Odin Inspector to Unity Helpers Migration Guide

A practical guide for migrating from Odin Inspector to Unity Helpers. All examples are verified against the actual source code.

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Quick Reference Table

Odin Feature	Unity Helpers Equivalent
[Button]	[WButton]
[ReadOnly]	[WReadOnly]
[ShowIf] / [HideIf]	[WShowIf]
[EnumToggleButtons]	[WEnumToggleButtons]
[ValueDropdown]	[WValueDropDown], [IntDropDown], [StringInList]
[BoxGroup]	[WGroup]
[FoldoutGroup]	[WGroup(collapsible: true)]
[InlineEditor]	[WInLineEditor]
[Required]	[WNotNull], [ValidateAssignment]
SerializedMonoBehaviour	Standard MonoBehaviour
SerializedDictionary	SerializableDictionary<K,V>
N/A (paid feature)	SerializableHashSet<T>

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1. Serializable Collections

Dictionary

Odin:

using Sirenix.OdinInspector;
using Sirenix.Serialization;

public class Example : SerializedMonoBehaviour
{
    public Dictionary<string, int> scores;
}

Unity Helpers:

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

public class Example : MonoBehaviour
{
    [SerializeField]
    private SerializableDictionary<string, int> scores = new SerializableDictionary<string, int>();
}

Key differences:

• No special base class required (use standard MonoBehaviour)
• Must use [SerializeField] or public
• Initialize with new to avoid null references (good practice, Unity will initialize this like it does List and arrays)

HashSet

Odin:

using Sirenix.OdinInspector;
using Sirenix.Serialization;

public class Example : SerializedMonoBehaviour
{
    public HashSet<string> unlockedItems;
}

Unity Helpers:

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

public class Example : MonoBehaviour
{
    [SerializeField]
    private SerializableHashSet<string> unlockedItems = new SerializableHashSet<string>();
}

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2. Inspector Buttons

Odin:

[Button("Regenerate")]
private void RegenerateLevel() { }

[Button, ButtonGroup("Actions")]
private void Save() { }

Unity Helpers:

[WButton("Regenerate")]
private void RegenerateLevel() { }

[WButton(groupName: "Actions")]
private void Save() { }

Additional options:

// Control button order within a group
[WButton(drawOrder: 1, groupName: "Debug")]
private void PrintDebugInfo() { }

// Control group placement (top or bottom of inspector)
[WButton(groupName: "Authoring", groupPlacement: WButtonGroupPlacement.Top)]
private void GenerateIds() { }

✅ Automatic Odin Inspector Support:

WButton works automatically with Odin’s SerializedMonoBehaviour and SerializedScriptableObject - no setup required! Just use [WButton] on your methods.

Only need manual integration if:

• You create a custom OdinEditor for a specific type
• See Inspector Buttons - Custom Editors for details

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3. Conditional Display

Basic Boolean Condition

Odin:

public bool showAdvanced;

[ShowIf("showAdvanced")]
public float advancedSetting;

Unity Helpers:

public bool showAdvanced;

[WShowIf(nameof(showAdvanced))]
public float advancedSetting;

Hide If (Inverse)

Odin:

[HideIf("isDisabled")]
public float value;

Unity Helpers:

[WShowIf(nameof(isDisabled), inverse: true)]
public float value;

Enum Value Comparison

Odin:

public AttackType attackType;

[ShowIf("attackType", AttackType.Ranged)]
public float range;

Unity Helpers:

public AttackType attackType;

[WShowIf(nameof(attackType), AttackType.Ranged)]
public float range;

Numeric Comparisons

Odin:

[ShowIf("@level >= 5")]
public Ability ultimateAbility;

Unity Helpers:

[WShowIf(nameof(level), WShowIfComparison.GreaterThanOrEqual, 5)]
public Ability ultimateAbility;

Available comparisons: Equal, NotEqual, GreaterThan, GreaterThanOrEqual, LessThan, LessThanOrEqual, IsNull, IsNotNull, IsNullOrEmpty, IsNotNullOrEmpty

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4. Enum Toggle Buttons

Odin:

[EnumToggleButtons]
public Direction direction;

[EnumToggleButtons]
public MovementFlags flags; // [Flags] enum

Unity Helpers:

[WEnumToggleButtons]
public Direction direction;

[WEnumToggleButtons(showSelectAll: true, showSelectNone: true)]
public MovementFlags flags; // [Flags] enum

Control buttons per row:

[WEnumToggleButtons(buttonsPerRow: 4)]
public DamageType damageTypes;

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5. Value Dropdowns

Integer Dropdown

Odin:

[ValueDropdown("GetFrameRates")]
public int targetFrameRate;

private int[] GetFrameRates() => new[] { 30, 60, 120 };

Unity Helpers:

// Inline values (simplest)
[IntDropDown(30, 60, 120)]
public int targetFrameRate;

// Or with provider method
[IntDropDown(nameof(GetFrameRates))]
public int targetFrameRate;

private IEnumerable<int> GetFrameRates() => new[] { 30, 60, 120 };

String Dropdown

Odin:

[ValueDropdown("GetDifficulties")]
public string difficulty;

Unity Helpers:

// Inline values
[StringInList("Easy", "Normal", "Hard")]
public string difficulty;

// Or with provider
[StringInList(nameof(GetDifficulties))]
public string difficulty;

