how to keep reference to the original asset?

Code (CSharp):

1. public class Item : MonoBehaviour
2. {
3.     public GameObject prefab;
4. }

A prefab P has this script attached to it.
prefab variable is set to the prefab itself.
When the prefab is instantiated in the scene, prefab now points to the instance and not the prefab.
Is there a way to have it still point to the prefab?
I remember some convoluted way to do this, it used OnSerialize and stored the asset path to a string but maybe there is a simpler way to do this now.

 

How do you instantiate it?
If I was looking to do what you're saying, I might have:

Code (csharp):

1.  
2. public class Script1 : MonoBehaviour {
3. public GameObject prefab;
4.  
5. void Update() {
6.    if (Input.GetKeyDown(KeyCode.N)) {
7.       Item newitem = Instantiate(prefab) as Item;
8.    // if for any reason that line of code above is invalid, then just make it a game object
9.    // and the next line, GetComponent<Item> etc..
10.       newitem.prefab = prefab;
11.       }
12.    }
13. }
14.  

 

Some time I drag and drop it in the scene.

 

Sure, well if you drag n drop it in the scene, and it has the reference to itself then.. simply drag n drop the prefab to the newly made scene item?

 

times 100

 

duplicate? lol I don't know

 

this is what I had to do for scene fields... when I see this, I'm so tempted to procrastinate

Code (CSharp):

1. using UnityEngine;
2. #if UNITY_EDITOR
3. using UnityEditor;
4. #endif
5. [System.Serializable]
6. public class SceneField
7. #if UNITY_EDITOR
8.     : ISerializationCallbackReceiver
9. #endif
10. {
11.     #if UNITY_EDITOR
12.     public void OnBeforeSerialize ()
13.     {
14.         m_scenePath = AssetDatabase.GUIDToAssetPath(m_GUID);
15.     }
16.     public void OnAfterDeserialize ()
17.     {
18.     }
19.     #endif
20.  
21.     [SerializeField]
22.     Object m_SceneAsset;
23.     [SerializeField]
24.     string m_GUID;
25.     [SerializeField]
26.     string m_scenePath;
27.     public string path
28.     {
29.         get{return m_scenePath;}
30.     }
31. }
32.  
33. #if UNITY_EDITOR
34. [CustomPropertyDrawer(typeof(SceneField))]
35. public class SceneFieldPropertyDrawer : PropertyDrawer
36. {
37.     public override void OnGUI(Rect _position, SerializedProperty _property, GUIContent _label)
38.     {
39.         EditorGUI.BeginProperty(_position, GUIContent.none, _property);
40.         SerializedProperty sceneAsset = _property.FindPropertyRelative("m_SceneAsset");
41.         SerializedProperty sceneGUID = _property.FindPropertyRelative("m_GUID");
42.         _position = EditorGUI.PrefixLabel(_position, GUIUtility.GetControlID(FocusType.Passive), _label);
43.         if (sceneAsset != null)
44.         {
45.             sceneAsset.objectReferenceValue = EditorGUI.ObjectField(_position, sceneAsset.objectReferenceValue, typeof(SceneAsset), false);
46.             if( sceneAsset.objectReferenceValue != null )
47.             {
48.                 sceneGUID.stringValue = AssetDatabase.AssetPathToGUID (AssetDatabase.GetAssetPath ((sceneAsset.objectReferenceValue as SceneAsset)));
49.             }
50.         }
51.         EditorGUI.EndProperty( );
52.     }
53. }
54. #endif

 

with a gameobject i'd use some asset load thing, plop them all inside resources folder like the old days and call Resource.Load()
but no, I'll just do an intermediate thing with scriptable object... oh lord have mercy

 

Ya, I had to leave for a bit. Resources.Load or a SO with a reference were the 2 things I was going to suggest

 

Cheat and use an intermediary GameObject.

You can do this two ways.

1. Create a GameObject in the scene. Set up the correct references. Use that to do all Instantiation.
2. Create a new prefab or scriptable object. Use that as a layer of indirection to get the right reference.

Or just reassign the reference after instantiating the object.