Random game object reshuffling.

So i have 10 game objects.. (cubes)...and I want them to randomly reshuffle positions among themselves after an interval of every 120seconds (2 minutes)...what do I do please help.

 

Easily, Shuffle them that means swap source to destination, loop through the 10 game objects and generate a destination index and swap the destination game object with the current game object:

Code (CSharp):

1. public static void Shuffle (GameObject[] gameObjects) {
2.     for (int i = 0; i < gameObjects.Length; i++) {
3.  
4.         // Find a random index
5.         int destIndex = Random.Range (0, gameObjects.Length);
6.         GameObject source = gameObjects[i];
7.         GameObject dest = gameObjects[destIndex];
8.  
9.         // If is not identical
10.         if (source != dest) {
11.  
12.             // Swap the position
13.             source.transform.position = dest.transform.position;
14.  
15.             // Swap the array item
16.             gameObjects[i] = gameObjects[destIndex];
17.         }
18.     }
19. }

Thanks.

 

Ok since I am a programming noob a bit of explanation would be highly appreciated.

 

my cubes are named as cube1 cube2 etc

 

Create an Array of Cubes and use the function to shuffle them and their position.

Thanks.

 

How do i make the cubes reshuffle every 120 seconds.....thanks

 

Use a Coroutine, or do it in a Update method, by Coroutine:

Code (CSharp):

1. void Start () {
2.     StartCoroutine ("WaitAndShuffle");
3. }
4.  
5. IEnumerator WaitAndShuffle () {
6.     while (true) {
7.         yield return new WaitForSeconds (120);
8.         Shuffle (cubes);
9.     }
10. }

 

Thanks a lot for your support ....but please answer another question where should i apply this Coroutine script...thnks a ton

 

You need to apply the functions to where you have cubes and manage them, the MonoBehaviour script.

Thanks.

 

oK so i am using this script



using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using UnityEngine;

public class shuffle : MonoBehaviour {
public GameObject[] Cube;

public static void Shuffle (GameObject[] gameObjects) {
for (int i = 0; i < gameObjects.Length; i++) {

// Find a random index
int destIndex = Random.Range (0, gameObjects.Length);
GameObject source = gameObjects;
GameObject dest = gameObjects[destIndex];

// If is not identical
if (source != dest) {

// Swap the position
source.transform.position = dest.transform.position;

// Swap the array item
gameObjects = gameObjects[destIndex];
}
}
}



but i am getting compiler errors please help

 

Please read this page for how to post code on the forums: https://forum.unity.com/threads/using-code-tags-properly.143875/


What compiler errors are you getting? When you post your code, please indicate which line it is, if it differences from the message you got in your own console..

 

okokok sorry i fixed the compiler errors

 

ok i fixed the compiler errors.....but could not get the cubes shuffling randomly.....whenever i hit the play button.....the cubes do not reshuffle pls help


code:

Code (CSharp):

1. using System.Collections;
2. using System.Collections.Generic;
3. using UnityEngine;
4.  
5. public class Randomshuffle : MonoBehaviour {
6.     public GameObject[] cube;
7.  
8.     public static void Shuffle (GameObject[] gameObjects) {
9.         for (int i = 0; i < gameObjects.Length; i++) {
10.  
11.             // Find a random index
12.             int destIndex = Random.Range (0, gameObjects.Length);
13.             GameObject source = gameObjects[i];
14.             GameObject dest = gameObjects[destIndex];
15.  
16.             // If is not identical
17.             if (source != dest) {
18.  
19.                 // Swap the position
20.                 source.transform.position = dest.transform.position;
21.  
22.                 // Swap the array item
23.                 gameObjects[i] = gameObjects[destIndex];
24.             }
25.         }
26.     }
27.     // Use this for initialization
28.     void Start () {
29.  
30.     }
31.  
32.     // Update is called once per frame
33.     void Update () {
34.  
35.     }
36. }
37.  

 

Well, there are 2 issues I see here..
1. is that the method is static but I imagine you want to access the cube array of game objects.
2.. this is a big one. You haven't actually called the method!

3rd issue, maybe: What happened to the timer you wanted before they shuffle? That is not here.

You want this to happen when you start? If you got rid of the timer idea, in Start() call the method with the cube array as a parameter.

 

Timer comes later bro first ill try to fix this

 

Okay, well try what I wrote and see if it works

 

Since i am a newbie.....i did not understand what to do sorry for inconvenience.

