Working with Console

Chapters:

To work with console commands from the code, UnigineConsole.h must be included:

Source code (C++)

#include <UnigineConsole.h>

Calling a Console Command from Code#

To call a console command from the code, you should call the run() function.

Source code (C++)

// For example, to show messages:
Console::get()->run("show_messages 1");

Console commands (regardless of whether they were typed in the console or called from the code) cannot not be executed in the middle of the frame. Instead, they are executed in the beginning of the next frame not to interrupt the current rendering process and physics calculations.

Creating a Console Command#

Implement a callback for a console command and a method for an action performed on the console command call. Both methods should be implemented as AppWorldLogic instance methods.
Notice
If you want the console command to take more than one argument, you need to implement a separate method per each number of arguments.
Get the console instance (which has a singleton implementation) and call addCommand() to add a new command.

In the example below, a new command takes no arguments or one argument. For this, three methods are declared in the AppWorldLogic.h header file:

choose_command() calls the appropriate method for the console command.
action_no_args() is called if there are no arguments.
action_one_arg() is called if one argument has been passed.

Source code (C++)

// AppWorldLogic.h

#ifndef __APP_WORLD_LOGIC_H__
#define __APP_WORLD_LOGIC_H__

#include <UnigineLogic.h>
#include <UnigineStreams.h>

class AppWorldLogic : public Unigine::WorldLogic {

	public:
		AppWorldLogic();
		virtual ~AppWorldLogic();

		virtual int init();

		virtual int update();
		virtual int render();
		virtual int flush();

		virtual int shutdown();
		virtual int destroy();

		virtual int save(const Unigine::StreamPtr &stream);
		virtual int restore(const Unigine::StreamPtr &stream);

	private:
		// chooses the method to be run on the console command call
		void choose_command(int argc, char **argv);
		// performs an action if there are no arguments
		void action_no_args();
		// performs another action if an argument was passed
		void action_one_arg(const char *s);
};

#endif // __APP_WORLD_LOGIC_H__

The AppWorldLogic.cpp contains implementation of the declared methods:

Source code (C++)

// AppWorldLogic.cpp

#include <UnigineConsole.h>
#include <UnigineCallback.h>

using namespace Unigine;

// check the number of arguments and call the corresponding method
void AppWorldLogic::choose_command(int argc, char **argv) {
	// print all console command arguments
	// note: the first element of argv is the name of console command
	for (int i = 1; i < argc; i++) {
		Unigine::Log::message("arg[%d]: %s\n", i, argv[i]);
	}
	// if no arguments is specified
	if (argc == 1) {
		action_no_args();
	}
	// if one argument is specified
	else if (argc == 2) {
		action_one_arg(argv[1]);
	}
	// for more arguments:
	//else if (...) {
	//	// etc
	//}
}

// print the message into console, if there are no arguments
void AppWorldLogic::action_no_args() {
	Unigine::Log::message("first action! no arguments!\n");
}
// print the message into console, if one argument has been passed
void AppWorldLogic::action_one_arg(const char *arg) {
	Unigine::Log::message("second action! the argument is: %s \n", arg);
}

// application initialization
int AppWorldLogic::init() {
	// get the existing singleton Console instance and add a new console command
	Unigine::Console::get()->addCommand("console_command", "Performs custom console action", Unigine::MakeCallback(this, &AppWorldLogic::choose_command));

	return 1;
}

Arguments argc and argv are used to get the arguments count and arguments vector.

Notice
					The first element of argv always keeps the name of a console command. Thus, argc is always >= 1. To get the first passed argument, you should use argv[1].
				

To check the result, run the added command:

Source code

Unigine~# console_command
first action! no arguments!

Unigine~# console_command arg
arg[1]: arg
second action! the argument is: arg

Creating a Console Variable#

To create a custom console variable, you should declare it as an instance of ConsoleVariableInt, ConsoleVariableFloat or ConsoleVariableString class depending on the variable type.

Source code (C++)

// define console variables of different types
ConsoleVariableInt my_console_variable_int("my_console_variable_int", "my_console_variable_int", 1, 0, 0, 1000);
ConsoleVariableFloat my_console_variable_float("my_console_variable_float", "my_console_variable_float", 1, 0.0f, 0.0f, 1.0f);
ConsoleVariableString my_console_variable_string("my_console_variable_string", "my_console_variable_string", 1, NULL);

int AppWorldLogic::init() {

	// set console variable values
	my_console_variable_int = 13;
	my_console_variable_float = 0.13f;
	my_console_variable_string = "String variable";

	return 1;
}

If you run, for example, the my_console_variable_int command, the following will be shown in the console:

Source code

Unigine~# my_console_variable_int
my_console_variable_int
my_console_variable_int = 13

You can also set a new value for the variable:

Source code

Unigine~# my_console_variable_int 24

Disabling Console#

To disable console (for example, for an application production version), you need to call setLock().

Source code (C++)

// disable the console
Console::get()->setLock(1);

Last update: 2020-01-14

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