List<List<Transform>> in inspector

Okay straight to the point.

I need to be able to see and save a List<List<Transform>> in the inspector/editor

I need to do this because I need a 2 dimensional dynamic array, and the tool I wrote for the Editor saves the values of a certain object in the prefab of that object,

some visual help:

this is the object I need to save the List<List<Transform>> to:

Code (csharp):

1.  
2. public class Pather : MonoBehaviour
3. {
4.     Transform car;
5.    
6.     public List<List<Transform>> roads = new List<List<Transform>>();  
7.    
8.     public static int usingRoad = 0;
9.     Transform target;
10.     public int PATHLENGTH = 999;
11.     public bool move = true;
12.     public int speed= 20;
13.     public Vector3 heightDifference = new Vector3(0,5,0);
14.     enum RoadSide{Out,Inner}
15.    
16.     RoadSide roadSide = RoadSide.Inner;
17.    
18.     Vector3 finalPosObj;
19.     void Start()
20.     {
21.         if(roads.Count > Pather.usingRoad)
22.         {
23.             target = roads[Pather.usingRoad][0];
24.             transform.position = target.position-heightDifference;
25.         }
26.         else
27.         {
28.             throw new UnityException("No Begin Path found (Empty array in Car Inspector?)");   
29.         }
30.     }
31. }
32.  

And I do this from the editorwindow with this: //note this is not the whole code

Code (csharp):

1.  
2. public class CarPath : EditorWindow
3. {
4. [HideInInspector]
5.     static public int currentPathNumber = 0;
6.     [HideInInspector]
7.     static public Transform car;
8.     [HideInInspector]
9.     static public bool carSelected = false;
10.     [HideInInspector]
11.     static public Pather p;
12.     [HideInInspector]
13.     List<Transform> road = new List<Transform>();
14.    
15.     [MenuItem ("Window/CarPath")]
16.     static void Init ()
17.     {
18.         CarPath window = (CarPath)EditorWindow.GetWindow (typeof (CarPath));
19.     }
20. void AddToPatherRTycoon(Transform t)
21.     {
22.         if(t.tag != "Bend2x90"  t.tag != "Bend3x90")
23.         {
24.             RaycastHit hit0;
25.             if(Physics.Raycast(t.position,Vector3.forward,out hit0,t.collider.bounds.size.x/2+1))
26.             {
27.                 if(GUI.Button(new Rect(20,0,20,20),"F"))
28.                 {
29.                     while(CarPath.p.roads.Count < Pather.usingRoad+1)
30.                     {
31.                         CarPath.p.roads.Add(new List<Transform>());
32.                     }
33.                     if(CarPath.p.roads[Pather.usingRoad].Count > 0)
34.                     {
35.                         SetTurn(CarPath.p.roads[Pather.usingRoad][CarPath.p.roads[Pather.usingRoad].Count-1],t,hit0.transform);
36.                     }
37.                    
38.                     CarPath.p.roads[Pather.usingRoad].Add(t); //<-----------------   see this
39.                     Selection.activeTransform = car;
40.                     EditorApplication.ExecuteMenuItem("GameObject/Apply Changes To Prefab");   //<-----------------   see this  (this won't work because the List<List<Transform>> is not showing in the inspector thus it won't save it to the current prefab, (all changes are lost when I press Play))
41.                     Selection.activeTransform = hit0.transform;
42.                 }
43.  
44. }      
45. }
46. }
47. }
48.  
49.  

note: EditorApplication.ExecuteMenuItem("GameObject/Apply Changes To Prefab"); DOES work with the other showable values.. so if I edit a integer with the function and use this.. it will get saved and stay when I press Play

..

So can anyone help me get this to work?..
Basically I figured out.. If I can manually add a List<Transform> to the List<List<Transform>> in the inspector and then edit loose Transforms in for example List[0][x] it will get saved and stay that way....

 

Unity does not serialize multidimensional arrays. You could however create a class representing what the List<Transform> represents in List<List<Transform>>.

Code (csharp):

1.  
2.  
3. [System.Serializable]
4. public class Road {
5.      public List<Transform> list;
6. }
7.  
8. public class Pather : MonoBehaviour
9. {
10.     Transform car;  
11.     // public List<List<Transform>> roads = new List<List<Transform>>();      
12.  
13.     // List<Transform> is replaced with the Road class which contains a list
14.     // of Transforms and is serialized so it shows in the inspector.
15.     public List<Road> roads = new List<List<Road>>();      
16.     public static int usingRoad = 0;
17.     Transform target;
18.     public int PATHLENGTH = 999;
19.     public bool move = true;
20.     public int speed= 20;
21.     public Vector3 heightDifference = new Vector3(0,5,0);
22.     enum RoadSide{Out,Inner}
23.     RoadSide roadSide = RoadSide.Inner;
24.     Vector3 finalPosObj;
25.  
26.     void Start()
27.     {
28.         if(roads.Count > Pather.usingRoad)
29.         {
30.             // target = roads[Pather.usingRoad][0];
31.  
32.             // Instead of accessing the Transform in the list at roads[Pather.usingRoad]
33.             // the Transform is accessed through the Road class's Transform list.
34.             target = roads[Pather.usingRoad].list[0];
35.             transform.position = target.position-heightDifference;
36.         }
37.         else
38.         {
39.             throw new UnityException("No Begin Path found (Empty array in Car Inspector?)");    
40.         }
41.     }
42. }

Haven't tested it but should work as far as serializing the Transform list you want to edit in the inspector.

 

Perfect! It works!, Thanks very much,

Seems I'll need to look a bit more into serializing...

(also typo with the serializable)
[System.Serializable] not [System.Serializeable] (for the other people who might see this post and needed the same)

 

Yeah I'm hopeless without Intelli-sense, I'll edit the post so it doesn't cause issues for anyone who uses it. Unity's serialization is a pain, but it's never stopped me from doing what I need to do so I don't mind. It just takes some researching and practice to get the hang of. Glad I could help, good luck!

 

Always those things you've read once or twice about it and then forgot it.. only to have it needed at a much later time..

(Also ended up with like 200 lines (spread over a few files) I had to edit to get it working again but it does work.