Changing Object Colour

I am working on a matching game and have been able to lay out everything as I want it and have created an array of objects to hold their attributes. However, now I am stuck. I want to be able to change the colour of the objects on the screen. I am using a simple Mario image found on google, and have looked up and found a number of different answers, however, I have had no success. At this point only the default Sprite Renderer is attached and I have not changed any settings.

Here is the code I have been working with.

Code (CSharp):

1. using System.Collections;
2. using System.Collections.Generic;
3. using UnityEngine;
4.  
5. public class GameSetup : MonoBehaviour {
6.  
7.     public int boxX = 200;
8.     public int boxY = 275;
9.  
10.     public int marioX = 200;
11.     public int marioY = 275;
12.  
13.     public int numBlue = 0;
14.     public int numRed = 0;
15.     public int numGreen = 0;
16.  
17.     public int numObjects = 9;
18.  
19.     public GameObject[] boxes;
20.     public GameObject box;
21.  
22.     public GameObject[] marios;
23.     public GameObject mario;
24.  
25.     public Color[] pickColour;
26.  
27.     void Start() {
28.         //SetColours ();
29.         PlaceBoxes ();
30.         PlaceMarios ();
31.     }
32.  
33.     public void SetColours(){
34.         pickColour = new Color[numObjects];
35.         for(int i = 0; i < numObjects; i++){
36.             int ranNum = Random.Range (1,5);
37.             if (ranNum == 1){
38.                 if (numBlue <= 3){
39.                     numBlue += 1;
40.                     pickColour[i] = Color.blue;
41.                     print (i + " = blue");
42.                 }
43.                 else{
44.                     i -= 1;
45.                 }
46.             }
47.             else if (ranNum == 2){
48.                 if (numRed <= 3){
49.                     numRed += 1;
50.                     pickColour[i] = Color.red;
51.                     print (i + " = red");
52.                 }
53.                 else{
54.                     i -= 1;
55.                 }
56.             }
57.             else if (ranNum == 3){
58.                 if (numGreen <= 3){
59.                     numGreen += 1;
60.                     pickColour[i] = Color.green;
61.                     print (i + " = green");
62.                 }
63.                 else{
64.                     i -= 1;
65.                 }
66.             }
67.             else if (ranNum == 4){
68.                 i -= 1;
69.             }
70.         }
71.     }
72.  
73.     public void PlaceBoxes(){
74.         boxes = new GameObject[numObjects];
75.         for (int i = 0; i < numObjects; i++){
76.             if (i < 3) {
77.                 GameObject placeB = Instantiate (box, new Vector3 (boxX,boxY,10f), Quaternion.identity);
78.                 boxes[i] = placeB;
79.                 boxX += 100;
80.                 if (i == 2){
81.                     boxY -= 100;
82.                     boxX -= 300;
83.                 }
84.             }
85.             else if (i >= 3 && i <= 5) {
86.                 GameObject placeB = Instantiate (box, new Vector3 (boxX,boxY,10f), Quaternion.identity);
87.                 boxes[i] = placeB;
88.                 boxX += 100;
89.                 if (i == 5){
90.                     boxY -= 100;
91.                     boxX -= 300;
92.                 }
93.             }
94.             else if (i > 5) {
95.                 GameObject placeB = Instantiate (box, new Vector3 (boxX,boxY,10f), Quaternion.identity);
96.                 boxes[i] = placeB;
97.                 boxX += 100;
98.             }
99.         }
100.     }
101.  
102.     public void PlaceMarios ()
103.     {
104.         marios = new GameObject[numObjects];
105.         for (int i = 0; i < numObjects; i++) {
106.             if (i < 3) {
107.                 GameObject placeM = Instantiate (mario, new Vector3 (marioX, marioY, -1f), Quaternion.identity);
108.                 marios [i] = placeM;
109.                 marioX += 100;
110.                 if (i == 2){
111.                     marioY -= 100;
112.                     marioX -= 300;
113.                 }
114.             }
115.             else if (i >= 3 && i <= 5){
116.                 GameObject placeM = Instantiate (mario, new Vector3 (marioX, marioY, -1f), Quaternion.identity);
117.                 marios [i] = placeM;
118.                 marioX += 100;
119.                 if (i == 5){
120.                     marioY -= 100;
121.                     marioX -= 300;
122.                 }
123.             }
124.             else if (i > 5){
125.                 GameObject placeM = Instantiate (mario, new Vector3 (marioX, marioY, -1f), Quaternion.identity);
126.                 marios [i] = placeM;
127.                 marioX += 100;
128.             }
129.         }
130.         //SetColours ();
131.     }
132. }
133.  

Code (CSharp):

1. using System.Collections;
2. using System.Collections.Generic;
3. using UnityEngine;
4.  
5. public class SetColours : GameSetup {
6.  
7.     //Renderer rend;
8.  
9.     void Start () {
10.         //rend = GetComponent<Renderer>();
11.     }
12.    
13.     // Update is called once per frame
14.     void Update () {
15.        
16.     }
17.  
18.     public void SetColour(){
19.         for (int i = 0; i <= numObjects; i++){
20.             //rend.material.SetColor ("_Colour", pickColour[i]);
21.             transform.GetComponent<Renderer> ().material.color = pickColour[i];
22.         }
23.  
24.     }
25. }
26.  

 

You likely want set material color of the object.
https://docs.unity3d.com/ScriptReference/Material.SetColor.html

 

Ok, so I have played around with the code, but I am running into two issues. The first may be because I do not fully understand what is happening. When I run the code fully the colour changes to a dark almost black colour. But if I remove the last two lines the colour changes to pink. Not exactly sure why that is happening.

