Can I access a script referenced in another script (without getcomponent)?

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I am trying to limit the amount of "getcomponent" calls I use.

I have 4 scripts that need to talk to each other. First is a weapon script (called firearm) which simply fires the next available projectile, second is projectileList which manages all of the projectiles in the scene via a generic list and assigns one to a variable (called currentProjectile) ready to be fired by the weapon script. Next is the script on the actual projectiles themselves, projectileDecals, this references all the necessary child scripts one of which is a standard particleEmitter (the fourth script).

From the firearm script I need to be able to access not only the projectile being fired (which I already can) but also its child scripts like the particleEmitter. But when from the firearm script I try to access the reference I made in the projectile (projectileDecals script) to its particleEmitter for example it does not work. This is strange because I can access components such as the projectiles transform, rigidbody etc the same way, just not the referenced particleEmitter (see the FireOneShot function below). Do I need to make a new direct reference to it in firearm script itself? Because that would mean I would have to use getcomponent each time for every new projectile which I am trying to avoid.

Answer 1

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Answer by Fattie · May 19, 2013 at 02:32 PM

it's no problem at all to get one from another,

for example, in GrandMaster

 @System.NonSerialized
 var brain:MyAIRoutine;
 @System.NonSerialized
 var size:float;

You would find "brain" in the normal way using something like ..

 brain = GameObject.Find(" something ").GetComponent(MyAIRoutine);

then in another script, you can (if you want) simply get -- or indeed, just use -- "brain"

So in ScriptBB

 @System.NonSerialized
 var myBoss:GrandMaster;

So, you establish "myBoss" using find, etc.

then, anywhere you want in ScriptBB, you can just refer to myBoss.brain

that will take you "on to" the "MyAIRoutine" system.

  myBoss.brain.explode();
  myBoss.brain.limits = 1.32;

recall that similarly you can use "ordinary" variables in myBoss

  myBoss.size = 12inches;

no problem, right?

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Hamesh81 · May 19, 2013 at 02:50 PM 0

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I thought this was exactly the case, why is it though that I can't access the particleEmitter but have no trouble getting the transform, rigidbody components etc!? I have spent the last two days staring at that one line in my script (function FireOneShot), and trying different ways to access it. Can you see any mistakes at all in the code I posted above, because I really don't know where I'm making the mistake.

Fattie · May 19, 2013 at 03:05 PM 0

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you forgot

@System.NonSerialized

always use it. never, ever use the "editor inspector setting" thing in Unity

Hamesh81 · May 19, 2013 at 03:31 PM 0

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Sorry what do you mean by "editor inspector setting", dragging and dropping for public variables? I also tried @System.NonSerialized but it only unassigned all of my public variables. I personally prefer dragging and dropping to using GameObject.Find, I thought it was better for performance reasons since GameObject.Find is quite slow. Did you find anything else wrong with my scripts apart from that? I've thoroughly checked all the script references and I can see all of them getting assigned at runtime. Appreciate your time and help so far.

Fattie · May 19, 2013 at 03:36 PM 0

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"I personally prefer dragging and dropping"

Fine --no problem

could you just say WHAT IS NOT WORKING, which one variable is not working, me or someone will try to spot the woe.

Hamesh81 · May 19, 2013 at 04:00 PM 0

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Sure, in the firearm script, function FireOneShot, you will see that I access the transform and rigidbody of the currentProjectile (this has the script projectileDecals attached directly to it) which is a public gameobject assigned in the projectileList script. Accessing these components works without issues, but when I try to access the particle emitter component referenced as trailParticleEmitter (in projectileDecals) it cannot find it. That is the problem.

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Answer 2

Answer by Eric5h5 · May 19, 2013 at 08:22 PM

Using GetComponent is not a big deal. Don't make your code a mess trying to avoid it; it's not even slightly worth it. Just don't use strings.

 // Wrong:
 projectileList = projectileManager.GetComponent("ProjectileList"); 

 // Right:
 projectileList = projectileManager.GetComponent(ProjectileList);

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Fattie · May 19, 2013 at 08:38 PM 0

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yes, yes, yes .. exactly. Well said.

Hamesh81 · May 20, 2013 at 05:41 AM 0

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What about in the case of firing projectiles/bullets? I'll be firing them at up to 1200 rounds per minute (20 times per second) which would mean using getcomponent for each round. Isn't that unnecessarily heavy?

Since I'm not instantiating but rather reusing a pool of projectiles, I thought I would save some runtime computing by referencing the components before hand.

Eric5h5 · May 20, 2013 at 05:56 AM 0

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As I said, GetComponent really is not a big deal, but it's highly unlikely you want to actually be using so many GameObjects, even if you are pooling them. GetComponent is the least of your worries. It's much more common to do raycasting and basically "pretend" to be firing bullets. Games are all smoke and mirrors.

Fattie · May 20, 2013 at 05:58 AM 0

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Well you have to do that with a pool .. you just have a number of Lists tht point to all the different aspects of the bullets.

so you'd have a List that points directly to the transform on each one, another List that points directly to the SmashManager script on each one, another List that points directly to the collider on each one, and so on.

Say you're programming along and you find, oh, I need to use the -whatever- on the bullets, just go back to the pool script and add another List that keeps track of all of that item on the bullets.

So maybe that's what you're asking here? You just have a separate List (NOTE - DON'T USE ARRAY) for each and every thing you use on the bullet pool.

I've explained this unbelievably boring and singularly uninteresting topic at length here, it includes full code examples ...

http://answers.unity3d.com/questions/321762/how-to-assign-variable-to-a-prefabs-child.html

Please vote that answer up as it's annoyingly stuck on 25 and I need MOAR POINTS MAN

Fattie · May 20, 2013 at 08:45 AM 1

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now you're having high-level meetings on projectile strategy dude, and you can't get freaking getComponent working :)

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Answer 3

Answer by MaDDoX · May 20, 2013 at 06:16 AM

Maybe a silly question, but have you tried: trail.gameObject.GetComponent(ParticleEmitter); ?

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Hamesh81 · May 20, 2013 at 08:43 AM 0

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No not yet, because I'm only accessing a reference to the particle emitter. The script where I actually use getcomponent to make the reference is assigning the script fine at runtime, I can check because the variable is public.

Answer 4

Answer by TheRichardGamer · May 29, 2013 at 04:50 PM

You can try this:

var myScript : monobehaviour;

//Down below shows on how you can access the script's variables.

myScript.myVariable = true;

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Answer 5

Answer by Mill0698 · May 29, 2013 at 05:38 PM

Perhaps create a public static variable? maybe i read you question wrong

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Can I access a script referenced in another script (without getcomponent)?

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