How to set and get global values accross systems?

I have a system (rough code below) that updates the ingame time of day.

What is the best way to access WorldTimeClock data from other systems considering there should only be one active WorldTimeClock at a time, and that the "dependant" systems updates after this one?

I previously used GetSingleton, but that stopped working since I converted my proxy script to IConvertGameObjectToEntity. GetComponentData is deprecated so I'm kind of lost.

It would be nice to have this kind of scenario in the samples (sharing/accessing data between systems).

Code (CSharp):

1. using Unity.Burst;
2. using Unity.Collections;
3. using Unity.Entities;
4. using Unity.Jobs;
5. using UnityEngine;
6.  
7. namespace Game
8. {
9.     /// <summary>
10.     /// Clock system that keeps track of time.
11.     /// </summary>
12.     public class WorldTimeClockSystem : JobComponentSystem
13.     {
14.         [BurstCompile]
15.         struct TickClockJob : IJobProcessComponentData<WorldTimeClock>
16.         {
17.             [ReadOnly] public float SystemDeltaTime;
18.  
19.             public void Execute(ref WorldTimeClock t)
20.             {
21.                 var speed       = t.SpeedOfTime;
22.                 var deltaTime   = SystemDeltaTime * speed;
23.  
24.                 float ts = t.TotalSeconds + deltaTime;
25.  
26.                 float s = t.Second + deltaTime;
27.                 float m = t.Minute;
28.                 float h = t.Hour;
29.                 float d = t.Day;
30.                 float w = t.Week;
31.                 float y = t.Year;
32.  
33.                 while ( s > 59 ) { m += 1; s -= 59; }
34.                 while ( m > 59 ) { h += 1; m -= 59; }
35.                 while ( h > 23 ) { d += 1; h -= 23; }
36.                 while ( w > 51 ) { y += 1; w -= 51; }
37.  
38.                 var newT = t;
39.                     newT.Second = s;
40.                     newT.Minute = m;
41.                     newT.Hour = h;
42.                     newT.Day = d;
43.                     newT.Week = w;
44.                     newT.Year = y;
45.                     newT.DeltaTime = deltaTime;
46.                     newT.SpeedOfTime = speed;
47.                     newT.TotalSeconds = ts;
48.  
49.                 t = newT;
50.             }
51.         }
52.  
53.         protected override JobHandle OnUpdate(JobHandle inputDeps)
54.         {
55.             return new TickClockJob { SystemDeltaTime = Time.deltaTime }.Schedule(this, inputDeps);
56.         }
57.  
58.     }
59. }
60.  

 

GetSingleton\SetSingleton it's best for that purposes. What the problems with singleton entity in your case? Show errors and we help you

 

The error was that there were no WorldTimeClock entity found when I created the entity with IConvertGameObjectToEntity. But I found a solution: I absolutely need the ConvertToEntity script attached to my objects in order for the whole thing to work properly. I find it kind of odd that something this mandatory isn't attached automatically to the object like GameObjectEntity was. Anyway.

Now GetSingleton work. But it would be nice to have an example of where and how to call SetSingleton. For now I just create one entity and the method automatically works, but knowing how to set it would be nice. I also don't know if this is the right method at all for accessing global data between job systems...

 

Read @5argon blog (on construction now) http://68.183.97.180/ecs-singleton-data/

 

Singleton is really just query 1 entity from the world (found 0 or >1 will be an error). And Set/GetSingleton could not create one. No matter what you have to create the singleton manually. You may create it at some system's OnCreateManager, or in Convert of some IConvertGameObjectToEntity use the provided entity manager to CreateEntity (If your singleton is not the thing being converted itself, otherwise you already get it from the convert)

^^^EDIT : Ah you beat me to it!!

 

New link to 5argon's blog post on ECS Singletons and api docs.

 

I can't believe I forgot to add the convert-to-entity script too! Doh!!