Class VehicleComponent

Abstract base class for all vehicle subsystems and modules in NWH Vehicle Physics 2. Provides a standardized interface for initialization, updating, state management, and LOD handling.

Inheritance
object
VehicleComponent
Brakes
Effect
GroundDetection
VehicleInputHandler
ManagerVehicleComponent
ABSModule
AerodynamicsModule
AirSteerModule
ArcadeModule
CruiseControlModule
ESCModule
FlipOverModule
FuelModule
MetricsModule
ModuleTemplate
MotorcycleModule
NOSModule
RiggingModule
SpeedLimiterModule
TCSModule
TrailerHitchModule
TrailerModule
PowertrainComponent
SoundComponent
Steering
Namespace: NWH.VehiclePhysics2
Assembly: NWH.VehiclePhysics2.dll
Syntax
[Serializable]
public abstract class VehicleComponent
Remarks

VehicleComponent is the foundation of the modular architecture. All major vehicle systems (Powertrain, Steering, Brakes, Effects, Sound, etc.) inherit from this class. Components can be enabled/disabled at runtime and support LOD optimization through StateSettings. The VC_ prefix is used for all virtual methods to avoid confusion with Unity callbacks.

Fields

state

Runtime state information for this component including enabled status and LOD settings. Managed automatically by the state system.

Declaration
[NonSerialized]
[Tooltip("Contains info about component's state.")]
public StateDefinition state
Field Value
Type Description
StateDefinition

vehicleController

Reference to the parent VehicleController that owns this component. Set during initialization via VC_Initialize(VehicleController).

Declaration
[NonSerialized]
public VehicleController vehicleController
Field Value
Type Description
VehicleController

Properties

IsActive

Indicates if the component is both initialized and enabled. Components are only updated when active.

Declaration
public bool IsActive { get; }
Property Value
Type Description
bool
Remarks

Returns true only when the component has been successfully initialized and is currently enabled. Use this to check if a component is operational.

Methods

ToggleState()

Toggles the component between enabled and disabled states. Useful for runtime state changes from UI or scripts.

Declaration
public virtual void ToggleState()
Remarks

Only works during play mode. Manually toggles state regardless of LOD settings. Note that LOD system may override manual state changes if lodIndex >= 0.

UpdateLOD()

Updates the component's enabled state based on current LOD level. Automatically enables/disables the component as the vehicle moves closer/farther from camera.

Declaration
public virtual void UpdateLOD()
Remarks

Called by the LOD system when camera distance changes. Components with lodIndex >= 0 are controlled by LOD. Components with lodIndex = -1 ignore LOD and maintain manual control.

VC_Disable(bool)

Disables the component and stops updates. Override to add component-specific disable logic.

Declaration
public virtual bool VC_Disable(bool calledByParent)
Parameters
Type Name Description
bool calledByParent

True if called by parent component or LOD system
Returns
Type Description
bool

True if successfully disabled, false otherwise
Remarks

Component must be initialized before it can be disabled. Tracks whether disable was called by parent to manage LOD system interaction.

VC_DrawGizmos()

Draws debug gizmos in the Scene view when the vehicle is selected. Override to visualize component-specific debug information.

Declaration
public virtual void VC_DrawGizmos()
Remarks

Only called in Editor when the component is enabled. Use Gizmos and Handles API to draw debug visualizations.

VC_Enable(bool)

Enables the component and starts updates. Override to add component-specific enable logic.

Declaration
public virtual bool VC_Enable(bool calledByParent)
Parameters
Type Name Description
bool calledByParent

True if called by parent component or LOD system
Returns
Type Description
bool

True if successfully enabled, false otherwise
Remarks

Will initialize the component if not already initialized. Components disabled by LOD system will track the parent caller to prevent manual enabling while LOD is controlling state.

VC_FixedUpdate(float)

Physics update called at fixed intervals. Override to implement physics-based behavior.

Declaration
public virtual void VC_FixedUpdate(float DeltaTime)
Parameters
Type Name Description
float DeltaTime

Time elapsed since last FixedUpdate in seconds
Remarks

Only called when the component is active (initialized and enabled). Use for physics calculations, force application, and other fixed-timestep operations. Called from VehicleController.FixedUpdate().

VC_Initialize()

Initializes the component's internal systems and resources. Called once during vehicle startup after the VehicleController reference is set.

Declaration
protected virtual void VC_Initialize()
Remarks

Override this to set up component-specific resources, cache references, or perform one-time initialization. Sets state.initialized to true on completion.

VC_Initialize(VehicleController)

Sets the VehicleController reference for this component. Called during vehicle initialization before VC_Initialize().

Declaration
public virtual void VC_Initialize(VehicleController vc)
Parameters
Type Name Description
VehicleController vc

Parent VehicleController that owns this component

VC_LoadStateFromStateSettings()

Loads the component's enabled/disabled and LOD configuration from StateSettings. Called during vehicle initialization.

Declaration
public virtual void VC_LoadStateFromStateSettings()
Remarks

Reads the StateSettings ScriptableObject to determine if this component should be enabled and at which LOD levels it should be active.

VC_SetDefaults()

Resets the component to default configuration. Override to provide component-specific default values.

Declaration
public virtual void VC_SetDefaults()
Remarks

Called when the vehicle is reset or when first added to a GameObject. Should set all serialized fields to sensible default values. May load default assets from Resources folder.

VC_Update(float)

Frame-rate dependent update called every frame. Override for visual updates and input handling.

Declaration
public virtual void VC_Update(float DeltaTime)
Parameters
Type Name Description
float DeltaTime

Time elapsed since last Update in seconds
Remarks

Only called when the component is active (initialized and enabled). Use for visual effects, UI updates, and other frame-dependent operations. Avoid physics calculations here - use VC_FixedUpdate instead.

VC_Validate(VehicleController)

Validates the component configuration and reports any setup issues. Override to implement component-specific validation rules.

Declaration
public virtual void VC_Validate(VehicleController vc)
Parameters
Type Name Description
VehicleController vc

Parent VehicleController to validate against
Remarks

Called in Editor when validation is triggered manually or automatically. Should use Debug.LogWarning/Error to report configuration problems. Check for null references, invalid values, missing dependencies, etc.

See Also