Random Numbers and Array Assignments

Questions & Answers
1

OK, this is most likely an easy one.

I have a gameObject with 10 children (asteroid meshes).

I have a script that “targets” any of the 10 children successfully (prints debug.log msgs saying “Asteroid Targeted”).

I also have an “AsteroidLogic” script (the targeting script reads data from this). Basically, all the Logic script does is give you a composition percentage of the asteroid (e.g: 60% noble content).

I have two problems:

1.) How do I make it so that clicking on EACH asteroid gives me DIFFERENT random values? Currently, they’re ALL saying %36 percent, or ALL saying 80%. Each roid should be different.

2.) How do I STORE these values? Should I store them in the parent object? Correlate them to unique gameObject ids? Use an array? Hash table? When I say “STORE”, I mean if someone leaves the asteroid field, and it is destroyed – but they later return to the same field. Once the prefab is re-instantiated, Ideally the values should be the same as the last visit.

I’ll point out that these two scripts are the product of other Unity Answers/Forums threads, and while they might be cool, I assure you I am not very good at this, so to get to this point was a miracle to say the least.

TARGET SCRIPT:

// Found at:
// http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/84582-Enemy-health-only-to-appear-when-target-is-clicked-on.

static var playerTarget : Transform;
function Update() {
    //check if the left mouse has been pressed down this frame
    if (Input.GetMouseButtonUp(0)) {
        //empty RaycastHit object which raycast puts the hit details into
        var hit : RaycastHit;
        //ray shooting out of the camera from where the mouse is
        var ray : Ray = Camera.main.ScreenPointToRay(Input.mousePosition);
		
        if (Physics.Raycast(ray, hit, 55000)){

        	if (hit.collider.gameObject.CompareTag("Asteroid")) {
        		//print out the name if the raycast hits something
        		playerTarget = hit.collider.transform;
        		var mf: MeshFilter = playerTarget.GetComponent(MeshFilter);
				bounds = mf.mesh.bounds;
				corners = new Vector3[8];
       		    var asteroidLogic : AsteroidLogic = gameObject.GetComponent("AsteroidLogic");
        		var objectName : AsteroidLogic  = gameObject.GetComponent("AsteroidLogic");
        		   	Debug.Log( playerTarget.name + " is " + asteroidLogic.worthyCompoundRemainder + " percent noble, " + hit.distance + " meters." );
        			}
        			else {
         			Debug.Log(hit.collider.name + " no tag");
        		}
     	}
   } 
}

ASTEROID LOGIC script:

static var worthyCompoundRemainder : int;
static var objectName : String;
static var inertCompoundPercentage = Random.Range(0, 100);

function Start () {
}

function Update () {
		for(var n = 0; n < 10; n++) {
	    	worthyCompoundRemainder = 100 - inertCompoundPercentage;
		}
}

I would love any help, thanks!

PS - edited with help from Eric5h5 to be more visually pleasing.

2 
static var inertCompoundPercentage = Random.Range(0, 100);

You'll only ever have one value of this variable at one time. If you want each asteroid to have it's own value, don't make this and your `worthyCompoundRemainder` static.

For taking the values between visits, however, you could use a static variable in the form of a collection or list. For a good run down of which type you should use, check out this wiki entry. It depends on what kind of data you want to hold on to.

3

Unfortunately, doing that breaks the whole thing.

Updated AsteroidLogic.js:

var worthyCompoundRemainder : int;
static var objectName : String;
var inertCompoundPercentage = Random.Range(0, 100);

function Start () {
}

function Update () {
		for(var n = 0; n < 10; n++) {
	    	worthyCompoundRemainder = 100 - inertCompoundPercentage;
		}
}

I now get this over and over once PLAY is hit:

ArgumentException: RandomRangeInt  can only be called from the main thread.
Constructors and field initializers will be executed from the loading thread when loading a scene.
Don't use this function in the constructor or field initializers, instead move initialization code to the Awake or Start function.
UnityEngine.Random.Range (Int32 min, Int32 max)
AsteroidLogic..ctor () (at Assets/Scripts/AsteroidLogic.js:4)

Thanks,

4

var worthyCompoundRemainder : int; //public but not static
var objectName : String; //as of now you’re not doing anything with this
var inertCompoundPercentage : int; //public but not static

function Start () {
    inertCompoundPercentage = Random.Range(0, 100);   //make sure random code is in it's proper place (i.e. here)
    worthyCompoundRemainder = 100 - inertCompoundPercentage;
}

function Update () {
    //whatever other logic you want your asteroids to have
}

This code needs to be attached to each asteroid gameObject.

Sorry for that comment above; it’s not a very good (or accurate) explanation. It was my end of day and my brain was a little fried.

Taking another look through your amassed code, there’s a number of things going wrong. In your targeting script, you’re calling var asteroidLogic : AsteroidLogic = gameObject.GetComponent("AsteroidLogic"); which, if this script is attached to each asteroid, would be fine. I suspect this is not the case, however as this targeting script looks like it’s supposed to be associated with the camera or some player-type object. That code is assuming that there’s a component called “AsteroidLogic” attached to the current gameObject and, if that’s not the case, will assign a null value to it (leading to the null reference exception you see when you try to call on it below).

var playerTarget : GameObject;

function Update() {
    //check if the left mouse has been pressed down this frame
    if (Input.GetMouseButtonDown(0)) {
        //empty RaycastHit object which raycast puts the hit details into
        var hit : RaycastHit;         //pretty sure you don't actually need this
        //ray shooting out of the camera from where the mouse is
        var ray : Ray = Camera.main.ScreenPointToRay(Input.mousePosition);

        if (Physics.Raycast(ray, hit, 55000)){

            if (hit.collider.gameObject.CompareTag("Asteroid")) {
                //print out the name if the raycast hits something
                playerTarget = hit.collider.gameObject;

                var mf: MeshFilter = playerTarget.GetComponent(MeshFilter);
                bounds = mf.mesh.bounds;
                corners = new Vector3[8]; // not sure what all this stuff is doing

                var asteroidLogic : AsteroidLogic = 
                                         gameObject.GetComponent("AsteroidLogic");
                Debug.Log( playerTarget.name + " is " + 
                           asteroidLogic.worthyCompoundRemainder 
                           + " percent noble, " + hit.distance + " meters." );
                }
            else {
                    Debug.Log(hit.collider.name + " no tag");
            }
        }
    } 
}