Resource management and avoiding "Update"

Unity Engine
1

Hi guys. I want to avoid the “void update” since my script only needs to run when the user clicked something on the screen.

I would’ve used OnMouseDown but that would require me to do one huge collider. And besides I need “OnMouseDown” for other colliders in the scene so that’s not an option. I basically want my script to run as soon as it recognizes that something got clicked on while avoiding “void Update” since I don’t really need it to run every frame… is there such a thing?

2

yeah, OnMouseDown. I don’t see why that’s not an option just because it’s used elsewhere.

The new unity GUI system also supports events that are handled in an event driven manner as well.

3

Because imagine I have a bunch of objects in the scene. Each of those objects have a collider and a OnMouseDown script attached to them. Now I want a UI text script I have to only be activated once the player has clicked the mouse. If I use an OnMouseDown it wouldn’t work without a collider. If I put a collider it will block the other colliders.

4

Create a GameObject with a script that watches for the click - destroy the GameObject after the mouse is clicked.

One Update() running isn’t going to hurt your app. You’re optimizing prematurely.

5

Do you want the OnMouseDown for the other colliders to trigger even if the UI text script is in the way? As a user, I would find it confusing if I clicked on the UI text and it triggered an event on an object behind the text…

6

@ GroZZler - I accept the criticism that I might be optimizing prematurely. Still, I want to understand how to accomplish something like this. What do you mean by “watches for the click”? Can you be more specific?

@ Eisenpony - The UI text is not “in the way”, it’s always at the corner of the screen and it changes dynamically based on the clicked object.

7

Would Event Handler help in this situation?

https://unity3d.com/learn/tutorials/modules/intermediate/scripting/events

1 Like
8

Yes, I think you should use events to hook up your UI text. When the selected object changes, trigger an event on a “selection manager” or something… Have your GUI text object register with the selection manager so it receives notification a new object was selected.

9

OK, I will keep tabs on it in the future. For now as you guys said I better stick with Update since it’s my only update in the scene anyway and it makes things easier for me :slight_smile: