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SoapKit Asset Creator

The SoapKit Asset Creator is a productivity powerhouse that streamlines the creation of Variables and Events. Instead of manually creating assets one-by-one, the Asset Creator templating, and intelligent naming conventions.

Opening the Asset Creator​

Access the Asset Creator through Unity's menu:

Tools > SoapKit > Asset Creator

Creation Modes​

The Asset Creator provides three creation modes to fit different workflows:

1. Default Asset Creation​

Perfect for creating default assets with full customization:

Default Asset Creation

Features:

  • Type Selection: Choose from all available Variable and Event types
  • Custom Naming: Set specific names with validation
  • Folder Selection: Choose exact location in project hierarchy
  • Values: Set default values for variables
  • Constraints: Configure min/max values and validation rules

Example: Creating a Health Variable

Asset Type: IntVariable
Name: PlayerHealth
Location: Assets/Data/Variables/Player/
Value: 100
Min Value: 0
Max Value: 100
Description: "Player's current health points"

2. Custom Asset Creation​

Create your own custom variable and event types with specialized behavior:

Custom Creation

Features:

  • Custom Variable Types: Create variables with specialized operations and constraints
  • Custom Event Types: Design events for complex data structures
  • Advanced Validation: Implement custom validation logic
  • Type-Safe Generation: Automatic code generation with proper typing
  • Integration Ready: Full compatibility with SoapKit debugging tools

Custom Creation Process:

  1. Choose Base Type: Select Variable or Event as foundation
  2. Define Data Structure: Create your custom data struct/class
  3. Add Custom Operations: Implement specialized methods
  4. Configure Validation: Set up custom validation rules
  5. Generate Code: Asset Creator generates the complete implementation
  6. Integration: Seamlessly works with all SoapKit tools

💡 Tip: For detailed examples of custom variables and events, see the Variables System and Events System documentation.

3. Template Creation​

Use predefined templates for common game systems:

Template Creation

Built-in Templates:

  • Player System: Health, Mana, XP, Level variables + related events
  • Inventory System: Item count, capacity variables + item events
  • UI System: Menu states, button events, display variables
  • Audio System: Volume controls, sound trigger events
  • Game State: Pause, menu, game over states and transitions

Custom Templates: Create your own templates for reuse across projects:

{
  "name": "RPG Character Template",
  "description": "Complete RPG character with stats and events",
  "variables": [
    { "type": "IntVariable", "name": "{CharacterName}Health", "min": 0, "max": 100 },
    { "type": "IntVariable", "name": "{CharacterName}Mana", "min": 0, "max": 50 },
    { "type": "IntVariable", "name": "{CharacterName}Strength", "min": 1, "max": 20 },
    { "type": "IntVariable", "name": "{CharacterName}Intelligence", "min": 1, "max": 20 }
  ],
  "events": [
    { "type": "IntGameEvent", "name": "On{CharacterName}HealthChanged" },
    { "type": "UnitGameEvent", "name": "On{CharacterName}Died" },
    { "type": "IntGameEvent", "name": "On{CharacterName}LevelUp" }
  ]
}

Advanced Features​

Smart Naming​

The Asset Creator includes intelligent naming features:

Auto-Completion:

  • Type Player → suggests PlayerHealth, PlayerMana, PlayerLevel
  • Type Enemy → suggests EnemyHealth, EnemyDamage, EnemySpeed
  • Type Game → suggests GameScore, GameTime, GameState

Naming Conventions:

// Variables: PascalCase nouns
PlayerHealth ✅
playerhealth ❌
player_health ❌

// Events: PascalCase with "On" prefix
OnPlayerDied ✅
PlayerDied ❌
onplayerdied ❌

Pattern Expansion:

Input Pattern: "Level{1-5}Score"
Generated Names:
- Level1Score
- Level2Score  
- Level3Score
- Level4Score
- Level5Score

Folder Organization​

Auto-Organization: The Asset Creator automatically organizes assets into logical folder structures:

