halting coroutines, stopping movements, and closing any active connections.

***

### Typical Flow

1. **realvirtualController.Awake()**
   * Calls `AwakeAlsoDeactivated()` on every `realvirtualBehavior`.
2. **realvirtualController.Start()**
   * Eventually calls `StartSim()` (after running `PreStartSim()`).
3. **realvirtualController.Pause() / StopSim()**
   * Invokes `StopSim()` on every `realvirtualBehavior`.

Here’s a simplified timeline:

```
Unity Loads Scene
└──> realvirtualController: Awake()
     ├──> Calls AwakeAlsoDeactivated() on all realvirtualBehavior scripts
     └──> Additional Initialization Steps

Later, realvirtualController: Start()
├──> PreStartSim() on all realvirtualBehavior
└──> StartSim() on all realvirtualBehavior

When Pausing or Stopping:
└──> StopSim() on all realvirtualBehavior
```

***

### Example Script

Below is an example of how you might extend `realvirtualBehavior` to respond to these calls:

```csharp
using UnityEngine;

namespace realvirtual
{
    // Inherit from realvirtualBehavior
    public class MyMachine : realvirtualBehavior
    {
        // Called by the controller in Awake(), even if 'MyMachine' is not active
        public override void AwakeAlsoDeactivated()
        {
            base.AwakeAlsoDeactivated();
            Debug.Log("MyMachine: AwakeAlsoDeactivated - Basic setup done.");
        }

        // Called just before the simulation actually starts
        public override void PreStartSim()
        {
            Debug.Log("MyMachine: PreStartSim - Final checks before sim begins.");
        }

        // Called immediately after PreStartSim
        public override void StartSim()
        {
            Debug.Log("MyMachine: StartSim - Simulation logic begins.");
        }

        // Called when the simulation is being paused or stopped
        public override void StopSim()
        {
            Debug.Log("MyMachine: StopSim - Cleaning up and halting movements.");
        }
    }
}
```

***

### When to Use These Methods

* **AwakeAlsoDeactivated()**
  * Use for setting references or configuration that must exist **regardless** of the GameObject’s active state.
  * Useful for bridging dependencies or preparing data needed by other scripts.
* **PreStartSim()**
  * Use for last-minute preparation just before the simulation becomes “live.”
  * E.g., ensuring internal caches or object pools are ready, resetting the environment, etc.
* **StartSim()**
  * Your “go” signal for the main logic—starting animations, enabling physics-based behaviors, or beginning timers.
* **StopSim()**
  * Graceful shutdown: stopping animations, saving states, cleaning up.
  * Called when the user pauses, or the simulation is otherwise halted by **realvirtualController**.

***

### Debugging with DebugMode

By enabling **DebugMode** on the **realvirtualController**, you will see logs in the Unity console showing precisely when each of these methods is invoked. This is an excellent way to confirm:

* Whether your scripts are receiving these calls in the expected order.
* If certain scripts remain disabled and thus never receive the calls.

###


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