An Object variable could only be set by a graph while the game runs.
A placed object always showed "(null)", although the other objects of
its scene are there to choose from and the runtime can already find
any object by its id. Now the placed object stores a reference to one
of them, and the running game turns it into the real object.
- Stored as {"$object": "<id>"}. The empty placeholder stays as it
was, so old projects load unchanged and empty still means "(null)".
- The row of an Object variable on a placed object is a dropdown with
None and every object of the scene, indented like the Hierarchy.
The same goes for Object fields in structs and Object items in
lists, also in the Variables and List tabs.
- The behavior asset keeps "(null)". An asset has no scene, so "Apply
to asset" is gone from Object rows.
- The runtime resolves the reference when the Variables or Properties
node reads it. A destroyed target reads as null, a missing one shows
"(missing)" in the row.
- Inside a container only objects of the same container are offered.
The reference keeps the template id, so every placement finds its
own copy.
- Deleting the target clears the reference in the same undo step.
Paste points references inside the pasted group at the copies and
leaves outside references alone. Create container and Unpack carry
references along with the new ids.
- A value a graph writes while running stays in the run. The scene
keeps the picked object, also in "Run in editor".
Found on the way:
- Setting an override coerced every object slot to empty, in plain
values, struct fields and list items. The shared objectPlace() now
keeps the reference.
Not done:
- No eyedropper to pick in the scene, the dropdown is enough for now.
- Deleting a template object in the container editor does not clean up
references in other scenes. They read as null there.
Tests:
- ./check.sh: 187 files, 2724 tests, CHECK EXIT 0
- e2e 1-9, 51, 57: ALL PASSED, 389 checks
- e2e 1, 57 on the final bundle: ALL PASSED, 17 checks
- 13 unit tests in object-references.test.ts, 5 checks in e2e 57
- Counter-checks: 8 unit breaks fail their tests, the browser break
without a pick list fails 57b-57d
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Structs and lists were capped at two fixed levels (list of structs,
struct with a list field). Anything deeper was dropped silently on
load, in node settings and when written to a variable. The cap came
from an early design choice, not from a technical need, so it is
lifted completely instead of adding a third fixed level.
- One kind list NESTED_KINDS replaces ListItemKind and
StructFieldKind. The flat special cases in listItems.ts are gone,
every value goes through one recursive path.
- A struct inside a struct is declared, like a top-level struct.
Values coming in over an edge are brought into that shape. Struct
items in lists still take their fields from the value.
- New valuePath.ts addresses any nested spot by keys and indices.
ListSlot.field is now ListSlot.path.
- Field commands (add, rename, remove) take the path to the struct.
They change declaration, own value and all overrides in one undo
step, as before on the top level.
- Inspector: "+ Field" offers Struct and List on every level. A
nested struct is a header row with its own "+ Field", its fields
are indented one step further.
- List tab: a list item shows "n items" and opens one level deeper.
The title shows the path, e.g. "Listy · nums · [3]".
- Pack in Pack now writes a struct into a struct field instead of
text. Objects are kept at any depth and stripped at every exit.
- A list edit in a struct field without an existing object override
now starts from the shown value instead of an empty struct.
- Old projects load unchanged. Save, load and save again gives the
same result.
Tests:
- ./check.sh: 172 files, 2498 tests, CHECK EXIT 0
- e2e 21 + 22: ALL PASSED, 90 checks (new 21d-iii, 22f-ii,
21d and 22f updated)
- 20 new unit tests in nested-values.test.ts and
nested-list-slot.test.ts, three tests that pinned the old cap
turned around
- 6 counter-probes, each fails 1 to 8 tests, originals restored
and checked with cmp
- Not covered: a nested struct inside a struct item in the list
tab has no e2e click
Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
adminandClaude Opus 5.5