Data Package

The Data package is the foundation for data-driven workflows across systems.

It is broader than catalogs. Catalogs are one part of it.

What It Covers

• data contracts (for example IData)
• cloning/validation lifecycle expectations
• DataSO workflows (default vs actual data for play mode)
• JSON copy/paste authoring workflows in inspector (via IDataSerializer)
• key-based references (CatalogKey)
• catalog interfaces and providers (ICatalog, IAssetCatalog, AssetCatalog<T>)
• editor integrations for safer authoring and better inspector UX

Design Goals

• keep runtime data simple and serializable
• avoid hard scene/asset coupling in gameplay models
• make data authoring friendly in inspector
• support future import pipelines (local JSON, remote JSON/web content)

Why Teams Use It

• Cleaner saves and diffs: mostly primitives and strings in serialized data
• Flexible providers: you can swap where values come from without changing data schema
• Better authoring flow: key fields can still provide preview and picker UX
• Scalable content: external data pipelines can target stable key formats

Typical Stack

1. Data model stores ids/keys.
2. Catalog/provider services register at startup.
3. Runtime and editor resolve keys to actual values.
4. UI/gameplay consume resolved values.

DataSO: Default vs Actual (Play Mode Friendly)

DataSO<T> maintains two copies of the same data:

• Default: the authoring baseline (what you ship / want to reset to)
• Actual: the runtime working copy (what gameplay mutates)

This gives you a clean workflow:

• tweak defaults in edit mode
• freely mutate actual values during play mode
• optionally reset actual values on each play session start

Reset-on-start behavior

If Reset on Start is enabled, entering play mode clones:

default -> actual

This is done via IData.CloneData() to avoid shared references.

Why this matters

• avoids “play mode polluted my asset” problems
• supports rapid iteration (play, test, reset)
• keeps runtime state isolated from the authored baseline

JSON Copy/Paste + Preview (Inspector Tooling)

The DataSO inspector supports:

• Copy JSON (default or actual tab)
• Paste JSON (into default or actual)
• JSON Preview foldout

This workflow is powered by IDataSerializer, resolved via ServiceLocator.

Practical uses

• bulk edit data using external tools
• quickly diff / review data changes
• import data from web/remote JSON by pasting payloads during development

If IDataSerializer isn’t registered yet, the JSON preview/buttons will warn instead of throwing.

Related Pages

• Data Catalogs
• CatalogKey
• Service Locator