Category: Update

Common Library

by Jonathanin Game Development, News, UpdateLeave a Comment on Common Library

Common Library

, ,

A new release of my personal code library that I’ve been using in some assets and had public for a while.

What is this?

The common library contains a load of useful scripts for game development in Unity. Previously known as Scarlet Library. I’ve been adding to it as and when I found a feature I needed, wrote a solution for and found that I could use in other projects. Some bits are complete systems to aid with a specific problems while others are just helpers to save writing loads of lines of code. The library is a work in progress and will have some scripts not written fully occasionally in the code. But features are tested before they are added so it should be stable enough to use in projects.

Used in assets

I’ve been using some of this library in the asset store updates I’ve been making recently. You’ll notice the events system & serializable dictionary are in the latest Save Manager updates for example. I also use the same settings setup for storing the settings for the library as I do with assets.

Get the library

Only on GitHub: https://github.com/CarterGames/Common

Key elements

Some of the key features of the library so far include:

Data Setup
A setup that allows you to reference a scriptable object at runtime without a direct inspector reference. Handy if you are working with a lot of data. You just inherit from a base class that is just a standard scriptable object and your good to go.

Events System
A well used system that essentially just handles unsubscribing from a standard system action when you subscribe to it, helping to avoid over-subscription by mistake. The system also allow you to add identifies to anonymous listeners so you can remove them as well when needed if you don’t want to match the method params for the event etc.

Runtime Timers
A handy setup to let you run logic after some time. Can be used even in static classes without any issues. Handy if you can’t write a coroutine or just want some logic to run after a short pause.

Game Ticks
A handy optimisation feature that lets you run logic on update but not every frame. By listening to the tick instead you get updates every x frames instead of every frame. Helping with performance. You can use a global tick or instantiate instances for different systems.

Custom Time
Make instances of time, instead of using delta time for everything, you can set systems to use a custom time setup. Making things like pausing your game trivial without needed to pause the global timescale for everything and running into further issues due to that.

Random
A system to help generate random numbers, with options to choose a provided from Unity Random.Range, System Random and Alea PRNG.

Referencing
A handy helper setup to reference object in a scene or all scenes. Also comes with a CacheRef class to help making properties that are ensuring a reference is made if one isn’t already. Saving some typing.

Static Instancing
Love it or hate it, its handy to have some things static. You can have a class have a static reference without the whole class being static, use a base singleton class or run coroutines from a static instead generated at runtime.

Hierarchy Headers
A small editor tool to add header/separators to your hierarchy. These are really clean and easy to setup, making it easy to organize your hierarchy.

Panels
An easy way to have a popup in your game. Just inherit from panel and you’ll have ways to listen to when the panel is opened/closed and be able to track all open panels in your game.

And lots more!

There is a lot more to the library including extension methods galore, string formatting help and more. But if was to cover every script I’d be hear like all day writing this post. There is documentation some systems, but as this library is still in development, only some sections have links to documentation. When the library hits 1.x all setups will have docs, but its takes a while to write it so bare with as it gets written.

I am still working on Audio Manager 3.x as well. Currently testing to core logic as I refactored how it worked to accommodate different playing options for groups. I have also got some life admin to do over the next week or so as my car broke downā€¦ A bit stressful to deal with so I’ve been taking it easy the last week or so. But Still hoping to reach that end of September deadline if I canā€¦.

I’ll update you’ll soon on the progress of the Audio Manager update when I have more the share. Speak to y’all soon

J,

Quick Tools Update

by Jonathanin UpdateLeave a Comment on Quick Tools Update

Quick Tools Update

Hi all,

Just a quick update to let you all know that it is likely that the Audio Manager release will be delayed a tad. Currently its got a few major development hoops to get through and Iā€™ve not had a massive amount of free time to work on the asset. I will try to avoid any massive delay, but I cannot grantee that it will be ready by the end of August at this time. At-least, not without cutting major features that were in the old 2.x version. Iā€™ll update you all on any updates to a release window as and when, but its now likely to be in September instead of August.

Today Iā€™ve been back-porting a fix to the asset indexing system, used in Save Manager & Build Versions currently. There was a bug with its initialization causing overriding assets to be generated when you already had them in the project. So youā€™d lose settings & data. This should now be resolved in 2.0.9 & 1.1.6 respectively which are both out on Git & Itch with the asset store early next week.

J,

Save Manager (2.0.9)

Github: https://github.com/CarterGames/SaveManager/releases/tag/2.0.9

Itchio: https://carter-games.itch.io/unity-asset-save-manager

Asset Store: https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/tools/utilities/save-manager-cg-176437

Build Versions (1.1.6)

Github: https://github.com/CarterGames/BuildVersions/releases/tag/1.1.6

Itchio: https://carter-games.itch.io/build-versions

Asset Store: https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/tools/version-control/build-versions-cg-205184

Audio Manager 3.x Progress

by Jonathanin Asset Store, UpdateLeave a Comment on Audio Manager 3.x Progress

Audio Manager 3.x Progress

,

Its been a while since I updated you all on the progress so far. So far the progress has been good. So here’s how things are shaping up:

Library Editor

Library Tab

The main library tab of the library editor has had a few changes to it. The main layout hasn’t changed much since I last showed it, but there are some subtle changes.

