Serialization and object references

Consider the following example :

Code (csharp):

1. [Serializable]
2. public class ClassA : ScriptableObject
3. {
4.     [SerializeField]
5.     ClassB[] mBs;
6. }
7.  
8. [Serializable]
9. public class ClassB
10. {
11.     [SerializeField]
12.     int mValue;
13. }
14.  
15. [Serializable]
16. public class ClassC : ScriptableObject
17. {
18.     [SerializeField]
19.     ClassB mB1;
20.     ClassB mB2;
21.  
22.     void Init ( ClassA lib, int index1, int index2 )
23.     {
24.         mB1 = lib.mBs[ index1 ];
25.         mB2 = lib.mBs[ index2 ];
26.     }
27. }

ClassA instance is the owner of ClassB instances, like a library.
ClassC instance references ClassB instances, from a ClassA instance.

Doing this at runtime and I have c.mB1 === a.mBs[ index1 ] and so for c.mB2.
But when serializing, then deserializing, it seems that it's not true anymore.
Actually, serialization makes a copy of ClassB instances and put them on ClassA and ClassC serialized objects.

I don't wanna make ClassB extend from ScriptableObject because I don't wanna have to save ClassB instances manually with AssetDatabase.AddObjectToAsset ( eachB, a ), like I do for ClassC instances, whom I want them be directly drag'n'drop-able from the Project Window.

Is there any way to force serialization to keep just a reference on a object ?

 

Old thread, completely invalid now. Youth looks terrible when I look back ^^

 

Sorry for digging up the past but I'm trying to do a similar thing whereby in a serializable object I would like to store a reference to an object in a list rather than it creating a duplicate. What has your experience taught you about this approach?