The second issue is I have created 9 pictures based on a prefab. I have kept each object in an array of Objects and I have the colours selected in an array of Colors. However I am not sure have to combine them.

 

Pink color is used typically, when no color exists. For example is invalid.
Regarding Color the part you may be confused, is the values of colors, providing you not using presets colors, like Color.red, Color.green etc.
If you set any of RGB or RGBA values to 255, the color may be not accepted.
Just in case, any color and alpha range should be float 0.0f to 1.0f.

Code (CSharp):

1. //Attach this script to a GameObject that has a Renderer component
2.  
3. using UnityEngine;
4.  
5. public class Example : MonoBehaviour
6. {
7.     void Start()
8.     {
9.         //Fetch the Renderer from the GameObject
10.         Renderer rend = GetComponent<Renderer>();
11.  
12.         //Set the main Color of the Material to green
13.         rend.material.shader = Shader.Find("_Color");
14.         rend.material.SetColor("_Color", Color.green);
15.  
16.         //Find the Specular shader and change its Color to red
17.         rend.material.shader = Shader.Find("Specular");
18.         rend.material.SetColor("_SpecColor", Color.red);
19.     }
20. }

In start, keep for testing purpose

Code (CSharp):

1. Renderer rend = GetComponent<Renderer>();

and

Code (CSharp):

1. rend.material.SetColor("_Color", Color.green);

Remove, or comment out the rest.
For now, ignore shader. Normally you wont need it for simple color change.
If that fails, try replace SetColor attributes with

Code (CSharp):

1. rend.material.SetColor("_Albedo", Color.green);

Is the property name used in shaders for base material colors.

Tell me if you managed to get anywhere with that.

 

Ok, so there is some progress. However, I am still a little confused. It is changing the color of the picture to green. However, it is not changing the color of all of the other objects that are made from the prefab. This my code as it stands now. Also, just an FYI, when I try changing the color from green to an element from my array it does not work.

Code (CSharp):

1. using System.Collections;
2. using System.Collections.Generic;
3. using UnityEngine;
4.  
5. public class SetColours : GameSetup {
6.  
7.     public GameObject[] marios;
8.     public GameObject mario;
9.  
10.     public int boxX = 200;
11.     public int boxY = 275;
12.  
13.     void Start () {
14.         Renderer rend = GetComponent<Renderer>();
15.         rend.material.SetColor("_Color", Color.green);
16.         SetupColours ();
17.         PlaceBoxes ();
18.         PlaceMarios ();
19.     }
20.  
21.     public void PlaceMarios ()
22.     {
23.         print("Hello");
24.         //Renderer rend = GetComponent<Renderer>();
25.         marios = new GameObject[numObjects];
26.         for (int i = 0; i < numObjects; i++) {
27.             if (i < 3) {
28.                 //rend.material.shader = Shader.Find("_Color");
29.                 //rend.material.SetColor("_Color", pickColour[i]);
30.                 GameObject placeM = Instantiate (mario, new Vector3 (boxX, boxY, -1f), Quaternion.identity);
31.  
32.                 marios [i] = placeM;
33.                 boxX += 100;
34.                 if (i == 2){
35.                     boxY -= 100;
36.                     boxX -= 300;
37.                 }
38.             }
39.             else if (i >= 3 && i <= 5){
40.                 GameObject placeM = Instantiate (mario, new Vector3 (boxX, boxY, -1f), Quaternion.identity);
41.                 marios [i] = placeM;
42.                 //rend.material.shader = Shader.Find("_Color");
43.                 //rend.material.SetColor("_Color", pickColour[i]);
44.                 boxX += 100;
45.                 if (i == 5){
46.                     boxY -= 100;
47.                     boxX -= 300;
48.                 }
49.             }
50.             else if (i > 5){
51.                 GameObject placeM = Instantiate (mario, new Vector3 (boxX, boxY, -1f), Quaternion.identity);
52.                 //rend.material.shader = Shader.Find("_Color");
53.                 //rend.material.SetColor("_Color", pickColour[i]);
54.                 marios [i] = placeM;
55.                 boxX += 100;
56.             }
57.         }
58.     }
59. }
60.  

 

So if I understand, you want set mario color, as prefab, from which you later make copies.

You need modify line 14 from

Code (CSharp):

1. Renderer rend = GetComponent<Renderer>();

to

Code (CSharp):

1. Renderer rend = mario.GetComponent <Renderer>() ;

Basically

Code (CSharp):

1. Renderer rend = GetComponent<Renderer>();

is equivalent to

Code (CSharp):

1. Renderer rend = this.GetComponent<Renderer>();

Where this is a reference, to an instantiated class SetColours.
Is expecting to have Renderer with material.
You don't have any error by any chance?

 

When I change the code as suggested, the prefabs do not display and I get the following error:
Not allowed to access Renderer.material on prefab object. Use Renderer.sharedMaterial instead
UnityEngine.Renderer:get_material()
SetColours:Start() (at Assets/Scripts/SetColours.cs:15)

 

Try out of interest

Code (CSharp):

1. MeshRendererrend = mario.GetComponent <MeshRenderer> () ;

If that fails, try change

Code (CSharp):

1. rend.material.SetColor("_Color", Color.green);

to

Code (CSharp):

1. Material mat = rend.material ;
2. mat.SetColor("_Color", Color.green);

See where we get with it.

 

I got it. I added the following function and it seems to work perfectly.

Code (CSharp):

1.     public void ColourMario(){
2.         for(int i = 0; i < numObjects; i++){
3.             Renderer rend = marios[i].GetComponent <Renderer>();
4.             rend.material.SetColor ("_Color", pickColour[i]);
5.         }
6.     }

Thank you soooooo much. This was a big challenge for me and I really appreciate your patience and help.

 

You welcome.