  • Update clips struct button, lets you update the Clip.??? struct with the latest data. You can edit the keys for the clips in this version so the entries in the struct need updating often. This is one feature I’ve yet to work out a good way to automate. So for now it and any other struct will have manual updates with the exception of when a new clip is scanned where it will happen automatically.
  • Clip Dynamic time preview. I’ve managed to actually draw on the waveform the time currently set for the dynamic start time. This system still needs work to make it more user friendly, but visually its where I wanted it to be.
  • Hints, these are on each main button and can be toggled in the asset settings. They are just to aid with new users to help them understand what important buttons do.

Groups Tab

The groups tab has been updated with some extra buttons and has been fixed up. Previously editing any clip would only edit the last one in the list and there were some issues with keeping the data in sync with the library asset in the project. This tab has the same struct generation button which you’ll see in all the tabs and will update the Group.??? struct.

Mixer Tab

The mixer tab is legit just a button to update the Mixer.??? struct & a button to access the mixer in the project. I have attempted to add the inspector of the mixer to the tab. However it didn’t really play ball. So for now its just a link to the asset in the project with room to extended it down the line.

Music Tab

This is still in development as I’ve only just started the music side of the new version as of writing. So it has the music struct button for Track.??? but nothing else at the moment as I work out how its all going to work xD

Music Management

Like with the audio manager in 3.x, the music setup is going to work mostly if not entirely static. The idea is to allow for a modular setup with the option to transition between tracks. Setup layed tracks which you can sync & transition between as well as playlists etc. Still need to work out the particulars, but it should be good if it all comes out as planned. I may also have a component for use in scenes to set some of this up. But its likely to be mostly a code based solution this time around for the flexibility.

That’s about it for now, so far its on track for end of August, but we’ll see how I do over the next month or so. I’ll post another update when its near release.

May 2023 Update

by Jonathanin UpdateLeave a Comment on May 2023 Update

May 2023 Update

Its been about a month since my last update post. So its about time I updated you all on developments over the last few weeks. Starting on from the last post withā€¦

Save Manager 2.x

As you will have seen by now, the new Save Manager has been released! So far so good. There hasnā€™t been any major problems from what I can tell so far as Iā€™ve been using it in my personal projects to handle save data there. I have made a few minor updates to the asset since launch to fix some minor issues, most of which didnā€™t actually break anything. But they would throw some console messages which could confuse users.

As of writing the asset is on version 2.0.4. Some improvements were also made such as an option to hide the save keys for induvidual save values, reducing the clutter on the save editor. As well as a fix to allow the demo logic to be totally removed from the asset without any errors occurring. Before there was a direct type reference in the save editor window logic to determine if it would show the demo save object data. This has been changed to a type string comparison to fix the issue.

There are plans for some further QOL & feature updates in the future, such as save slots & a better API to allow for custom encryption options. These will be worked on once I get some time to look into it.

You can get the new Save Manager here:

Whatā€™s Next?

It wonā€™t be a surprise to those who read the year in review for 2022 or been following on the socials, that the next main project is the Audio Manager update. Like the Save Manager, it is getting a rewrite in the backend. This is mostly due to the 2.xā€™s setup not being easy to update for the new features & setup I want to implement next.

The current plan is to have this update out by the end of August. Similar to the deadline of April I gave myself for the Save Manager. So 4 months to fully develop & release the asset update. Now this isnā€™t a flexible deadline and may change if its just not ready in time. Likewise, if it is ready earlier than planned then itā€™ll release early. Iā€™ll post updates with progress and a release date nearer the time as well.

Functionally the Audio Manager wonā€™t change much for the end user, but behind the scenes a lot of work is going to be done to make it just a lot easier to use. Some of these include:

  • Automatic Library Management
    • Youā€™ll no longer need to manually scan for clips via and inspector or anything. When you import audio, the manager will find a process it automatically for you. There will be an option to manually scan still if needed. This also makes the setup simpler which is a bonus!
  • Static Audio Manager
    • While having the option of an instanced manager can be handy, 99% of the time it wonā€™t be needed. So in 3.x the whole system is static. So no need to use ā€œinstanceā€ when calling for audio to play.
  • New Library Window
    • While 2.x had a basic library editor for each audio manager file. 3.x will have a proper editor window with all the settings you need. You can even change the key of the clip! It also has a search option to search through the entire library and select any clip with ease.
  • Helper Structs
    • A new system for 3.x that will make typoā€™s a thing of the past. Instead of calling ā€œAudioManager.Play(ā€MyClipā€)ā€ youā€™ll be able to call a helper class called ā€œClipā€ to let you select the clip with intellisense. So that same call becomes ā€œAudioManager.Play(Clip.MyClip)ā€. There are other helper structs for groups and mixers as well.
  • Grouping
    • Speaking of groups, youā€™ll be able to group clips together in the audio library and call for a clip from that group to play. Handle if you have a lot of variations or want to play a clip from a range of options.
  • Dynamic Start Time
    • An experimental feature that tries to guess when the clip actually starts playing audio at a loud enough volume. Then sets the clip to start just before then instead of at 0. You can toggle the feature on/off globally, per clip in the library or via the method call itself. Youā€™ll also be able to adjust the settings to get a better guess time in the audio library.

