Pathfinder uses a combination of path planning, steering mechanisms, and collision handling to control occupant motion. Each Pathfinder occupant maintains a path connecting their current position to a goal point somewhere on the navigation mesh. This path controls the route the occupant takes during the simulation. Other factors, such as collisions with other occupants, may cause the occupant to deviate from their intended route, but the motion of the occupant will roughly conform to their chosen path. If the distance between the occupant and the nearest point on the path exceeds a threshold value, the path is regenerated to accommodate the new situation.