 

Okay, I was suggesting that you remove the word 'static' from the method. And then in the Start() method, write "Shuffle(cube); "

 

Ok so I replaced line "8" with: "public static void Shuffle (GameObject[] gameObjects) {"

And in line "29" i wrote:
"Shuffle(cube);"





But i get a behaviour which i dont want


In my scene i have 3 cubes (its just a test scene for my game)
Starting from left to right
The first cube is red second is green and the last one is blue....after applying the script whenever i hit "play" everytime a random number of cubes appear (but less than 3) sometimes 2 sometimes only one appears with any of the three colours...


What i want is as soon as i hit "play" the number of cubes should not change but the three cubes should just interchanve their positions at random..thats it...need help please.

 

*interchange

 

Not sure about your response, as you said you replaced the line with the exact same line..

Anyways..let's see what we can do about the method.

Code (csharp):

1.  
2. public void Shuffle (GameObject[] gameObjects) {
3.         for (int i = 0; i < gameObjects.Length; i++) {
4.  
5.             // Find a random index
6.             int destIndex = Random.Range (0, gameObjects.Length);
7.             GameObject source = gameObjects[i];
8.             GameObject dest = gameObjects[destIndex];
9.   /** This could be modified to keep checking to make sure you always swap something, but leaving it for now **/
10.             // If is not identical
11.             if (source != dest) {
12.  
13.                 // Swap the positions
14.                 Vector3 tmp = source.transform.position;
15.                 source.transform.position = dest.transform.position;
16.                 dest.transform.position = tmp;
17.                  
18.              /** I do not know what this was doing, try with it commented out! **/
19.                 // Swap the array item
20.               //  gameObjects[i] = gameObjects[destIndex];
21.             }
22.         }
23.     }
24. void Start() {
25.    Shuffle(cube);
26.   }
27. void Update() {
28.   if(Input.GetKeyDown(KeyCode.L)) {
29.      Shuffle(cube);
30.     }
31.  }
32.  

Okay, try to copy & paste that and see what happens. if I made a typo, try to fix it.
I added some code so you can type the 'L' key to run it, again. It will also run once on start.
Let me know how that goes.

 

I am so sorry i did not write static

 

But i wrote a code like yours but it did not work

 

No problem, I figured you didn't, because otherwise it would not have run

Just try to paste the code I wrote and see what happens...

 

It's working for me. Sometimes they just end up in the same spot, or only 1 moves... that's random chance.


I just tested it in a project**

 

Ok ill test it tomorrow. ....dont leave connection with this thread i have more problems....thanks for ur support....

 

nods, no problem. Try the bit of code with the option to run it , again (the GetKeyDown in Update), while you test.
Maybe then you can better see for yourself how sometimes 'x' number of them move (or not) Much easier, for testing, than to stop/start.. stop/start.. over n over, again.

 

Since i was too lazy to type...lol..pls see this i want something like this..

 

oh my goodness, that's some severe laziness and it's sideways lol

All I can say , again , is try the test code and also try the Update KeyDown to test it several times during play to see the results. lol

If , after that, it's still not making sense, you will have to make an effort to describe your goal a little more, because i am not seeing it very well at the moment, or when I tilt my head to read that note pad hahaha. Sorry

 

ok so i pasted ur script

Code (CSharp):

1. using System.Collections;
2. using System.Collections.Generic;
3. using UnityEngine;
4.  
5. public class Randomshuffle : MonoBehaviour {
6.     public GameObject[] Cube;
7.  
8.     public void Shuffle (GameObject[] gameObjects) {
9.         for (int i = 0; i < gameObjects.Length; i++) {
10.  
11.             // Find a random index
12.             int destIndex = Random.Range (0, gameObjects.Length);
13.             GameObject source = gameObjects[i];
14.             GameObject dest = gameObjects[destIndex];
15.             /** This could be modified to keep checking to make sure you always swap something, but leaving it for now **/
16.             // If is not identical
17.             if (source != dest) {
18.  
19.                 // Swap the positions
20.                 Vector3 tmp = source.transform.position;
21.                 source.transform.position = dest.transform.position;
22.                 dest.transform.position = tmp;
23.  
24.                 /** I do not know what this was doing, try with it commented out! **/
25.                 // Swap the array item
26.                 gameObjects[i] = gameObjects[destIndex];
27.             }
28.         }
29.     }
30.     void Start() {
31.         Shuffle(cube);
32.     }
33.     void Update() {
34.         if(Input.GetKeyDown(KeyCode.L)) {
35.             Shuffle(cube);
36.         }
37.     }

it shows "errorCS1525 ; unexpected symbol 'end of file'

 

You're missing a closing curly bracket at the end...

Also this:

Code (csharp):

1.  
2. /** I do not know what this was doing, try with it commented out! **/
3. // Swap the array item
4. gameObjects[i] = gameObjects[destIndex];
5.  

