Floating Text Attached to Object

I'm trying to attach floating text to a sphere object (making bubbles with numbers over them). I can't attach a textmesh to it because it conflicts with the mesh of the sphere. What do I do?

 

Something I wrote up last night pools a GameObject with UI.Text component attached, modifies its values, parents to a Canvas, and uses Camera.main.WorldToScreenPoint(owner.transform.position) to set its position within Update. Owner being the object the text floats above.

The text tends to drag a bit when the camera or object moves though, have yet to continue working on this:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/96502721/S/drag.mp4

 

I just need something simple, like an NPC name hovering over his or her head. I'm super confused on what to do.

 

You could use a GUI.Label,
http://docs.unity3d.com/ScriptReference/GUI.Label.html

edit: I don't think using GUI like this is exactly efficient, but its quick and easy. What was wrong with using TextMesh exactly? Maybe post your code?

 

if you're using unity 4.6 or higher you just need to add a canvas set to world space to the gameobject...

https://unity3d.com/learn/tutorials/modules/beginner/ui

 

Currently I have no code using the textmesh, it's just I tried attaching a TextMesh component to my spherical object and it told me I couldn't.

Edit: How do I assign a text UI to a prefab through script? I can't drag and drop the reference because it's a prefab. Here's my code:

Code (csharp):

1.  
2. using UnityEngine;
3. using System.Collections;
4. using UnityEngine.UI;
5.  
6. public class Clickable : MonoBehaviour {
7.  
8.     private Player mainPlayer;
9.     private int number;
10.     private bool clickedOn = false;
11.     public Text txt;
12.  
13.     // Use this for initialization
14.    
15.     void Start() {
16.  
17.     }
18.  
19.     public void initiate(Player p, int numb) {
20.         mainPlayer = p;
21.         number = numb;
22.     }
23.    
24.     // Update is called once per frame
25.     void Update () {
26.  
27.     }
28.  
29.     public int GetNumber() {
30.         return number;
31.     }
32.  
33.     public Player GetPlayer() {
34.         return mainPlayer;
35.     }
36.  
37.     public void OnMouseDown() {
38.         if (clickedOn) {
39.             print ("Number: " + GetNumber () + " at X position: " + this.transform.position.x);
40.             GetPlayer ().AddSelection (GetNumber ());
41.         } else {
42.             txt.text = "Console: Hi! My number is " + GetNumber ();
43.             clickedOn = true;
44.         }
45.     }
46. }

 

This is probably the best way, I'll probably end up re-writing my UI for this

op, to do this..
You can create your prefab with a UI.Text component already attached. I recommend creating an empty child object with a Canvas and Text component attached. Make sure the Canvas Render Mode is set to World Space. Afterwards you can reference it easily by doing something of the sort..

Code (csharp):

1. txt = gameObject.GetComponentInChildren<Text>();

 

Have you tried adding an empty child object to the sphere, and then attaching the textmesh to that child? (I haven't used a textmesh, but this is the work-around for the limitation that you can't put two graphical components on a single UI object.)

 

World space canvas is your best bet. You can watch me fumble around with attaching them to objects at runtime in this video.