Scene references in nested Flow

[Rami]

So bound graphs can hold references to objects in the scene, but nested flow graphs can not be bound, which means that it can not hold any scene references. Is there any way to make it work?

[Gavalakis]

Hello again,

The best way to use scene object references in nested graphs, would be to use a Blackboard variable.
Since Blackboard is a component in the scene (considering it’s not a prefab), it can hold scene object references.
You can then use that variable normally within a nested graph 🙂

Let me know if that works for you.
Thanks!

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[Rami]

The problem with that is that we have many nodes of a type that wants references to many unique objects in the scene, the Blackboard quickly becomes unmanageable when it contains many objects. Also it makes the graph more cluttered since every node that want’s a reference to a scene object now has to be accompanied by at least one Blackboard getter. Visibility and linkage is also an annoyance since just selecting a GameObject directly from the scene makes it clear what object I’m referencing vs getting a value from a blackboard variable that might have its value changed.

[Gavalakis]

Hello again Rami,

I understand what you mean, but the fact that Asset Objects (like graph assets are), can’t reference scene objects is very standard in Unity workflow and is just how Unity works in general.

With that said, one thing I am looking at, is to allow nested graphs the ability to also be bound (like the root graph is able to), but when a sub graph is bound, it defeats the purpose of it being re-usable, since a local copy is made before binding it. Thus I don’t know whether bound nested graphs will solve any problems in this case where re-usability is required in the same sense that it can be achieved now by using asset referenced nested graphs.

Let me know what you think.
Thanks.

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[dave]

Hi Gavalakis.
I also wanted to say that your suggestion of allowing bound nested graphs would be very ! welcome from my side.
Sure it wouldn’t be reusable – but that’s what a bound graph is : not reusable ( in regard to scene references ) .
That doesn’t mean that a bound graph is not reusable/useful for the workflow – one can still save it to an asset graph I hope, and maybe duplicating a bound graph inside of a FSM/BT-Canvas could keep the same scene-references ?
From my side, I would find it useful to have a “full-stack” workflow. Sometimes I even think Nodecanvas & Flowcanvas should merge into “Ultimate-Canvas”.
At least Working towards a more coherent and nonseperating bridging-Integration of these tools is always welcome from my point of view.
I don’t know how complex your engine is in the background, but proving the user options! to use it that way should be a win-win?

Greetings, David

[Gavalakis]

Hey Dave,

Thanks for your further input on the subject. Bound nested graphs never made it till now, but is still a consideration probably for v3. Keeping the same scene references when copy/pasting is what would happen anyway automatically by the system if bound graphs were possible now, so that would be easy 🙂

About Node/Flow Canvas integration, I know about your other suggestion of Action/Condition tasks to be possible to implement as flowscripts. Is there any other suggestion you might have towards that front (integration between the two) ?

Hopefully in the future Unity will allow “bundles” in the asset store.
When that comes I will remember your “Ultimate Canvas” name suggestion 🙂

Thanks!

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