ECS and TextMeshPro

Is there any way to make a conversion ECS system work with TextMeshPro? I need to update the text that moves with the Entity in-game and can't find a way to do it with ECS.

 

I think your best approach is to do a non bursted Entities.ForEach where you access a class reference to your TMP object. If you did not know, you can have non blittable data (classes etc.) in a IComponentData if it's a class, not a struct. Then you can access it and all of it's references (your TMP object) inside a Entities.ForEach loop called on as .WithoutBurst().Run().

Now, I've had a lot of problem including a TMP object directly into a IComponentData class, but if you link to your own MonoBehaviour and do you text manipulation in there, it should work!

 

But what about conversion? So, for example, I have Quad with ConvertToEntity script and some Canvas or TMP as a child. Is it possible to convert TMP or/and Canvas to IComponentData and use later as fully Entity?

 

I did it by placing a Convert (Stop) on the TMP object, so it is kept as a GameObject, and just referenced it inside a class IComponentData. So it's sort of ECS based, but not bursted or possible to put in a job.

 

Alright, thank you! I'll give a try

 

AddHybridComponent in GameObjectConversionSystem, thus it will be converted with companion game object.

 

Haven't heard about this approach, thank you. But as far I understand according to this example: https://github.com/Unity-Technologi.../Assets/StressTests/HybridComponent/README.md, I can't access directly to the Companion GameObject and change it. How can I change the text then from System?

 

You convert your TMP and can access that TMP type in queries, ForEach'es (without burst and only on main thread)

Entities.ForEach((Entity e, TMPType tmpInstance)=>{ tmpInstance.DoStuff() })