You're supposed to be swapping the objects... but you don't have every part to it. This single line of code is just going to remove one of the GameObjects, and have the other in 2 spots.

Do this:

Code (csharp):

1.  
2. var placeHolder = gameObjects[destIndex];
3. gameObjects[destIndex] = gameObjects[i];
4. gameObjects[i] = placeHolder;
5.  

This actually swaps the 2 around so that the object at destIndex is now at i, and the one at i is not at destIndex.

 

Is that swap really necessary? I had commented the first part out, because I had added a 'swap' that wasn't in the earlier code posted by someone else. Half just wondering out loud, half asking

 

umm swap is needed

 

I'm sorry that message wasn't for you, but for @lordofduct . It wasn't about needing swap in general, but that particular piece of code in his post*

In my code I commented out one line that in your post wasn't commented out. So you can try that, after you add the curly brace that was giving you the error. Then, if you want, try the version that was written with the "other swap" added..

 

I have always run under the concept that if you want something shuffled, treat it like a deck of cards.... You basically have 2 stacks... 1 is the source, as you take a card randomly from stack one and add it to stack 2, remove it from stack 1.

The best illustration is to simply create a extension class that does the work for you...

Code (csharp):

1.  
2. using System.Collections.Generic;
3. using System.Linq;
4.  
5. public static class Extensions{
6.     public static List<T> Shuffle<T>(this List<T> source) {
7.         var rtn = new List<T>();
8.         var copy = source.ToList();
9.         var rnd = new Random();
10.        
11.         while (copy.Any()) {
12.             var index = rnd.Next(copy.Count);
13.             rtn.Add(copy[index]);
14.             copy.RemoveAt(index);
15.         }
16.  
17.         return rtn;
18.     }
19.    
20.     public static T[] Shuffle<T>(this T[] source)
21.     {
22.         return source.ToList().Shuffle().ToArray();
23.     }
24. }
25.  
26. //Usage:
27.  
28. var children = new List<Transform>();
29. for(var i=0; i<transform.childCount; i++){
30.     children.Add(transform.GetChild(i));
31. }
32.  
33. var random = children.Shuffle();

 

I'm glad you responded & posted that. That is something I had thought of and/or read about before, and really liked, but had slipped my mind, as I was using an earlier shuffle I had grown used to. Cool.

(not the exact code, but the idea of it**)

 

Ok...so do i need to creat any array for this (i am getting a bit confused)



Lol...confused person here

 

Well, yes, you must create an array to start. Using just about any one of these methods, you need an initial array of objects in order to shuffle them.

In my example, I simply pulled the array of objects from the children of the object that script would be on. So, yes, you need an array.

 

And what is that "T"

 

...like we have here

 

It means 'Type' , as the method is generic.
You could pass List<float> or List<int> etc.. and it would work on both/either.

 

...
But i want something like i have 3 cubes.....and every cube exchanges with some other cube...that is they just rearrange among themselves...but they should not intersect in their position..in oher words no two cubes should be in the same position...

 

Pretty sure if you use the code he had, you might want to add:

Code (csharp):

1.  
2. Vector3 [] cubePositions;
3. public List<Transform> cubes; // drag n drop your 3 cubes in the inspector.
4.  
5. void Start() {
6.    cubePositions = new Vector3[cubes.Length];
7.    for(int i = 0; i < cubes.Length; ++i) {
8.        cubePositions[i] = cubes[i].position;
9.      }
10.    cubes = cubes.Shuffle();
11.    for(int i = 0 ; i < cubes.Length; ++i) {
12.        cubes[i].position = cubePositions[i];
13.       }
14.  }

 

OK, positioning is then easy. After you "shuffle" them, just reset the position of each of the cubes to offset the width you need. In this case, I assume the width is 1, but you could always say... x * cubeWidth, which would be a variable defining how far apart each one should be.

Code (csharp):

1. for(float x=0; x<cubes.Length; x++){
2.     cubes[x].transform.position = new Vector3(x, 0, 0);
3. }

 

I dont really need to reset the cube positions......

 

Not sure what you mean by that; that wasn't suggested.

Have you tried the code that @bigmisterb posted, along with his positioning or mine?

 

Actually sorry i have left home today afternoon.....i cant test any code for the next 5 days

 

I still need help...pls dont leave this thread....

 

Sure, I only asked because I think it's going to work out nicely for you. Just write in 5 days time when you're back home & have tried it. Then follow up if anything is misunderstood or wrong then

 

But you can't code, so I'm not sure why we're helping you solve problems when you don't even want to work out that you missed a squiggly brace above.

Why are we helping and are we actually helping? You are just sitting there asking for solution after solution. How is this helping you?