Generic Value Dropdown

Unity Helpers:

// Static provider from another class
[WValueDropDown(typeof(AudioManager), nameof(AudioManager.GetSoundNames))]
public string soundEffect;

// Instance provider (method on same class)
[WValueDropDown(nameof(GetAvailableWeapons), typeof(WeaponData))]
public WeaponData selectedWeapon;

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6. Grouping Fields

Odin:

[BoxGroup("Movement")]
public float speed;

[BoxGroup("Movement")]
public float jumpHeight;

[FoldoutGroup("Advanced")]
public float acceleration;

Unity Helpers:

// Auto-include next N fields
[WGroup("Movement", autoIncludeCount: 2)]
public float speed;        // Field 1: in group
public float jumpHeight;   // Field 2: in group (auto-included, last by count)

// Or explicit end marker
[WGroup("Movement")]
public float speed;        // In group
public float jumpHeight;   // In group (auto-included)
[WGroupEnd]                // friction IS included, then group closes
public float friction;     // In group (last field)

// Collapsible (foldout)
[WGroup("Advanced", collapsible: true, startCollapsed: true)]
public float acceleration;

Nested Groups

Unity Helpers:

[WGroup("Character", displayName: "Character Settings")]
public string characterName;

[WGroup("Stats", parentGroup: "Character")]
public int health;
public int mana;

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7. Inline Editors

Odin:

[InlineEditor]
public EnemyConfig config;

[InlineEditor(InlineEditorModes.GUIOnly)]
public ItemData item;

Unity Helpers:

[WInLineEditor]
public EnemyConfig config;

[WInLineEditor(WInLineEditorMode.FoldoutExpanded, inspectorHeight: 200f)]
public ItemData item;

Available modes: AlwaysExpanded, FoldoutExpanded, FoldoutCollapsed

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8. Required/NotNull Validation

Odin:

[Required]
public GameObject prefab;

[Required("Player reference is required!")]
public Transform player;

Unity Helpers:

[WNotNull]
public GameObject prefab;

[WNotNull(WNotNullMessageType.Error, "Player reference is required!")]
public Transform player;

// Runtime validation in Awake/Start
private void Awake()
{
    this.CheckForNulls(); // Extension method
}

Collection Validation

For validating that collections aren’t empty:

[ValidateAssignment]
public List<Transform> spawnPoints; // Warns if null or empty

[ValidateAssignment(ValidateAssignmentMessageType.Error, "Need at least one enemy type")]
public List<EnemyData> enemyTypes;

// Runtime check
private void Start()
{
    this.ValidateAssignments();
}

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9. Read-Only Fields

Odin:

[ReadOnly]
public string generatedId;

Unity Helpers:

[WReadOnly]
public string generatedId;

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10. Complete Migration Example

Before (Odin):

using Sirenix.OdinInspector;
using Sirenix.Serialization;
using UnityEngine;
using System.Collections.Generic;

public class EnemySpawner : SerializedMonoBehaviour
{
    [BoxGroup("Settings")]
    [Required]
    public GameObject enemyPrefab;

    [BoxGroup("Settings")]
    [ShowIf("useWaves")]
    public int wavesCount = 3;

    public bool useWaves;

    [EnumToggleButtons]
    public SpawnPattern pattern;

    [ValueDropdown("GetSpawnRates")]
    public float spawnRate;

    public Dictionary<string, int> enemyWeights;

    [Button("Spawn Wave")]
    private void SpawnWave() { }

    private float[] GetSpawnRates() => new[] { 0.5f, 1f, 2f };
}

After (Unity Helpers):

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

public class EnemySpawner : MonoBehaviour
{
    [WGroup("Settings", autoIncludeCount: 2)]
    [WNotNull]
    [SerializeField]
    private GameObject enemyPrefab;

    [WShowIf(nameof(useWaves))]
    [SerializeField]
    private int wavesCount = 3;

    [SerializeField]
    private bool useWaves;

    [WEnumToggleButtons]
    [SerializeField]
    private SpawnPattern pattern;

    [WValueDropDown(0.5f, 1f, 2f)]
    [SerializeField]
    private float spawnRate;

    [SerializeField]
    private SerializableDictionary<string, int> enemyWeights =
        new SerializableDictionary<string, int>();

    [WButton("Spawn Wave")]
    private void SpawnWave() { }
}

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Namespace Reference

// Attributes
using WallstopStudios.UnityHelpers.Core.Attributes;

// Serializable collections
using WallstopStudios.UnityHelpers.Core.DataStructure.Adapters;

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Key Differences Summary

1. No special base class - Use standard MonoBehaviour / ScriptableObject
2. Use nameof() - Unity Helpers uses nameof() for condition fields (type-safe)
3. Initialize collections - Always initialize new SerializableDictionary<K,V>() etc.
4. [HideIf] becomes inverse - Use [WShowIf(..., inverse: true)] instead of [HideIf]
5. Numeric conditions - Use WShowIfComparison enum instead of expression strings
6. Groups auto-include - [WGroup] can auto-include subsequent fields with autoIncludeCount

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See Also

• Inspector Overview - Complete inspector features guide
• Serialization Types - All serializable types
• Inspector Buttons - WButton detailed guide
• Inspector Conditional Display - WShowIf detailed guide
• Inspector Selection Attributes - Dropdowns and toggles