Question How to use IEnableableComponent with IJobEntity

How do I write an IJobEntity that can enable and disable IEnableableComponents? I know you can use an ECB, EntityManager, or ComponentLookup, but I'm wondering if there's a straightforward way like there is with idiomatic foreach. In foreach you can use EnabledRefRW<> to be able to directly set the enabled state. But from my understanding, idiomatic foreach is single threaded. Is there anything like that for IJobEntity?

 

EnabledRefRW works in jobs as well.

Code (CSharp):

1. public partial struct WeaponResetTriggerJob : IJobEntity
2. {
3.     public void Execute(EnabledRefRW<WeaponTrigger> trigger)
4.     {
5.         trigger.ValueRW = false;
6.     }
7. }

You can add WithOptions attribute

[WithOptions(EntityQueryOptions.IgnoreComponentEnabledState)]

when needed

 

Oh that’s great know thanks!

 

Well it looks like I can use EnabledRefRW<> in an IJobEntity's Execute method, but I can't also use the component by itself at the same time. I would want to do so so I could access its "value" field. The following gives me compiler errors.

Code (CSharp):

1. using Unity.Burst;
2. using Unity.Entities;
3.  
4. [BurstCompile]
5. public partial struct MySystem : ISystem
6. {
7.     [BurstCompile]
8.     public void OnUpdate(ref SystemState state)
9.     {
10.         new Job().ScheduleParallel();
11.     }
12.  
13.     [BurstCompile]
14.     partial struct Job : IJobEntity
15.     {
16.  
17.         [BurstCompile]
18.         public void Execute(
19.             ref MyComponent myComponent,
20.             EnabledRefRW<MyComponent> enabledMyComponent)
21.         {
22.            
23.         }
24.     }
25. }
26.  
27. public struct MyComponent : IComponentData, IEnableableComponent
28. {
29.     public float value;
30. }

Here's the 2 compiler errors I get:

- Packages\PhysicsCharacterController\Runtime\Systems\TestSystem.cs(20,39): error SGJE0017: global::MySystem.Job has duplicate components of same type MyComponent. Remove all but one to fix.

- Packages\PhysicsCharacterController\Runtime\Systems\TestSystem.cs(37,37): error CS0426: The type name 'InternalCompilerQueryAndHandleData' does not exist in the type 'MySystem.Job'

 

I am doing that within a foreach and it works without problems (Entities 1.0.11):

Code (CSharp):

1.         foreach (var (damageFlag, tickDamage, e) in
2.                  SystemAPI.Query<EnabledRefRW<TickDamage>, RefRW<TickDamage>>()
3.                           .WithOptions(EntityQueryOptions.IgnoreComponentEnabledState)
4.                           .WithEntityAccess())
5.         {
6.             tickDamage.ValueRW.Cooldown -= SystemAPI.Time.DeltaTime;
7.             damageFlag.ValueRW = tickDamage.ValueRW.Cooldown <= 0;
8.             if (damageFlag.ValueRW)
9.                 tickDamage.ValueRW.Cooldown += tickDamage.ValueRW.Interval;
10.         }

Weird if it works in foreach but not in IJobEntity. Maybe a bug? Maybe

IgnoreComponentEnabledState

is required in this case?

 

Yes, you have to specifiy the WithOptionsAttribute using the IgnoreComponentEnabledState for the job:

• https://docs.unity3d.com/Packages/c.../api/Unity.Entities.WithOptionsAttribute.html

 

Really? Even with the attribute, I'm still prevented from querying both the component data ref and its enabled ref in an IJE (1.0.11), and have to use a lookup instead.

Code (CSharp):

1. public partial struct ModifyDataAndEnableable : ISystem {
2.  
3.     [BurstCompile] public void OnUpdate( ref SystemState state ) {
4.         new ModifyDataAndEnableableJob().ScheduleParallel();
5.     }
6.  
7.     [WithOptions( EntityQueryOptions.IgnoreComponentEnabledState )]
8.     [BurstCompile] partial struct ModifyDataAndEnableableJob : IJobEntity {
9.         void Execute( EnabledRefRW<TestEnableableData> testEnableableState, ref TestEnableableData testEnableableData ) {
10.          
11.         }
12.     }
13. }
14.  
15. public struct TestEnableableData : IComponentData, IEnableableComponent {
16.     public float someData;
17. }

 

Oh, sorry some misunderstanding here. You are right, you have to use a lookup. I also experienced this restriction. The attribute WithOptions(EntityQueryOptions.IgnoreComponentEnabledState) only helps to query disabled EnableableComponents on a job.

 

@cort_of_unity I've seen you answering questions about the Entities package. I hope you don't mind me pinging you here. Could you comment on this? Is there a way to both read/write a components enabled flag and that same components fields by having it as a parameter in the Execute method of an IJobEntity?

 

What you can do as a workaround is create an aspect with EnabledRefRW and RefRW of the same component type.
If you use this be aware that you won't be able to use the WithDisabledAttribute on an IJobEntity (codegen bug?) so as a workaround for this just use an EntityQuery when scheduling the job