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DOTS, MonoBehaviors or, Hybrid (oh my!)

Discussion in 'Open Projects' started by alexchesser, Oct 13, 2020.

  1. alexchesser

    alexchesser

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2017
    Posts:
    147
    Really interesting project. Thanks for kicking it off. I was wondering if this project will have a focus on the newer side of things (DOTS, new input system, kinematica-animations) or will this be built using the older architectures?

    The advantage of the DOTS approach being it is the skillset and architecture future facing unity developers will want to have in their toolbox.

    The drawback being the various bugs and incompatibilities where the DOTS universe doesn't have support written yet
    • AFAIK animation is still lagging behind
    • the physics systems get challenging if you're trying to use both mono & new unity physics
    • some issues around the terrain system last I checked (a few months ago)
    My preference would be new systems, but in the scope of a 6 month delivery timeline I expect it could run up against a brick wall.
     
  2. davejrodriguez

    davejrodriguez

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2013
    Posts:
    69
    Currently, preview packages are being avoided. Input System, being out of preview, is installed in the project. I would be so disappointed to have to use Input Manager lol.

    I don't know much about Kinematica (replacement for Mecanim?) but it is still in preview and I believe there would have to be a compelling reason to use it over Mecanim. Maybe there is one?

    As a user of DOTS since its early stages, I'm excited for what it can do. But I don't think it's ready yet. Missing systems, missing documentation, no best practices. Not the best fit for a six month project with so many beginners. Hopefully, one day though!
     
    Neonage and alexchesser like this.
  3. alexchesser

    alexchesser

    Joined:
    Sep 15, 2017
    Posts:
    147
    Yeah - I kinda talked myself into no-DOTS when my rambling led me to remember the 6 month timeline.

    As for Kinematica ... it does appear to be super cool! It looks like it is intended to translate raw-mocap into a character-animation sequence without requiring a motion graph in metween. Here's the thread on it: https://forum.unity.com/threads/uni...tion-matching-for-character-animation.878761/

    And the Unite now talk https://resources.unity.com/uniteno...708163.1602638911-1767109623.1574618377#video

    But again - timeline kind-of requires using proven technology only. No matter how cool the new stuff is.
     
    Neonage likes this.
  4. MileyUnity

    MileyUnity

    Joined:
    Jan 3, 2020
    Posts:
    92
    Yeah we're most likely going to stick with OOTS for now, since DOTS is still in preview it doesn't make much sense to include them as we want to aim for stable packages as much as possible :)
     
  5. Neonage

    Neonage

    Joined:
    May 22, 2020
    Posts:
    271
    ECS will not be used, as it's far away from being stable and is not included in 2019 LTS.
    I love ECS, but it's much harder to work with because there is a huge lack of features or high-level systems.

    But Burst and Jobs are most likely, as we're going to use Animation Rigging.

    Maybe we can build architecture inspired by ECS, with similar systems and syntax, but in OOTS and with ScriptableObjects, so future transition would be much smoother? Idk :D
     
    alexchesser likes this.