Bool on an instantiated prefab

Asset & Content Management
1

Hi!
I have a bool set to true on a script attached to a “shield” prefab.

shielding = true;

public float lifeTime;

void update()
{
shielding = true;

lifeTime -=Time.Delta.time

if lifeTime <= 0
  {
destroy(gameObject)
   }
}

Its a “shield” gameobject that is instantiated through a controller script and destroys itself after a certain time. Im trying to access this bool in a health manager so while the prefab exists a bool in that script is also set to true. It seems that the traditional GetComponent<> doesnt work on prefabs (clones)?

Problem with setting bool on instantiated object
2

With prefabs you want to access this in a certain way. GetComponent on the prefab should work but I would do it this way. When instantiating the prefab you can also assign it to an object, as shown here.

GameObject shield = Instantiate(prefab, Vector3.Zero, Quaternion.identity) as GameObject;

The reason we write ‘as GameObject’ or alternatively ‘(GameObject) Instaniate();’ is to convert the Object type given by Instantiate into a GameObject type in which we can use all of our regular stuff you would expect from a GameObject.

You then can simply access the Boolean by doing:

shield.shielding = false;
3

@DaedricWolf19 , shield will be typed as GameObject, so that won’t compile. Casting to GameObject is also not neccessary from 5.5 and forward, as there’s a generic overload.

@gfvanillah , could you post the code where you’re trying to access the script? It should work as usual.

4 
public bool shielding = true; // needs to be public to access from other scripts
public float lifeTime;

void update()
{
shielding = true;  // every frame you are resetting this to true,  I don't think you need to do this.

lifeTime -=Time.Delta.time

if lifeTime <= 0
  {
destroy(gameObject)
   }
}

from a second script that would access the bool you need to something like
GameObject shield = GameObject.Find(“name of gameObject that is the shield”);
Debug.Log(shield.GetComponent<“name of the scipt that stores shielding bool”>().shielding);
if(shield.GetComponent<“name of the scipt that stores shielding bool”>().shielding)
{
//do stuff
}

5

Let’s just nip that advice in the bud: don’t use GameObject.Find.

6

Yup, @johne5 , GameObject.Find is a horrible bit of advice.

You did spot the issue, though - if OP’s issue is that their code’s not compiling when they’re accessing .shielding, it’s due to it being private.

7

To get the component on a prefab, just reference it when you Instantiate it, like so;

GameObject shield = Instantiate(prefab, Vector3.Zero, Quaternion.identity)

shield.GetComponent<ClassWithPublicShieldingBool>().shielding = true;

Although is it ever set to false when the object is active? If not, then why is it required?

8

@Baste I know it is bad practice. but for a noob. it’s easier to understand so that’s why I use in the forums. I took me time to figure out that I need to create a variable and do the getComponent in the Start() or Awake()

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