How to wait for Start() to run when calling InstantiateObject()

Unity's lazy loading of objects via the Start method is fine in most cases. If you can't simply move that logic to Awake, then it sounds like need tighter control over your object creation cycle. Here's what I do:

1. Use Prefabs. They allow you to setup defaults on objects which can then be modified in the object creation process.

2. Use Constructor-like methods to build your objects. Here, you will pass in the data that you need and know that the object is setup by the time the method completes. This looks something like this:

   public SomeObject CreateObject(ObjectManifest manifest) { SomeObject result = null; if (manifest != null) { GameObject go = GameObject.Instantiate(prefab) as GameObject; result = go.GetComponent(); result.SetInfo(manifest); } return result; }

   public class SomeObject : MonoBehaviour { public SetInfo(ObjectManifest manifest) { // apply all settings from the manifest to the object, ex: result.enabled = manifest.startEnabled;

         // or pass nothing and do your Start() stuff here
        }
    }
   
   

Again, doing it this way will ensure that your object is fully initialized by the time you get the reference back. Note that I use the term 'manifest' loosely, and that it is an abstraction for the notion of passing in some configuration data, be it in the form of a custom class or a bunch of method arguments.