Unity: Scriptable Object Indexing System
The asset indexing system is a little editor system I developed to cache references to scriptable objects into a serializable dictionary, for fast and easy access both in the editor and at runtime. I’ve used this system in all the asset projects I’ve released since I developed it and it has proven its worth. Its also the same system in all bar name that is used in the Common library’s data asset setup.
What it looks like
A few examples of what the indexes look like when populated. It uses a small serializable dictionary class that is pretty much a list of a serializeable keypair class which inherits from the normal dictionary class.
The key for each asset entry is its full name including the namespace. The value is then a list of the base class for a data asset, which is just a normal scriptable object inheriting class. I set it up as a list purely as there could be multiple of the same type.
The asset index object is stored in the resources folder to allow runtime access through static methods. As its only the single asset instead of all of them the performance impact in negligible.
The updating class
The class that updates the index runs when pre-builds and when you are about the enter play-mode to ensure the data is the most up-to date when you run the game project. With the additional option of using a menu item to update it manually if needed. A copy of the updater class below. NOTE: This class uses extension methods to make the editor API a bit shorter which is also shown below:
using System.Collections.Generic;
using UnityEditor;
using UnityEditor.Build;
using UnityEditor.Build.Reporting;
namespace CarterGames.Common.Editor
{
/// <summary>
/// Handles the setup of the asset index for runtime references to scriptable objects used for the asset.
/// </summary>
public sealed class AssetIndexHandler : IPreprocessBuildWithReport
{
/* āāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāā
| Fields
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private const string AssetFilter = "t:commonlibraryasset"; // Filters by the data asset base class.
/* āāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāā
| IPreprocessBuildWithReport Implementation
āāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāā */
/// <summary>
/// The order this script is processed in, in this case its the default.
/// </summary>
public int callbackOrder => 0;
/// <summary>
/// Runs before a build is executed.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="report">The report about the build (I don't need it, but its a param for the method).</param>
public void OnPreprocessBuild(BuildReport report)
{
UpdateIndex();
}
/* āāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāā
| Methods
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/// <summary>
/// Initializes the event subscription needed for this to work in editor.
/// </summary>
[InitializeOnLoadMethod]
private static void Initialize()
{
EditorApplication.update -= OnEditorUpdate;
EditorApplication.update += OnEditorUpdate;
}
/// <summary>
/// Runs when the editor has updated.
/// </summary>
private static void OnEditorUpdate()
{
// If the user is about to enter play-mode, update the index, otherwise leave it be.
if (!EditorApplication.isPlayingOrWillChangePlaymode || EditorApplication.isPlaying) return;
UpdateIndex();
}
/// <summary>
/// Updates the index with all the save manager asset scriptable objects in the project.
/// </summary>
[MenuItem("Tools/Carter Games/Common/Update Asset Index")]
public static void UpdateIndex()
{
var foundAssets = new List<CommonLibraryAsset>();
var asset = AssetDatabase.FindAssets(AssetFilter, null);
if (asset == null || asset.Length <= 0) return;
foreach (var assetInstance in asset)
{
var assetPath = AssetDatabase.GUIDToAssetPath(assetInstance);
var assetObj = (CommonLibraryAsset) AssetDatabase.LoadAssetAtPath(assetPath, typeof(CommonLibraryAsset));
// Doesn't include editor only or the index itself.
if (assetObj == null) continue;
if (assetObj.GetType() == typeof(CommonLibraryAssetIndex)) continue;
foundAssets.Add((CommonLibraryAsset) AssetDatabase.LoadAssetAtPath(assetPath, typeof(CommonLibraryAsset)));
}
var indexProp = new SerializedObject(UtilEditor.AssetIndex);
RemoveNullReferences(indexProp);
UpdateIndexReferences(foundAssets, indexProp);
indexProp.ApplyModifiedProperties();
indexProp.Update();
}
private static void RemoveNullReferences(SerializedObject indexProp)
{
for (var i = 0; i < indexProp.Fp("assets").Fpr("list").arraySize; i++)
{
var entry = indexProp.Fp("assets").Fpr("list").GetIndex(i);
var jIndexAdjustment = 0;
for (var j = 0; j < entry.Fpr("value").arraySize; j++)
{
if (entry.Fpr("value").GetIndex(j - jIndexAdjustment).objectReferenceValue != null) continue;
entry.Fpr("value").DeleteIndex(j);
jIndexAdjustment++;
}
}
}
private static void UpdateIndexReferences(IReadOnlyList<CommonLibraryAsset> foundAssets, SerializedObject indexProp)
{
for (var i = 0; i < foundAssets.Count; i++)
{
for (var j = 0; j < indexProp.Fp("assets").Fpr("list").arraySize; j++)
{
var entry = indexProp.Fp("assets").Fpr("list").GetIndex(j);
if (entry.Fpr("key").stringValue.Equals(foundAssets[i].GetType().ToString()))
{
for (var k = 0; k < entry.Fpr("value").arraySize; k++)
{
if (entry.Fpr("value").GetIndex(k).objectReferenceValue == foundAssets[i]) goto AlreadyExists;
}
entry.Fpr("value").InsertIndex(entry.Fpr("value").arraySize);
entry.Fpr("value").GetIndex(entry.Fpr("value").arraySize - 1).objectReferenceValue = foundAssets[i];
goto AlreadyExists;
}
}
indexProp.Fp("assets").Fpr("list").InsertIndex(indexProp.Fp("assets").Fpr("list").arraySize);
indexProp.Fp("assets").Fpr("list").GetIndex(indexProp.Fp("assets").Fpr("list").arraySize - 1).Fpr("key").stringValue = foundAssets[i].GetType().ToString();
if (indexProp.Fp("assets").Fpr("list").GetIndex(indexProp.Fp("assets").Fpr("list").arraySize - 1).Fpr("value").arraySize > 0)
{
indexProp.Fp("assets").Fpr("list").GetIndex(indexProp.Fp("assets").Fpr("list").arraySize - 1)
.Fpr("value").ClearArray();
}
indexProp.Fp("assets").Fpr("list").GetIndex(indexProp.Fp("assets").Fpr("list").arraySize - 1).Fpr("value").InsertIndex(0);
indexProp.Fp("assets").Fpr("list").GetIndex(indexProp.Fp("assets").Fpr("list").arraySize - 1)
.Fpr("value").GetIndex(0).objectReferenceValue = foundAssets[i];
AlreadyExists: ;
}
}
}
}The extension class that I use to make the editor API for serialized properties a little nicer:
using UnityEditor;
namespace CarterGames.Common.Editor
{
/// <summary>
/// A helper class to aid with editor scripting where the API is really wordy...
