Create and access an Entity

Noob question here.

I've built a simple script to update a global time of day. I made it using the Job System and ECS to familiarize myself with both. The thing is: I don't know what would be the best way to store and access these values.

My script in its current form:

Code (CSharp):

1. using Unity.Collections;
2. using Unity.Entities;
3. using Unity.Jobs;
4. using Unity.Burst;
5. using UnityEngine;
6.  
7. namespace Game
8. {
9.     public class WorldTimeSystem : JobComponentSystem
10.     {
11.         private const float m_scale = 10;
12.        
13.         [BurstCompile]
14.         struct AdvanceTimeJob : IJobProcessComponentData<WorldTime>
15.         {
16.             [ReadOnly] public float DeltaTime;
17.             [ReadOnly] public float Scale;
18.  
19.             public void Execute(ref WorldTime worldTime)
20.             {
21.                 var unscaledSeconds = worldTime.UnscaledSeconds + DeltaTime;
22.                 var hour = worldTime.Hour + ((unscaledSeconds * Scale) / 3600);
23.                 var day = worldTime.Day;
24.  
25.                 if (hour >= 23)
26.                 {
27.                     day += 1;
28.                     hour = hour - 23;
29.                 }
30.  
31.                 worldTime = new WorldTime
32.                 {
33.                     UnscaledSeconds = unscaledSeconds,
34.                     Day = day,
35.                     Hour = hour,
36.                     Scale = Scale
37.                 };
38.             }
39.         }
40.  
41.         protected override JobHandle OnUpdate(JobHandle inputDeps)
42.         {
43.             return new AdvanceTimeJob
44.             {
45.                 DeltaTime = Time.deltaTime,
46.                 Scale = m_scale
47.             }.Schedule(this, inputDeps);
48.         }
49.     }
50. }
51.  

Since I only need one WorldTime and I need to access it from other jobs, for instance to move our sun's directional light according to the time of the day, what's the best way to achieve that?

Can I update/set static variables in a job?
Can I create an entity reference and use it in other jobs?

Sorry for the simple questions, but I don't know where to start to accomplish this. All the samples I found don't cover that aspect of "having only one object to process and reuse its data"...

 

If there is only 1 worldtime and you require there to be 1, you can just use var worldTime = GetSingleton<WorldTime>() and then just pass it to other jobs. It's a bit easier than using GetComponentGroup() and having to iterate in every other job.

 

Oh great, GetSingleton works Thanks!