Base Classes

SOAR provides a set of pre-defined, concrete "Base Classes" for its core features, such as Variable, GameEvent, and Collection. These are ready-to-use ScriptableObject assets for common data types (e.g., int, float, string, Vector3), allowing developers to use SOAR's features immediately without writing boilerplate code. They are located in the separate Soar.Base assembly, which may require adding an assembly definition reference.

Using Base Classes

To use the pre-defined Base Classes, make sure that the project's assembly definition file (.asmdef) has a reference to Soar.Base.

1. Locate the Assembly Definition File: Find the .asmdef file in the project that governs the scripts where Base Classes would be used. If there's none, create one by right-clicking in the Project window and selecting Create > Assembly Definition.

2. Add the Reference: Select the .asmdef file to open it in the Inspector. In the "Assembly Definition References" section, click the + button and add Soar.Base.

   4 3. Apply Changes: Click "Apply" to save the changes.

Once the reference is added, create instances of these Base Classes directly from the Unity Editor's context menu.

Default Assembly-CSharp

If there are no specified asmdef file on the project, SOAR's Base Classes can be automatically referenced by scripts. This is pretty useful for prototyping, but not recommended for production.

Available Base Classes

The Base Classes are organized in the Assets > Create > SOAR menu, under their respective feature categories.

GameEvents

Parameterless and typed GameEvents for common data types can be found under Assets > Create > SOAR > Game Events.

• Parameterless:
  • GameEvent (for simple signals)
• Primitive Types:
  • BoolGameEvent
  • ByteGameEvent
  • DoubleGameEvent
  • FloatGameEvent
  • IntGameEvent
  • LongGameEvent
  • StringGameEvent
• Unity Types:
  • AudioClipGameEvent
  • GameObjectGameEvent
  • PoseGameEvent
  • QuaternionGameEvent
  • Texture2DGameEvent
  • Vector2GameEvent
  • Vector3GameEvent

These are useful for broadcasting events like "PlayerDied" (GameEvent), "ItemCollected" (StringGameEvent with item name), or "PlaySound" (AudioClipGameEvent).

Variables

Commonly used variable types are available under Assets > Create > SOAR > Variables.

• Primitive Types:
  • BoolVariable
  • ByteVariable
  • DoubleVariable
  • FloatVariable
  • IntVariable
  • LongVariable
  • StringVariable
• Unity Types:
  • CameraVariable
  • ColorVariable
  • GameObjectVariable
  • PoseVariable
  • QuaternionVariable
  • TransformVariable
  • Vector2Variable
  • Vector3Variable

These variables can be used to store and react to changes in shared data, such as player health (FloatVariable), score (IntVariable), or player name (StringVariable).

Collections (Lists)

SOAR provides pre-defined list collections under Assets > Create > SOAR > Lists.

• Primitive Types:
  • BoolList
  • ByteList
  • DoubleList
  • FloatList
  • IntList
  • LongList
  • StringList
• Unity Types:
  • AudioClipList
  • ColorList
  • PoseList
  • QuaternionList
  • SpriteList
  • Vector2List
  • Vector3List

These lists are useful for managing dynamic collections of items, such as a list of active enemies (GameObjectList), a playlist of songs (AudioClipList), or a sequence of tutorial steps (StringList).

Dictionary as Custom Class only

Currently, only List collections are provided as Base Classes. For Dictionary collections, create custom class inheriting from SoarDictionary<TKey, TValue>.

Transactions

Base Transaction types are available under Assets > Create > SOAR > Transactions.

• Parameterless:
  • Transaction (for simple request-response signals)
• Symmetric Typed:
  • BoolTransaction
  • ByteTransaction
  • DoubleTransaction
  • FloatTransaction
  • IntTransaction
  • LongTransaction
  • PoseTransaction
  • QuaternionTransaction
  • StringTransaction
  • Vector2Transaction
  • Vector3Transaction

These transactions use the same type for both the request and the response (eg., IntTransaction is Transaction<int, int>). They are useful for operations that take a value, process it, and return a modified value of the same type. For asymmetric typed create custom class that inherits from Transaction<TRequest, TResponse> as necessary.

Creating Custom Classes

While SOAR provides a wide range of Base Classes, a custom data types specific to the project are often required. This process is straightforward and follows the same pattern for all SOAR features.

For example, to create a Variable for a custom PlayerData struct:

1. Define the Data Type: Make sure custom data type is [Serializable].

   // File: PlayerData.cs
   using System;
   
   [Serializable]
   public struct PlayerData
   {
       public string name;
       public int level;
       public float health;
   }
   

2. Create the Variable Class: Create a new class that inherits from Variable<T>.

   // File: PlayerDataVariable.cs
   using Soar;
   using Soar.Variables;
   using UnityEngine;
   
   [CreateAssetMenu(fileName = "PlayerDataVariable", menuName = MenuHelper.DefaultVariableMenu + "Player Data Variable")]
   public class PlayerDataVariable : Variable<PlayerData> { }
   

3. Create the Asset: Create PlayerDataVariable assets from the Assets > Create > SOAR > Variables > Player Data Variable menu.

This same process applies to creating custom Commands, GameEvents, Collections, and Transactions.