Inspector & Serialization Features Overview

Stop writing boilerplate. Start designing in the inspector.

Unity Helpers includes a powerful suite of inspector attributes and serialization types that transform how you author components and data. These features eliminate repetitive code, provide designer-friendly workflows, and make your inspector experience rival commercial tools like Odin Inspector.

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Why Use These Features?

Time Savings:

• Grouping & Organization: Replace 50+ lines of custom editor code with a single [WGroup] attribute
• Method Buttons: Expose test methods in the inspector without writing custom editors
• Conditional Display: Show/hide fields based on values without PropertyDrawer boilerplate
• Selection Controls: Turn enums into toggle buttons, primitives into dropdowns - all declaratively
• Serialization: Store GUIDs, dictionaries, sets, and types with built-in Unity support

Professional Quality:

• Designer-friendly interfaces reduce programmer bottlenecks
• Project-wide settings ensure consistent styling and behavior
• Pagination, animation, and polish - built-in

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Feature Categories

1. Layout & Organization

Control how fields are grouped and organized in the inspector:

• WGroup & WGroupEnd - Boxed sections with optional collapse, auto-inclusion

using UnityEngine;
using WallstopStudios.UnityHelpers.Core.Attributes;

public class TwoWGroupExample : MonoBehaviour
{
    [WGroup("Group 1", collapsible: true)]
    public float health;
    public int intValue;
    public string stringValue;

    [WGroup("Group 2", collapsible: true)]
    public float speed;
    public int otherIntValue;
    public string otherStringValue;
}

→ Full Guide: Inspector Grouping Attributes

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2. Inline Editing

Edit nested objects without losing context:

• WInLineEditor - Embed inspectors for ScriptableObjects, Materials, Textures directly below the field

using UnityEngine;
using WallstopStudios.UnityHelpers.Core.Attributes;

[CreateAssetMenu(fileName = "PowerUpDefinition", menuName = "Power-Up Definition")]
public class PowerUpDefinition : ScriptableObject
{
    public string powerUpName;
    public Sprite icon;
}

public class WInLineEditorSimpleExample : MonoBehaviour
{
    [WInLineEditor]
    public PowerUpDefinition powerUp;
}

→ Full Guide: Inspector Inline Editor

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3. Method Invocation

Expose methods as clickable buttons in the inspector:

• WButton - One-click method execution with result history, async support, custom styling, grouping

using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.Threading;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using UnityEngine;
using WallstopStudios.UnityHelpers.Core.Attributes;
using WallstopStudios.UnityHelpers.Core.Extension;

public class WButtonOverviewExample : MonoBehaviour
{
    [WButton]
    private void Test1()
    {
        this.Log($"We did it!");
    }

    [WButton]
    private IEnumerator KindaCoroutine()
    {
        this.Log($"Starting coroutine...");
        yield return new WaitForSeconds(1f);
        this.Log($"Coroutine finished!");
    }

    [WButton]
    private async Task AsyncWorksToo()
    {
        await Task.Delay(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(1));
        this.Log($"Did it work?");
    }

    [WButton]
    private async Task AsyncWorksTooWithCancellationTokens(CancellationToken ct)
    {
        await Task.Delay(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(1), ct);
        this.Log($"Did it work?");
    }

    [WButton]
    private async ValueTask ValueTasks(CancellationToken ct)
    {
        await Task.Delay(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(1), ct);
        this.Log($"Did it work?");
    }
}

→ Full Guide: Inspector Buttons

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4. Conditional Display

Show or hide fields based on runtime values:

• WShowIf - Visibility rules with comparison operators (Equal, GreaterThan, IsNull, etc.), inversion, stacking

using UnityEngine;
using WallstopStudios.UnityHelpers.Core.Attributes;

public enum ExampleEnum
{
    Option1,
    Option2,
    Option3,
}

public class WShowIfExamples : MonoBehaviour
{
    public bool toggle;

    [WShowIf(nameof(toggle))]
    public string hiddenByBool;

    public int intValue;

    [WShowIf(nameof(intValue), WShowIfComparison.GreaterThan, 5)]
    public string hiddenByInt;

    public ExampleEnum enumValue;

    [WShowIf(nameof(enumValue), ExampleEnum.Option2, ExampleEnum.Option3)]
    public string hiddenByEnum;
}

→ Full Guide: Inspector Conditional Display

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5. Selection & Dropdowns

Provide designer-friendly selection controls:

• WEnumToggleButtons - Visual toggle buttons for enums and flag enums
• WValueDropDown - Generic dropdown for any type
• IntDropdown - Integer selection from predefined values
• StringInList - String selection with search and pagination

using System.Collections.Generic;
using UnityEngine;
using WallstopStudios.UnityHelpers.Core.Attributes;

public class WEnumToggleButtonOverview : MonoBehaviour
{
    [WEnumToggleButtons]
    [IntDropDown(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)]
    public List<int> canToggle; // Works in lists!

