Script for generating ShadowCaster2Ds for Tilemaps

Thank you for your kind words!

 

Miracles happen i guess!

 

Hello ThundThund,

Your shadow casters have been in my project for a long time, and now it is time for me to build my project and sadly it doesn't work. I saw above that you replied to someone saying that you have added the compiler definitions but it still doesn't work for me.

At its current stage, I have this line while generating my world:

Code (CSharp):

1. ShadowCaster2DGenerator.GenerateShadowCasters();

and it works perfectly. But when I try to build it doesn't work. I get this error when I press build:

Code (CSharp):

1.  'ShadowCaster2DGenerator' does not contain a definition for 'GenerateShadowCasters'

I see you have attached a separate script, saying it is to generate it on Awake(), but that one doesn't work for me when I attach that to my "Wall" game object, which holds the tilemap for the walls. What are my options here?

 

Hi Ziberian, what problem are you finding when attaching the second script? What happens if you call ShadowCaster2DGenerator.GenerateTilemapShadowCasters() with your arguments for each tilemap?

 

This seems to have done the trick, thank you very much <3:

 

Hello ThundThund, how are you?

I'm with a project here trying to accomplish things with shadows. When I attach your script to an Tilemap in my project, it says: "Can't add script behaviour ShadowCaster2DExtensions. The script class can't be abstract!" You know how to deal with this?

 

Hi AlefN7, that's a static class, it just contains extension methods. You have to add the other class, TilemapShadowCaster2D.

 

I'm using two tilemaps, one for the walls which have a composite collider and a shadowcaster2D for generating shadows and a floor tilemap.

 

It worked perfectly without much trouble! You are a lifesaver

 

Still to this day this is very helpful! Using it in my 2022.1 project successfully.

I did have one issue where the generated Shadow Caster 2Ds weren't matching the tilemap. Turns out that it doesn't seem to accommodate a custom scale on my tilemaps. I added a quick line to 146 of ShadowCaster2DGenerator.cs to resolve this:

Code (CSharp):

1. newShadowCaster.transform.localScale = new Vector3(1 / collider.transform.localScale.x, 1 / collider.transform.localScale.y, 1 / collider.transform.localScale.z);

 

Seems to work well. Thank you for doing this; it's pretty crazy to think that the Unity devs haven't added shadowcaster functionality to tilemaps by now. It's just such a basic thing imo. Basic as in it should have been at the top of their priority list.

 

I can't understand that either.

 

I would like to thank you very much for this script! Without it, I would not have been able to realize my goal.

Because I needed a little to get everything running, I have written a step by step guide:

1. choose your tilemap from the hierarchy.
2. if you already have "ShadowCaster2D" here, remove it. They will be created automatically later.
3. add Composite Collider2D, but keep the Tilemap Collider 2D.
4. a Rigidbody 2D is created, set Body Type to "Static".
5. check "Used by Composite" in Tilemap Collider 2D.
6. create a new C# script, paste the first code from post 1. Save it. Confirm the query.
7. in the Unity top bar now you will find a "Tools" tab, select "Generates ShadowCasters 2D" from there.

If your tilemap collider does not perfectly match the shape of the tiles, follow the instructions on this page: https://docs.unity3d.com/Manual/CustomPhysicsShape.html

 

Nice, I've added your post to the OP. I don't know how to quote posts so I just put the link there.

 

@MelvMay Is that also part of the new 2022 LTS version by any chance?

 

Unfortunately, it isn't since URP 15 is available only in 2023.1.