Why defining a public LayerMask variable doesn't translate the same as defining a private where you use NameToLayer to select the correct layer?

Questions & Answers
1

I had a public variables in my script where I could select from Unity which Layer corresponded to the variable.

I decided then to switch the control to code, with a const string defining the LayerName, and a LayerMask variable to be determined on Awake() (though I moved the definitions to Start() and Update() as well, just to see if it’d fix the problem).

In a nutshell, here’s what the code would look like.

public const string grabLayer = "Grabable"; // outside of any functions
private LayerMask grabLayer; // outside of any functions

grabLayer = LayerMask.NameToLayer(grabLayer);// in Awake() or Start() or Update()

scanForItem = Physics2D.Raycast(transform.position + Vector3.up, Vector3.right * transform.localScale.x, grabbingDistance, grabLayer); // in Update()

I have the same issue with a Phyisics2D.OverlapCircle.
When I write to the console the LayerMask index it properly shows the value for the same layer I was choosing from the inspector when the variable was public.

Is there anything in particular in the way the Physics2D class treats layers that would make it treat public / private LayerMasks differently?

2

The LayerMask.NameToLayer method returns the “index” of the layer with that name, not a layermask. A LayerMask is a bitmask. You can turn an index into a vitmask with only that layer by using the left-shift operator like this:

layerMask = 1 << IndexOfLayer;

For example an index of “10” would lead to a mask like this: “0x00000200” or in binary:

00000000 00000000 00000010 00000000
3

Bunny83’s pointed me in the right direction to further search the forum and get a better understanding of layer index x layer mask.
For others searching, the following thread was really useful.