Currently it is still early days and some of these features may change a tad. One thing I mentioned in my last post was a method chaining API for calling audio to play. Sadly Iā€™ve had to scrap this, but Iā€™m still working to make the API better as a whole. The amount of methods in 2.x was a bit much, so Iā€™ll be consolidating and using a better base method to avoid issues with call parameters.

Overall the idea is to build upon 2.xā€™s success with new QOL features & automation where possible. The music side of things is in the air at the moment, as Iā€™ve always struggled with a good generic solution for it. But if all goes well Iā€™ll have a little time to research something for that. Iā€™ve already had a few suggestions for it which I have noted down.

Other Projects

As mentioned in my last post. Iā€™m also working on a personal project as well to kind of replicate P5ā€™s turn based combat into a small demo game of just that mechanic. This is entirely for portfolioā€™s sake as itā€™ll make for a strong project that I can talk about in detail with a lot of systems. It also makes a good testbed for these asset updates. Save Manager 2.x was tested in the project to make sure it was all working before release and Audio Manager 3.x will get the same testing as and when its at that stage. That project is going well at the moment and I juggle my time between both it and the active Carter Games project to keep it fresh.

Organisation

This week I spent an evening or two organising the mess that was the Carter Games Notion. I legit didnā€™t use it as it was such a mess to find anything. With the new setup I will be using it a lot more. While its not something you see much, it does help to have a goal in mind and to write down tasks so you know where youā€™re at and what is left to do. Below is the Audio Manager task board for example:

The new structure has goals as ā€œEpicsā€ which then have ā€œTasksā€ to complete. Epics & Tasks are linked to ā€œProjectsā€ which hold branding, links & anything else specific to that project on them. Even this blog post is been written in Notion under the new Marketing section xD

Website & Socials

A little heads up that I plan to change up the discord a tad at sometime. Mostly just removing bloat channels and making super simple. Its not used that much anyways and I want to have a place for update notifications for assets/games as well as the general news/announcements section.

Iā€™ve also slowly been updating the documentation for all the assets to the new docs setup on the website. Iā€™m mostly there at this point with Leaderboard Manager being the only asset to fully update. Iā€™m hoping to have that all done at some point xD

So yea, thatā€™s about it for this post. Long story short; a lot going on behind the scenes xD Iā€™ll post another update around the end of June with progress if there is enough to share.

Website Updates & Releases Soon

by Jonathanin Asset Store, UpdateLeave a Comment on Website Updates & Releases Soon

This is just a post to update you all on what I’ve been up to over the last few weeks with both the website & some of the asset store assets. Its not been too long since my last post but I did want to update you one the website changes and the progress of the Save Manager mainly.

Website Changes

The biggest and change that you would’ve seen is the new navigation menu setup. I’ve gone ahead and expanded it to have links to all major products currently active. The reason for this was to help indicate to visitors that there were extra pages for assets / games etc. As the homepage doesn’t illude to this too well. The sub menus also include Scarlet Library under the resources section. This being a code library I’m slowly working on for Unity which houses scripts I use between projects. It is well overdue an update when I get the main goals for this year done.

The other main change is more subtle unless you’ve tried to access some of the assets documentation. As the documentation for some assets have been ported to the website, instead of being an embed of a html export from Notion which it was before. The biggest upside to this is the ability to search the documentation! The solution isn’t perfect, as I’d like the option to add a landing page for each docs but otherwise this is much better than the other idea I was trying and mentioned in my last post. Below is a screenshot of the Mutli-Scene docs as they appear on the site now (https://carter.games/docs/multiscene/):

The only other website changes are in the backend, which should improve the sites performance a tad. The site isn’t on an expensive dedicated web hosting provider so it will be a little slower due to that, but its cheap and works which is ideal for me now.

Save Manager

I have good news in regards to the Save Manager, I’ve finally hit a release candidate for the assets version 2.0.0 release. I’ve been spending the last few weeks working out the bugs as best as I can and automating where possible. It’s a good thing I did this as a large chunk of the asset was not working as intended or was fundamentally flawed. Using my side project to test it, I have managed to get it initializing correctly when imported and updating when new save assets are added. On top of this I had to do a lot of trial and error to get the web builds working, but it does thankfully work.

I expect that asset will be out by the end of the month (ish). I’ve still got the write the documentation and check over the code one more time to remove any redundant logic and improve the API for usage where possible. But I should be on track to roughly hit that goal if I keep at it over the next few weeks when I get time.

Build Versions

Some of you may have noticed some minor releases to Build Versions over last week. This was just to fix up some issues the asset was having with getting assets in the resources folder mainly. There is another update coming this week which changes up the date field in the information asset to use a custom class instead of a string, which should help with regional differences with the date. An example of how it looks now:

That’s it for this update. Hopefully more around the end of the month with the Save Manager release!