What is a "NavMesh" used for in Unity?

A NavMesh in Unity is primarily utilized to define walkable areas for AI navigation. It serves as a foundational element in enabling characters or non-player entities (NPCs) to intelligently move around the game environment. By outlining regions where characters can traverse, the NavMesh ensures that AI can navigate complex terrains while avoiding obstacles and adhering to specific paths.

This is crucial in game design, especially for creating immersive experiences where NPCs interact with the environment and each other in a realistic manner. With a well-defined NavMesh, developers can implement features like pathfinding, which allows characters to search for the best route from point A to point B while dynamically adapting to changes in the environment.

The other choices refer to functionalities that do not align with the purpose of the NavMesh: managing network connections relates to multiplayer aspects, creating 3D sound is related to audio design, and storing animation data involves different systems like animator controllers and animation clips.