resources.Load() with special characters in the file name (iOS and Mac)

On Windows: Unity 5.2.2 , on Mac Unity 5.2.3

I try to use resources.Load() with special characters in the file name i.e. "Set03-Löwe-02-L1".
Works perfectly on Windows and Android. File is not found on Mac and iOs.
I only use simple file names, no complete paths.

This happens when I hardcode the file name in the C# and when I load the filename from an UTF8-coded TextAsset. File names without special characters are loaded perfectly. I tried different encodings for the file name (i.e. UTF16) without success.

Do you have any idea?

I need to use the special characters, because the names are displayed in the UI.

 

If you're unable to find a proper solution, you could work around it by writing a special-to-nonspecial "translator" and using the non-special-character names as the filenames. If needed, you can simultaneously build a dictionary (with the special as the value and the non-special as the key) so that you can use the nonspecial name to look up the special one.

FWIW, situations like this are one of a number of good reasons to separate text that's displayed in the UI (e.g. "name") from text you use internally (e.g. "ID").

 

@StarManta:Thanks for your reply and for your suggested workarounds. I use the file name to define all meta data that I need for this sprite resources. So there is only one place to update when something changes, which is less error-prone. This is a pool of resources, which changed quite often, while the project evolved.
Yes, I will build a character translator, when there is no other solution, but I hope this is not necessary.


Does anybody know, whether Unity is basically able to handle special characters in resource file names? I don't see a reason why this works in Windows and Android and not in iOS. The resource file names are handled internally in unity so this should not depend on a operating system.

 

Thanks for the answer.

I Tried it but to my hearts contempt and it still gives me a Null Reference Exception.

My Code:

```

public void GetFileName(string sentFileName){

_XLetterWords = Resources.Load (sentFileName) as TextAsset;

Debug.Log(_XLetterWords); // Returns Null in iOS but works in Windows and Android.
//example file name: 3LetterWords.txt
.
.
.
// Code to read File.
}​

```

Thanks for the help.

 

As @StarManta mentioned, it's probably best to split out your filenames (implementation detail) from your GUI. But, Unix seems to have no issue itself with the filename you pasted - can you post the code snippet that you're using to load the text asset?

 

I apologise for the inconvenience caused but I had also passed the file extension as the argument.
When you remove it the Code works.

Thanking you again

 

Hello people of the internet,

I struggled with this for two straight days, it has been maddening, but I found the answer and I wish to share it with you all in hopes of saving others from this madness.

/// NOTE: This next line is the savior to what has been the bane of my existance for the past couple days.
/// Mac uses whats called the decomposed format for accented characters when dealing with filenames.
/// This means that "sofá " (copied directly from filename in Finder) is different than "sofá"
/// (copied from my Localization.csv). The difference is the one coped from the filename is "decomposed" and
/// uses two characters to express the accent while the other just uses one character.
/// If you use TextWrangler to view the pasted word, then the difference is clear. The one from the filename looks
/// like "sofa`" with the accent in the space AFTER the a, not directly above it.
/// This link talks about the composed / decomposed issue and its where I grabbed the string.Normalize() example from.
/// http://stackoverflow.com/questions/...ilename-character-is-considered-international
///
/// NOTE: Its important NOT to normalize to the decomposed form on Windows/Android since those file systems do NOT used decomposed
/// filenames. That is why we do the platform checking here.
////////////////////////////////////
#if UNITY_IOS || UNITY_EDITOR_OSX || UNITY_STANDALONE_OSX
filePath = filePath.Normalize(NormalizationForm.FormD);
#endif

Hope this helps someone!

 

THANK YOU!!!! IT WORKS!!! (AND IT DID HELP SOMEONE)

 

Well, this has wasted has a lot of my time. Thank you DevMan5000.

Some warning about this issue here :https://docs.unity3d.com/ScriptReference/Resources.Load.html would be appreciated.

 

Thank you DevMan5000 for sharing this information!!!

 

This saved me a ton of time. Many thanks ... hopefully reigniting the thread saves some others as well.