foundation-scene-lifecycle

name: foundation-scene-lifecycle description: Foundational skill for scene-tree behavior: node lifecycle callbacks, signal wiring strategy, input handling pathways, and state transitions. tier: core godot_version: 4.6+ doc_anchors: - godot-docs/getting_started/step_by_step/nodes_and_scenes.rst - godot-docs/getting_started/step_by_step/signals.rst - godot-docs/tutorials/best_practices/godot_notifications.rst - godot-docs/tutorials/inputs/inputevent.rst tags: - lifecycle - scenes - signals depends_on: []

Foundation Scene Lifecycle

Use When

• Designing scene and signal flows.
• Choosing between _ready, _process, _physics_process, _input, timers, and notifications.
• Building state transitions for UI or gameplay-adjacent editor tools.

Outcomes

• Lifecycle responsibilities are separated by callback and execution domain.
• Signal ownership and teardown behavior are explicit.
• Input flow and scene transitions stay stable after hierarchy changes.

Required Rules

• Prefer event-driven wiring over frame polling.
• Use timer cadence for non-frame-critical loops.
• Keep lifecycle callback responsibilities explicit.
• Validate signal ownership and disconnect behavior on teardown.

Workflow

1. Assign responsibilities to _ready, _process, _physics_process, and input callbacks.
2. Define signal emitters/receivers at subsystem boundaries.
3. Add explicit teardown/disconnect paths for scene exit and reload.
4. Verify timer-driven loops for non-physics periodic work.
5. Rehearse scene transition and re-entry to confirm stable lifecycle behavior.

Validation

• Callback map contains no duplicate state mutation across update paths.
• Enter/exit scene cycle does not leak signal connections.
• Input behavior remains consistent when UI focus changes.

Failure Modes

• State mutation split across _process and _physics_process without arbitration.
• Signal connections persist after node teardown and trigger stale callbacks.
• Gameplay input handled in wrong callback stage, causing UI conflicts.

Local Doc Anchors

• godot-docs/getting_started/step_by_step/nodes_and_scenes.rst
• godot-docs/getting_started/step_by_step/signals.rst
• godot-docs/tutorials/best_practices/godot_notifications.rst
• godot-docs/tutorials/inputs/inputevent.rst