/// </summary>
public static class SerializedPropertyHelper
{
/// <summary>
/// Calls InsertArrayElementAtIndex()
/// </summary>
/// <param name="property">The property.</param>
/// <param name="index">The index.</param>
public static void InsertIndex(this SerializedProperty property, int index)
{
property.InsertArrayElementAtIndex(index);
}
/// <summary>
/// Calls DeleteArrayElementAtIndex()
/// </summary>
/// <param name="property">The property.</param>
/// <param name="index">The index.</param>
public static void DeleteIndex(this SerializedProperty property, int index)
{
property.DeleteArrayElementAtIndex(index);
}
/// <summary>
/// Calls GetArrayElementAtIndex()
/// </summary>
/// <param name="property">The property.</param>
/// <param name="index">The index.</param>
/// <returns>The property at the index entered.</returns>
public static SerializedProperty GetIndex(this SerializedProperty property, int index)
{
return property.GetArrayElementAtIndex(index);
}
/// <summary>
/// Calls FindProperty()
/// </summary>
/// <param name="serializedObject">The target object.</param>
/// <param name="propName">The name of the property.</param>
/// <returns>The found property.</returns>
public static SerializedProperty Fp(this SerializedObject serializedObject, string propName)
{
return serializedObject.FindProperty(propName);
}
/// <summary>
/// Calls FindPropertyRelative()
/// </summary>
/// <param name="property">The target property.</param>
/// <param name="propName">The name of the property.</param>
/// <returns>The found property.</returns>
public static SerializedProperty Fpr(this SerializedProperty property, string propName)
{
return property.FindPropertyRelative(propName);
}
}
}The asset index
This is the class that handles storing the assets for use. The SerializableDictionary is a class that I use can be found here: https://github.com/CarterGames/Common/tree/main/Code/Runtime/Serialization/Dictionary.
using System.Collections.Generic;
using CarterGames.Common.General;
using UnityEngine;
namespace CarterGames.Common
{
public sealed class CommonLibraryAssetIndex : CommonLibraryAsset
{
/* āāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāā
| Fields
āāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāā */
[SerializeField] private SerializableDictionary<string, List<CommonLibraryAsset>> assets;
/* āāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāā
| Properties
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/// <summary>
/// A lookup of all the assets in the project that can be used at runtime.
/// </summary>
public SerializableDictionary<string, List<CommonLibraryAsset>> Lookup => assets;Accessing data
To access the data I use a accessor class. The class caches a reference to the index scriptable object from the resources folder for use. From there I just look through the dictionary for the class type as a key and return the data stored. An example of the class here:
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using UnityEngine;
namespace CarterGames.Common
{
public static class CommonAssetAccessor
{
/* āāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāā
| Fields
āāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāā */
private const string IndexPath = "Asset Index";
// A cache of all the assets found...
private static CommonLibraryAssetIndex indexCache;
/* āāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāā
| Properties
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/// <summary>
/// Gets all the assets from the build versions asset...
/// </summary>
public static CommonLibraryAssetIndex Index
{
get
{
if (indexCache != null) return indexCache;
indexCache = (CommonLibraryAssetIndex) Resources.Load(IndexPath, typeof(CommonLibraryAssetIndex));
return indexCache;
}
}
/* āāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāā
| Methods
āāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāāā */
/// <summary>
/// Gets the Save Manager Asset requested.
/// </summary>
/// <typeparam name="T">The save manager asset to get.</typeparam>
/// <returns>The asset if it exists.</returns>
public static T GetAsset<T>() where T : CommonLibraryAsset
{
if (Index.Lookup.ContainsKey(typeof(T).ToString()))
{
return (T)Index.Lookup[typeof(T).ToString()][0];
}
return null;
}
/// <summary>
/// Gets the Save Manager Asset requested.
/// </summary>
/// <typeparam name="T">The save manager asset to get.</typeparam>
/// <returns>The asset if it exists.</returns>
public static List<T> GetAssets<T>() where T : CommonLibraryAsset
{
if (Index.Lookup.ContainsKey(typeof(T).ToString()))
{
return Index.Lookup[typeof(T).ToString()].Cast<T>().ToList();
}
return null;
}
}
}Can I use this?
Of-course you can. The system is built-in to the common library which is the best way to use this system. Each of my assets also use it but their implementations are focused on the asset itself and is not intended for the dev using it as well. See more on the library here: https://carter.games/common