Unity 3D RTS Style Unit Selection

Contents hide

1 Step 1: Create the necessary scripts

2 Step 2: Setup RTS Selection

3 Related

In this post I will be showing how to create a RTS (Real-Time Strategy) box style selection in Unity 3D.

So let’s begin!

Step 1: Create the necessary scripts

This post features 2 scripts:

SC_Selectable.cs

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

public class SC_Selectable : MonoBehaviour
{
    public Renderer[] renderers; //Assign all child Mesh Renderers

    public Bounds GetObjectBounds()
    {
        Bounds totalBounds = new Bounds();

        for(int i = 0; i < renderers.Length; i++)
        {
            if(totalBounds.center == Vector3.zero)
            {
                totalBounds = renderers[i].bounds;
            }
            else
            {
                totalBounds.Encapsulate(renderers[i].bounds);
            }
        }

        return totalBounds;
    }

    void OnEnable()
    {
        //Add this Object to global list
        if (!SC_SelectionManager.selectables.Contains(this))
        {
            SC_SelectionManager.selectables.Add(this);
        }
    }

    void OnDisable()
    {
        //Remove this Object from global list
        if (SC_SelectionManager.selectables.Contains(this))
        {
            SC_SelectionManager.selectables.Remove(this);
        }
    }
}

SC_SelectionManager.cs

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

public class SC_SelectionManager : MonoBehaviour
{
    public Texture topLeftBorder;
    public Texture bottomLeftBorder;
    public Texture topRightBorder;
    public Texture bottomRightBorder;

    Texture2D _borderTexture;
    Texture2D borderTexture
    {
        get
        {
            if (_borderTexture == null)
            {
                _borderTexture = new Texture2D(1, 1);
                _borderTexture.SetPixel(0, 0, Color.white);
                _borderTexture.Apply();
            }

            return _borderTexture;
        }
    }

    bool selectionStarted = false;
    Vector3 mousePosition1;

    public static List<SC_Selectable> selectables = new List<SC_Selectable>();
    List<int> selectedObjects = new List<int>();

    // Update is called once per frame
    void Update()
    {
        // Begin selection
        if (Input.GetMouseButtonDown(0))
        {
            selectionStarted = true;
            mousePosition1 = Input.mousePosition;
        }
        // End selection
        if (Input.GetMouseButtonUp(0))
        {
            selectionStarted = false;
        }

        if (selectionStarted)
        {
            // Detect which Objects are inside selection rectangle
            Camera camera = Camera.main;
            selectedObjects.Clear();
            for (int i = 0; i < selectables.Count; i++)
            {
                Bounds viewportBounds = GetViewportBounds(camera, mousePosition1, Input.mousePosition);
                if (viewportBounds.Contains(camera.WorldToViewportPoint(selectables[i].transform.position)))
                {
                    selectedObjects.Add(i);
                }
            }
        }
    }

    void OnGUI()
    {
        if (selectionStarted)
        {
            Rect rect = GetScreenRect(mousePosition1, Input.mousePosition);
            DrawScreenRectBorder(rect, 2, Color.cyan);
        }

        // Draw selection edges
        if(selectedObjects.Count > 0)
        {
            Camera camera = Camera.main;
            for (int i = 0; i < selectedObjects.Count; i++)
            {
                DrawSelectionIndicator(camera, selectables[selectedObjects[i]].GetObjectBounds());
            }
        }
    }

    void DrawScreenRectBorder(Rect rect, float thickness, Color color)
    {
        // Top
        DrawBorderRect(new Rect(rect.xMin, rect.yMin, rect.width, thickness), color);
        // Left
        DrawBorderRect(new Rect(rect.xMin, rect.yMin, thickness, rect.height), color);
        // Right
        DrawBorderRect(new Rect(rect.xMax - thickness, rect.yMin, thickness, rect.height), color);
        // Bottom
        DrawBorderRect(new Rect(rect.xMin, rect.yMax - thickness, rect.width, thickness), color);
    }

    void DrawBorderRect(Rect rect, Color color)
    {
        GUI.color = color;
        GUI.DrawTexture(rect, borderTexture);
        GUI.color = Color.white;
    }

    Rect GetScreenRect(Vector3 screenPosition1, Vector3 screenPosition2)
    {
        // Move origin from bottom left to top left
        screenPosition1.y = Screen.height - screenPosition1.y;
        screenPosition2.y = Screen.height - screenPosition2.y;
        // Calculate corners
        var topLeft = Vector3.Min(screenPosition1, screenPosition2);
        var bottomRight = Vector3.Max(screenPosition1, screenPosition2);
        // Create Rect
        return Rect.MinMaxRect(topLeft.x, topLeft.y, bottomRight.x, bottomRight.y);
    }

