GetComponent noob fail

Scripting
1

I’m almost embarrassed to ask this, since it is so basic, but it seems as if I’m missing something fundamental here so I thought I’d ask.

I have not been able to reference a script dynamically. For example:

function OnMouseDown(){

transform.Find("Player").GetComponent(PlayerController).target = transform;

}

Yields,

NullReferenceException
EnemyController.OnMouseDown () (at Assets\Scripts\Controllers\EnemyController.js:7)
UnityEngine.GameObject:SendMessage(String, Object, SendMessageOptions)
UnityEngine.GameObject:SendMessage(String, Object, SendMessageOptions)
UnityEngine.MouseOverPair:SendMessage(String)
UnityEngine.SendMouseEvents:smile:oSendMouseEvents()

Basically, I always get a NullReferenceException when using GetComponent. What am I doing wrong

2

I’m not sure, but here are some thoughts.

“transform.Find” locates a child. “gameObject.Find” locates another game object. The way it’s written, I think “Player” has to be a child of the object this script is attached to.

I searched for “PlayerController” in the Unity Script Reference and came back with nothing. Do you mean CharacterController?

If you have a script named “PlayerController”, it needs to have a variable named “target”. (I didn’t see a CharacterController.target property.)

(These responses may be ridiculous. It’s first thing Monday morning.)

3

As you say,PlayerController is my own script possessing variable “target”.

Replacing transform.Find with gameObject.Find fixed the problem.

Seems important to know, so thanks!

4

Yeah, I’m glad you replied. Someone else will have this same problem, so it’s great to know the solution!