access to VFXRenderer

Hi,
How can I access VFXRenderer class from my code? It seems that it isn't available due its protection level. I want to be able to iterate over GameObject renderers that I am getting like this:

.GetComponentsInChildren<Renderer>();

and do something for VFXRenderer specifically.

 

This is currently a problem for us. I have a custom culling group script that needs to get all ParticleSystemRenderer + all VFXRenderer in order to filter out every other types of renderer. I need to know the exact type of the object I'm analyzing at runtime.

Let's say we have many complex prefabs. Some contains multiple meshRenderer for the visual, additional meshRenderer for the Outline, some ParticleSystemRender and of course, some VisualEffectGraph renderer. How would you get a list containing exclusively ParticleSystemRender + VFXRenderer if you don't expose all types?

Thank you!

 

I'm having a similar issue to gsylvain. I need to omit/ignore the VFX Renderers I'm getting when I call GetComponentInChildren for renderers. Can you recommend a way around this odd limitation?

EDIT: For any future travelers, here's the workaround: renderer.GetType().Name != "VFXRenderer"

 

Ran into the same problem as above as well. I have some complicated property block code that needs to ignore Particle Systems and these type of protection level decisions make our codebase slower and messier.

 

I am having the same issue. From the API perspective there is no reason the VFXRenderer class shouldn't be accessible just like MeshRenderer, SkinnedMeshRenderer, TrailRenderer, and so on. There are many use cases for having visibility of this class that don't involve modifying its internal members.

 

Yeah, same problem here. I have a script that should replace all materials on renderers that are not VFXRenderer, but I cannot make the check.



My workaround:

Code (CSharp):

1. for (var i = 0; i < _renderers.Count; i++) {
2.   var renderer = _renderers[i];
3.   // NOTE: Render is of type Unity.VFXRenderer, but this is not public.
4.   if (renderer.TryGetComponent<VisualEffect>(out _)) {
5.     continue;
6.   }
7.   var c = renderer.gameObject.AddComponent<ColorFlashController>();
8.   c.Initialize(renderer, hitFlashMaterial);
9.   _colorFlashControllers.Add(c);
10. }

This type should be public (and potentially visible in the inspector).

 

It seems this is fixed in 2023.1.0a11.

https://github.com/Unity-Technologi.../ScriptBindings/VisualEffect.bindings.cs#L601

 

@JulienF_Unity Can we please have this in Unity 2022?

 

Other possible workaround:

Code (CSharp):

1.     // https://forum.unity.com/threads/access-to-vfxrenderer.920966/
2.     public static readonly Type VFXRendererType = typeof(VisualEffect).Assembly.GetType(
3.       "UnityEngine.VFX.VFXRenderer"
4.     );
5.  
6. // ...
7.  
8.       // Get renderers.
9.       _renderers = ListPool<Renderer>.Get();
10.       GetComponentsInChildren(includeInactive: true, _renderers);
11.       _renderers.RemoveAll(r => r.GetType() == VisualEffectUtility.VFXRendererType);