    Bounds GetViewportBounds(Camera camera, Vector3 screenPosition1, Vector3 screenPosition2)
    {
        Vector3 v1 = camera.ScreenToViewportPoint(screenPosition1);
        Vector3 v2 = camera.ScreenToViewportPoint(screenPosition2);
        Vector3 min = Vector3.Min(v1, v2);
        Vector3 max = Vector3.Max(v1, v2);
        min.z = camera.nearClipPlane;
        max.z = camera.farClipPlane;

        Bounds bounds = new Bounds();
        bounds.SetMinMax(min, max);
        return bounds;
    }

    void DrawSelectionIndicator(Camera camera, Bounds bounds)
    {
        Vector3 boundPoint1 = bounds.min;
        Vector3 boundPoint2 = bounds.max;
        Vector3 boundPoint3 = new Vector3(boundPoint1.x, boundPoint1.y, boundPoint2.z);
        Vector3 boundPoint4 = new Vector3(boundPoint1.x, boundPoint2.y, boundPoint1.z);
        Vector3 boundPoint5 = new Vector3(boundPoint2.x, boundPoint1.y, boundPoint1.z);
        Vector3 boundPoint6 = new Vector3(boundPoint1.x, boundPoint2.y, boundPoint2.z);
        Vector3 boundPoint7 = new Vector3(boundPoint2.x, boundPoint1.y, boundPoint2.z);
        Vector3 boundPoint8 = new Vector3(boundPoint2.x, boundPoint2.y, boundPoint1.z);

        Vector2[] screenPoints = new Vector2[8];
        screenPoints[0] = camera.WorldToScreenPoint(boundPoint1);
        screenPoints[1] = camera.WorldToScreenPoint(boundPoint2);
        screenPoints[2] = camera.WorldToScreenPoint(boundPoint3);
        screenPoints[3] = camera.WorldToScreenPoint(boundPoint4);
        screenPoints[4] = camera.WorldToScreenPoint(boundPoint5);
        screenPoints[5] = camera.WorldToScreenPoint(boundPoint6);
        screenPoints[6] = camera.WorldToScreenPoint(boundPoint7);
        screenPoints[7] = camera.WorldToScreenPoint(boundPoint8);

        Vector2 topLeftPosition = Vector2.zero;
        Vector2 topRightPosition = Vector2.zero;
        Vector2 bottomLeftPosition = Vector2.zero;
        Vector2 bottomRightPosition = Vector2.zero;

        for (int a = 0; a < screenPoints.Length; a++)
        {
            //Top Left
            if (topLeftPosition.x == 0 || topLeftPosition.x > screenPoints[a].x)
            {
                topLeftPosition.x = screenPoints[a].x;
            }
            if (topLeftPosition.y == 0 || topLeftPosition.y > Screen.height - screenPoints[a].y)
            {
                topLeftPosition.y = Screen.height - screenPoints[a].y;
            }
            //Top Right
            if (topRightPosition.x == 0 || topRightPosition.x < screenPoints[a].x)
            {
                topRightPosition.x = screenPoints[a].x;
            }
            if (topRightPosition.y == 0 || topRightPosition.y > Screen.height - screenPoints[a].y)
            {
                topRightPosition.y = Screen.height - screenPoints[a].y;
            }
            //Bottom Left
            if (bottomLeftPosition.x == 0 || bottomLeftPosition.x > screenPoints[a].x)
            {
                bottomLeftPosition.x = screenPoints[a].x;
            }
            if (bottomLeftPosition.y == 0 || bottomLeftPosition.y < Screen.height - screenPoints[a].y)
            {
                bottomLeftPosition.y = Screen.height - screenPoints[a].y;
            }
            //Bottom Right
            if (bottomRightPosition.x == 0 || bottomRightPosition.x < screenPoints[a].x)
            {
                bottomRightPosition.x = screenPoints[a].x;
            }
            if (bottomRightPosition.y == 0 || bottomRightPosition.y < Screen.height - screenPoints[a].y)
            {
                bottomRightPosition.y = Screen.height - screenPoints[a].y;
            }
        }

        GUI.DrawTexture(new Rect(topLeftPosition.x - 16, topLeftPosition.y - 16, 16, 16), topLeftBorder);
        GUI.DrawTexture(new Rect(topRightPosition.x, topRightPosition.y - 16, 16, 16), topRightBorder);
        GUI.DrawTexture(new Rect(bottomLeftPosition.x - 16, bottomLeftPosition.y, 16, 16), bottomLeftBorder);
        GUI.DrawTexture(new Rect(bottomRightPosition.x, bottomRightPosition.y, 16, 16), bottomRightBorder);
    }
}