Assets/Data/
├── Variables/
│   ├── Player/
│   │   ├── PlayerHealth.asset
│   │   ├── PlayerMana.asset
│   │   └── PlayerExperience.asset
│   ├── Game/
│   │   ├── GameScore.asset
│   │   ├── GameTime.asset
│   │   └── IsPaused.asset
│   └── UI/
│       ├── MenuIndex.asset
│       └── VolumeLevel.asset
└── Events/
    ├── Player/
    │   ├── OnPlayerDied.asset
    │   ├── OnHealthChanged.asset
    │   └── OnLevelUp.asset
    ├── Game/
    │   ├── OnGameStart.asset
    │   ├── OnGameEnd.asset
    │   └── OnPauseToggle.asset
    └── UI/
        ├── OnMenuChanged.asset
        └── OnButtonClicked.asset

Custom Folder Rules:

// Configure in Asset Creator Settings
Variables → "Assets/Data/Variables/{Category}/"
Events → "Assets/Data/Events/{Category}/"
Custom Types → "Assets/Data/Custom/{Type}/"

Validation and Error Prevention​

Name Validation:

  • Duplicate Detection: Prevents creating assets with existing names
  • Reserved Words: Avoids Unity and C# reserved keywords
  • Character Validation: Ensures valid filename characters
  • Length Limits: Prevents overly long asset names

Type Validation:

  • Constraint Checking: Validates min/max values make sense
  • Reference Validation: Ensures linked assets exist
  • Circular Reference Detection: Prevents problematic dependencies

Example Validation Messages:

❌ "Health" already exists in Assets/Data/Variables/Player/
❌ "class" is a reserved keyword and cannot be used
❌ "Player@Health" contains invalid characters (@)
✅ "PlayerHealth" is available and valid

Asset Configuration​

The Asset Creator provides intuitive configuration options for all asset types:

Configuration Features:

  • Smart Defaults: Sensible default values based on asset type
  • Constraint Setting: Set min/max values, length limits, and validation rules
  • Category Organization: Automatically organize assets by type and purpose
  • Description Fields: Add documentation for team collaboration
  • Tag System: Tag assets for easy searching and filtering

Quick Configuration:

✅ Use descriptive names (PlayerHealth vs Health)
✅ Set appropriate constraints (health 0-100, not 0-99999)
✅ Add meaningful descriptions for team members
✅ Organize with consistent folder structure
✅ Use tags for cross-cutting concerns (debug, core, ui)

💡 Detailed Configuration: For comprehensive configuration examples, see Variables System and Events System documentation.

Performance Considerations​

Asset Loading: The Asset Creator optimizes for fast project loading:

  • Lazy Loading: Assets loaded only when needed
  • Reference Caching: Efficient reference resolution
  • Minimal Dependencies: Clean asset dependency graphs

Memory Usage​

Asset Memory Profile:

IntVariable: ~40 bytes
FloatVariable: ~44 bytes
StringVariable: ~48 bytes + string length
Vector3Variable: ~56 bytes
GameEvent<T>: ~32 bytes + listener overhead

Optimization Tips:

  • Use appropriate types (prefer int over float when possible)
  • Avoid overly long string initial values
  • Group related assets in same folders for better loading

Advanced Workflows​

Game System Templates​

Create Complete Game Systems with One Click:

The Asset Creator includes professionally designed templates for common game systems:

Available Templates:

  • Health System - Player health, damage, healing, and death events
  • Inventory System - Item management, capacity, and transaction events
  • Input System - Input handling, key bindings, and controller events
  • Audio System - Volume controls, sound triggers, and music management
  • Settings System - Graphics, audio, and gameplay configuration
  • UI System - Menu states, navigation, and display variables

💡 Template Details: For complete template breakdowns and usage examples, see Variables System Templates and Events System Templates.

Performance Issues​

Memory Management:

  • Clear asset creator cache regularly: Tools > SoapKit > Clear Cache
  • Close Asset Creator window when not in use

The Asset Creator transforms the tedious process of manual asset creation into an efficient, error-free workflow. Master these techniques to dramatically speed up your SOAP development!

Next Steps: