Making Blocks appear from a matrix

I’m trying to have a prefab object instantiate itself when two adjacent numbers within a matrix both equal 0. So far, I’ve been able to get the attached code to do so, the issue is getting it to stop. When the code runs, it runs nonstop and quickly fills up thousands of generated objects, as opposed to the three or four random placements I was looking for. As far as I can tell, it’s getting stuck within its own if function and nothing I do can break it out of it. Does anyone have a clue on how I could get this code to run through the matrix once, then go dormant.

Fair warning if you consider testing it yourself, I suggest hitting the pause button as soon as you’re able, otherwise it’ll slow the entire program to a halt and the only way to stop it is by force quitting.

using UnityEngine;
public class SensorPlacement : MonoBehaviour
{
public GameObject prefabObject;
public float spacing = 1.0f; // Adjust the spacing between prefab objects
private int[ ] sensorReadings;
private int nSensors;
private bool[ ] objectInstantiatedFlags;
private int consecutiveConditionsMet; // New counter variable
void Start()
{
nSensors = 16; // Adjust this based on your actual number of sensors
sensorReadings = new int[nSensors];
objectInstantiatedFlags = new bool[nSensors - 1];
consecutiveConditionsMet = 0; // Initialize the counter
// Call the method to initialize the array of object flags
InitializeObjectFlags();
}
void Update()
{
// Check for changes in sensor readings
for (int i = 0; i < nSensors; i++)
{
sensorReadings = Random.Range(0, 2); // Simulating sensor readings (replace with actual readings)
}
// Check adjacent spaces and instantiate/delete prefab objects accordingly
for (int i = 0; i < nSensors - 1; i++)
{
if (sensorReadings == 0 && sensorReadings[i + 1] == 0)
{
// If both adjacent spaces are 0 and the flag is not set, instantiate prefab object
if (!objectInstantiatedFlags*)*
{
Vector3 position = new Vector3(0, 0.5f, (i + 0.5f) * spacing - 15);
Instantiate(prefabObject, position, Quaternion.identity);
objectInstantiatedFlags = true; // Set the flag to indicate object instantiation
consecutiveConditionsMet++; // Increment the counter
}
}
else
{
// If either of the adjacent spaces is not 0, reset the flag
objectInstantiatedFlags = false;
}
}
}
// Method to initialize the array of object flags
void InitializeObjectFlags()
{
for (int i = 0; i < nSensors - 1; i++)
{
objectInstantiatedFlags = false;
}
}
}

If you post a code snippet, ALWAYS USE CODE TAGS:

How to use code tags: Using code tags properly

  • Do not TALK about code without posting it.
    - Do NOT post unformatted code.
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    - ONLY post the relevant code, and then refer to it in your discussion.

Whenever you need more information about what your program is doing as well as how and where it is deviating from your expectations, that means it is…

Time to start debugging!

By debugging you can find out exactly what your program is doing so you can fix it.

Here is how you can begin your exciting new debugging adventures:

You must find a way to get the information you need in order to reason about what the problem is.

Once you understand what the problem is, you may begin to reason about a solution to the problem.

What is often happening in these cases is one of the following:

  • the code you think is executing is not actually executing at all
  • the code is executing far EARLIER or LATER than you think
  • the code is executing far LESS OFTEN than you think
  • the code is executing far MORE OFTEN than you think
  • the code is executing on another GameObject than you think it is
  • you’re getting an error or warning and you haven’t noticed it in the console window

To help gain more insight into your problem, I recommend liberally sprinkling Debug.Log() statements through your code to display information in realtime.

Doing this should help you answer these types of questions:

  • is this code even running? which parts are running? how often does it run? what order does it run in?
  • what are the names of the GameObjects or Components involved?
  • what are the values of the variables involved? Are they initialized? Are the values reasonable?
  • are you meeting ALL the requirements to receive callbacks such as triggers / colliders (review the documentation)

Knowing this information will help you reason about the behavior you are seeing.

You can also supply a second argument to Debug.Log() and when you click the message, it will highlight the object in scene, such as Debug.Log("Problem!",this);

If your problem would benefit from in-scene or in-game visualization, Debug.DrawRay() or Debug.DrawLine() can help you visualize things like rays (used in raycasting) or distances.

You can also call Debug.Break() to pause the Editor when certain interesting pieces of code run, and then study the scene manually, looking for all the parts, where they are, what scripts are on them, etc.

You can also call GameObject.CreatePrimitive() to emplace debug-marker-ish objects in the scene at runtime.

You could also just display various important quantities in UI Text elements to watch them change as you play the game.

Visit Google for how to see console output from builds. If you are running a mobile device you can also view the console output. Google for how on your particular mobile target, such as this answer for iOS: How To - Capturing Device Logs on iOS or this answer for Android: How To - Capturing Device Logs on Android

If you are working in VR, it might be useful to make your on onscreen log output, or integrate one from the asset store, so you can see what is happening as you operate your software.

Another useful approach is to temporarily strip out everything besides what is necessary to prove your issue. This can simplify and isolate compounding effects of other items in your scene or prefab.

If your problem is with OnCollision-type functions, print the name of what is passed in!

Here’s an example of putting in a laser-focused Debug.Log() and how that can save you a TON of time wallowing around speculating what might be going wrong:

If you are looking for how to attach an actual debugger to Unity: Unity - Manual: Debugging C# code in Unity

“When in doubt, print it out!™” - Kurt Dekker (and many others)

Note: the print() function is an alias for Debug.Log() provided by the MonoBehaviour class.

If you learn more by debugging and there is some specific thing that still seems mysterious…

How to report your problem productively in the Unity3D forums:

http://plbm.com/?p=220

This is the bare minimum of information to report:

  • what you want
  • what you tried
  • what you expected to happen
  • what actually happened, log output, variable values, and especially any errors you see
  • links to actual Unity3D documentation you used to cross-check your work (CRITICAL!!!)

The purpose of YOU providing links is to make our job easier, while simultaneously showing us that you actually put effort into the process. If you haven’t put effort into finding the documentation, why should we bother putting effort into replying?