Introducing DataContainers

[MiquelBarbara]

Description

This PR introduces a new type of asset called DataContainers, designed to mimic the behavior of Unity’s ScriptableObjects.

The main goal is to provide a centralized way to modify enemy (and other gameplay) configuration without needing to recreate prefabs, enabling faster iteration during testing and balancing phases.

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Changes

New Asset Type: DataContainers

• Added a new asset type called DataContainer.

• DataContainers allow configuration data to be stored independently from prefabs and scripts.

• This enables:

  • Centralized configuration changes
  • Faster iteration during testing
  • Decoupling configuration from implementation

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Creating a DataContainer

To create a new DataContainer:

1. Define a class that inherits from DataContainer.
2. Declare and expose the required configuration fields, following the same exposure pattern used for Scripts.

Example:

#pragma once

#include "DataContainerAPI.h"

class BoundConfig : public DataContainer
{
    DECLARE_DATACONTAINER(BoundConfig)

public:
    BoundConfig() = default;
    explicit BoundConfig(AssetReference& id)
        : DataContainer(id)
    {
    }

    float m_minDistance = 70.0f;
    float m_distanceDamage = 80.0f;
    float m_distanceInstaKill = 100.0f;
    float m_baseDamage = 20.0f;
    float m_maxDamage = 40.0f;
    float m_radiusThreshold = 2.0f;

    IMPLEMENT_DATACONTAINER_FIELDS(BoundConfig,
        SERIALIZED_FLOAT(m_minDistance, "Min Distance", 0.0f, 200.0f, 1.0f),
        SERIALIZED_FLOAT(m_distanceDamage, "Damage Distance", 0.0f, 200.0f, 1.0f),
        SERIALIZED_FLOAT(m_distanceInstaKill, "Insta Kill Distance", 0.0f, 200.0f, 1.0f),
        SERIALIZED_FLOAT(m_baseDamage, "Base Damage", 0.0f, 100.0f, 1.0f),
        SERIALIZED_FLOAT(m_maxDamage, "Max Damage", 0.0f, 100.0f, 1.0f),
        SERIALIZED_FLOAT(m_radiusThreshold, "Radius Threshold", 0.0f, 10.0f, 0.1f)
    )
};

IMPLEMENT_DATACONTAINER(BoundConfig)

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Using DataContainers in Scripts

• Scripts can reference DataContainers using the ScriptDataContainerRef wrapper.

• This enables drag-and-drop assignment of configuration assets.

• Benefits:

  • Full decoupling between configuration and logic

  • Support for inheritance, allowing:

    • Base configurations shared across multiple scripts
    • Specialized configurations that extend the base data

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Editor Integration

• Once the .h file is created, new DataContainers of the available types can be created from the Assets menu (top-left).

• Added a new editor window:

  • WindowDataContainerManager

• This window provides centralized, global management of all DataContainers in the project.