Keep references in EditorWindow after scripts recompiling

Hello,

I'm struggling with this editor scripting issue...

My goal is to create a Texture2D inside the Editor Window and keep its reference alive after recompiling.

If I use a classic variable inside the window, everything works fine.

Spoiler: Editor Window 1

Code (CSharp):

1. using UnityEngine;
2. using UnityEditor;
3.  
4. public class RecompileTest1 : EditorWindow
5. {
6.     public Texture2D tex;
7.    
8.     [MenuItem("Window/Recompile Test 1")]
9.     static void Init()
10.     {
11.         RecompileTest1 recompileTest = (RecompileTest1) GetWindow(typeof(RecompileTest1));
12.         recompileTest.Show();
13.     }
14.  
15.     private void Awake()
16.     {
17.         tex = Texture2D.whiteTexture;
18.     }
19.  
20.     void OnGUI()
21.     {
22.         if (tex == null)
23.         {
24.             GUILayout.Label("Texture is null", EditorStyles.boldLabel);
25.         }
26.         else
27.         {
28.             GUILayout.Label("Texture is NOT null", EditorStyles.boldLabel);
29.             GUI.DrawTexture(new Rect(50, 50, 100, 100), tex, ScaleMode.ScaleToFit);
30.         }
31.  
32.     }
33. }

But if this texture is created inside an instance which is referenced in the window, after recompiling the instance is gone and the texture too...

Spoiler: Editor Window 2

Code (CSharp):

1. using UnityEngine;
2. using UnityEditor;
3.  
4. public class TextureContainer
5. {
6.     public Texture2D tex;
7. }
8.  
9. public class RecompileTest2 : EditorWindow
10. {
11.     private TextureContainer container;
12.    
13.     [MenuItem("Window/Recompile Test 2")]
14.     static void Init()
15.     {
16.         RecompileTest2 recompileTest2 = (RecompileTest2) GetWindow(typeof(RecompileTest2));
17.         recompileTest2.Show();
18.     }
19.  
20.     private void Awake()
21.     {
22.         container = new TextureContainer();  //this instance will be NULL after recompiling scripts
23.         container.tex = Texture2D.whiteTexture; //tex is now inside the container
24.     }
25.  
26.     void OnGUI()
27.     {
28.         if (container == null)
29.         {
30.             GUILayout.Label("Container is null, we can't access the texture!", EditorStyles.boldLabel);
31.         }
32.         else
33.         {
34.             GUILayout.Label("Container is NOT null, and we can access the texture", EditorStyles.boldLabel);
35.             GUI.DrawTexture(new Rect(50, 50, 100, 100), container.tex, ScaleMode.ScaleToFit);
36.         }
37.  
38.     }
39. }

Is there something I can do to keep these references?

Thank you,

Francesco

 

Marking TextureContainer as

[Serializable]

would be a good start, as well as marking the private field with

[SerializeField]

 

Thanks man, your solution works. Fast as hell!!!!

One note is that the inner fields must be non-static, otherwise they are destroyed.

 

Well yeah, static fields don't belong to any object, so they will be lost.