Interaction between collider types

This page describes which event functions Unity generates based on the configuration of each colliderAn invisible shape that is used to handle physical collisions for an object. A collider doesn’t need to be exactly the same shape as the object’s mesh - a rough approximation is often more efficient and indistinguishable in gameplay. More info
See in Glossary in a collisionA collision occurs when the physics engine detects that the colliders of two GameObjects make contact or overlap, when at least one has a Rigidbody component and is in motion. More info
See in Glossary pair.

Collision generates collision detection messages

When a pair of colliders make contact, they generate collision detectionAn automatic process performed by Unity which determines whether a moving GameObject with a Rigidbody and collider component has come into contact with any other colliders. More info
See in Glossary messages if the following are both true:

• There is at least one dynamic collider.
• The other collider is a static collider, a kinematic collider, or another dynamic collider.

The following table describes each combination of collider types. A “Y” indicates a combination that can generate collision detection and collision messages.

Remember that Unity only applies physics forces to collider GameObjectsThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary that have a physics body (a Rigidbody or ArticulationBody). When a physics body collider collides with a static collider, only the physics body collider behavior changes as a result of the collision (for example, it might bounce or slow down as a result of the collision).

Collision generates trigger messages

Trigger messages occur in the following circumstances:

• A dynamic or kinematic trigger collider collides with any collider type.
• A static trigger collider collides with any dynamic or Kinematic collider.

The following table describes each combination of collider types. A “Y” indicates a combination that can generate trigger messages from any trigger collider in the pair.