Why dose 'LayerMask' does not contain a definition for 'GetComponent'

Unity Engine
, ,
1

I am trying to call a function from another script but it gives me the error cs1061 at “GetComponent” line 46

Code for reference:


using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using UnityEngine;

public class enemu : MonoBehaviour
{
    public SpriteRenderer SP;
    public int maxHealth = 100;
    private int currentHealth;
    public LayerMask player;
    public float attackRate = 2f;
    private float nextAttackTime = 0f;

    void Start()
    {
        currentHealth = maxHealth;
    }

    
    void Update()
    {
        
    }

    public void TakeDamage(int damage)
    {
        currentHealth =currentHealth - damage;
        Debug.Log("enemy Health = " + currentHealth);
        if (currentHealth <= 0f)
        {
            Died();
        }
    }

    private void Died()
    {
        Debug.Log("Enemy Died");
        GetComponent<Collider2D>().enabled = false;
        this.enabled = false;
        SP.enabled = false;

    }

    private void Attack()
    {
        player.GetComponent<CombatPlayer>().PlayerTakeDamage(10);
    }
}
2

You can fix your own typing mistakes. Here’s how:

Remember: NOBODY here memorizes error codes. That’s not a thing. The error code is absolutely the least useful part of the error. It serves no purpose at all. Forget the error code. Put it out of your mind.

The complete error message contains everything you need to know to fix the error yourself.

The important parts of the error message are:

  • the description of the error itself (google this; you are NEVER the first one!)
  • the file it occurred in (critical!)
  • the line number and character position (the two numbers in parentheses)
  • also possibly useful is the stack trace (all the lines of text in the lower console window)

Always start with the FIRST error in the console window, as sometimes that error causes or compounds some or all of the subsequent errors. Often the error will be immediately prior to the indicated line, so make sure to check there as well.

Look in the documentation. Every API you attempt to use is probably documented somewhere. Are you using it correctly? Are you spelling it correctly? Are you structuring the syntax correctly? Look for examples!

All of that information is in the actual error message and you must pay attention to it. Learn how to identify it instantly so you don’t have to stop your progress and fiddle around with the forum.

3

Hi!

I think that GetComponent() can only be called from a GameObject instance so in this case, line 46 should be:

GetComponent<CombatPlayer>().PlayerTakeDamage(10);

Now this is still not good enough as the result of GetComponent() could be NULL. After checking that it is not NULL, you may call the method PlayerTakeDamage(10) on it, assuming this is what you are trying to do.

Also good to know, a Layer is not a GameObject, it is a layer where GameObjects can reside when marked as part of that layer. There is no native way to obtain a GameObject related to a specific layer or tag. If what you are trying to do is access a GameObject called “Player” located in your scene, its layer is useless, instead:

Create a new field of type GameObject like this, let’s say on line 13:

public GameObject Player;

Then when you attach that script to a GameObject in the scene graph (the hierarchy window), drag and drop your Player GameObject to the now visible property in the inspector called “Player”.