    [WEnumToggleButtons]
    [IntDropDown(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)]
    public int canToggle2;

    [StringInList(typeof(WEnumToggleButtonOverview), nameof(GetStringValues))]
    public string canSelectString;

    [WValueDropDown(typeof(WEnumToggleButtonOverview), nameof(GetFloatValues))]
    public float canSelectFloat;

    private IEnumerable<string> GetStringValues()
    {
        yield return "String1";
        yield return "String2";
        yield return "String3";
    }

    private IEnumerable<float> GetFloatValues()
    {
        yield return 1.0f;
        yield return 2.0f;
        yield return 3.0f;
    }
}

→ Full Guide: Inspector Selection Attributes

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6. Validation & Protection

Protect data integrity with validation attributes:

• WReadOnly - Display fields as read-only in the inspector
• WNotNull - Validate required references at runtime with CheckForNulls()

→ Full Guide: Inspector Validation Attributes

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7. Serialization Types

Unity-friendly wrappers for complex data:

• WGuid - Immutable GUID using two longs (faster than System.Guid for Unity)
• SerializableDictionary - Key/value pairs with custom drawer
• SerializableSet - HashSet and SortedSet with duplicate detection, pagination, reordering
• SerializableType - Type references that survive refactoring
• SerializableNullable - Nullable value types

→ Full Guide: Serialization Types

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8. Project Settings

Centralized configuration for all inspector features:

• UnityHelpersSettings - Global settings for pagination, colors, animations, history

Location: ProjectSettings/UnityHelpersSettings.asset

Settings:

• Pagination sizes (buttons, sets, dropdowns)
• Button placement and history capacity
• Color palettes for themes (light/dark/custom)
• Animation speeds for foldouts and groups
• Auto-include defaults

using UnityEngine;
using WallstopStudios.UnityHelpers.Core.Attributes;

public class WButtonSettingsExample : MonoBehaviour
{
    [WButton(colorKey: "Documentation Example")]
    private void Button() { }
}

→ Full Guide: Inspector Settings

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Quick Start Example

Here’s a complete example showcasing multiple inspector features together:

using UnityEngine;
using WallstopStudios.UnityHelpers.Core.Attributes;
using WallstopStudios.UnityHelpers.Core.DataStructure.Adapters;

public class CharacterStats : MonoBehaviour
{
    // Grouped fields with collapsible sections
    [WGroup("Combat", "Combat Stats", collapsible: true)]
    public float maxHealth = 100f;           // In group
    public float defense = 10f;              // In group (auto-included)
    [WGroupEnd("Combat")]                    // attackPower IS included, then closes
    public float attackPower = 25f;          // In group (last field)

    // Conditional visibility based on enum
    public enum WeaponType { Melee, Ranged, Magic }
    public WeaponType weaponType;

    [WShowIf(nameof(weaponType), WShowIfComparison.Equal, WeaponType.Ranged)]
    public int ammoCapacity = 30;

    // Flag enum as toggle buttons
    [System.Flags]
    public enum Abilities { None = 0, Jump = 1, Dash = 2, Block = 4 }

    [WEnumToggleButtons(showSelectAll: true)]
    public Abilities unlockedAbilities;

    // Serializable collections
    public SerializableDictionary<string, int> stats;
    public WGuid entityId = WGuid.NewGuid();

    // Inspector button
    [WButton("Reset Stats")]
    private void ResetStats() => maxHealth = defense = attackPower = 100f;
}

For individual feature examples, see the detailed guides linked above.

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Feature Comparison

Feature	Unity Default	Odin Inspector	Unity Helpers
Grouping/Boxes	Custom Editor	[BoxGroup]	[WGroup]
Foldouts	Custom Editor	[FoldoutGroup]	[WGroup(collapsible: true)]
Method Buttons	Custom Editor	[Button]	[WButton]
Conditional Display	Custom Drawer	[ShowIf]	[WShowIf]
Enum Toggles	Custom Drawer	[EnumToggleButtons]	[WEnumToggleButtons]
Dictionaries	Not Supported	[ShowInInspector]	SerializableDictionary<K,V>
Sets	Not Supported	Custom	SerializableHashSet<T>
Type References	Not Supported	Custom	SerializableType
Nullable Values	Not Supported	Custom	SerializableNullable<T>
Color Themes	Not Supported	Built-in	Project Settings
Cost	Free	$55-$95	Free (MIT)

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Design Philosophy

Declarative Over Imperative:

• Attributes describe what, not how
• No custom PropertyDrawers for common patterns
• Configuration over code

Designer-Friendly:

• Visual controls for visual people
• Reduce programmer bottlenecks
• Iteration without recompiling

Performance-Conscious:

• Cached reflection delegates
• Pooled buffers for UI rendering
• Minimal GC allocations

Project-Consistent:

• Centralized settings asset
• Predictable behavior across all inspectors

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Getting Started

1. Install Unity Helpers - See Installation Guide

2. Explore Examples - Check the guides linked above

3. Configure Settings - Open ProjectSettings/UnityHelpersSettings.asset to customize pagination, colors, and animations

4. Add Attributes - Start with [WGroup] and [WButton] for immediate impact

5. Use Serialization Types - Replace custom wrappers with SerializableDictionary, SerializableSet, etc.

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Detailed Documentation

Inspector Attributes

• Inspector Grouping Attributes - WGroup layout control
• Inspector Inline Editor - WInLineEditor for nested object editing
• Inspector Buttons - WButton for method invocation
• Inspector Conditional Display - WShowIf for dynamic visibility
• Inspector Selection Attributes - WEnumToggleButtons, WValueDropDown, IntDropdown, StringInList
• Inspector Validation Attributes - WReadOnly, WNotNull

Serialization

• Serialization Types - WGuid, SerializableDictionary, SerializableSet, SerializableType, SerializableNullable

Configuration

• Inspector Settings - UnityHelpersSettings asset reference

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See Also

• Odin Inspector Migration Guide - Step-by-step migration from Odin Inspector
• Editor Tools Guide - 20+ automation tools for sprites, animations, validation
• Relational Components - Auto-wire components with attributes
• Effects System - Data-driven buffs/debuffs
• Main Documentation - Complete feature list

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Next Steps:

Choose a guide based on what you want to learn first:

• Want organized inspectors? → Inspector Grouping Attributes
• Want method buttons? → Inspector Buttons
• Want conditional fields? → Inspector Conditional Display
• Want better selection controls? → Inspector Selection Attributes
• Want data validation? → Inspector Validation Attributes
• Want to serialize complex data? → Serialization Types