Overview
The PointerRef struct represents a reference to an EBX object, which can be either internal (within the same asset) or external (in another asset). It’s a fundamental type used throughout the Frostbite engine for connecting objects together.
Structure
public struct PointerRef
{
public EbxImportReference External { get; }
public object Internal { get; }
public PointerRefType Type { get; }
}
Properties
External reference containing FileGuid and ClassGuid for cross-asset references
Internal object reference for objects within the same asset
Indicates whether this is a Null, Internal, or External reference
Constructors
PointerRef(EbxImportReference)
Creates an external pointer reference.
externalRef
EbxImportReference
required
The external reference to wrap
var externalRef = new EbxImportReference
{
FileGuid = assetGuid,
ClassGuid = instanceGuid
};
var pointer = new PointerRef(externalRef);
PointerRef(Guid)
Creates a pointer reference from a GUID.
The file GUID to reference. Empty GUID creates a null pointer.
// Create external reference
var pointer = new PointerRef(fileGuid);
// Create null reference
var nullPointer = new PointerRef(Guid.Empty);
PointerRef(object)
Creates an internal pointer reference.
The internal object to reference
var obj = assetRoot.GetObject("MyObject");
var pointer = new PointerRef(obj);
Methods
Equals
Compares two PointerRef instances for equality.
public override bool Equals(object obj)
The object to compare with
true if both pointers have the same Type and reference the same object/external asset.
GetHashCode
Generates a hash code for the pointer reference.
public override int GetHashCode()
Operators
Equality Operators
public static bool operator ==(PointerRef A, object B)
public static bool operator !=(PointerRef A, object B)
PointerRefType
Enumeration indicating the type of pointer.
public enum PointerRefType : byte
{
Null = 0, // No reference
Internal = 1, // Reference to object in same asset
External = 2 // Reference to object in another asset
}
EbxImportReference
Structure for external references.
public struct EbxImportReference
{
public Guid FileGuid; // GUID of the referenced asset file
public Guid ClassGuid; // GUID of the referenced instance
}
Usage Examples
Checking Pointer Type
if (pointer.Type == PointerRefType.External)
{
Console.WriteLine($"External reference: {pointer.External.FileGuid}");
}
else if (pointer.Type == PointerRefType.Internal)
{
Console.WriteLine($"Internal reference: {pointer.Internal}");
}
else
{
Console.WriteLine("Null pointer");
}
Resolving External Pointers
if (pointer.Type == PointerRefType.External)
{
var referencedAsset = assetManager.GetEbx(pointer.External.FileGuid);
var referencedObject = referencedAsset.GetObject(pointer.External.ClassGuid);
}
Creating Object Links
// Link to another object in the same asset
var targetObject = asset.RootObject.GetProperty("TargetEntity");
myObject.SetPropertyValue("Reference", new PointerRef(targetObject));
// Link to object in another asset
var externalRef = new EbxImportReference
{
FileGuid = targetAssetGuid,
ClassGuid = targetInstanceGuid
};
myObject.SetPropertyValue("ExternalLink", new PointerRef(externalRef));
Best Practices
- Always check
Type before accessing Internal or External properties
- Use
Guid.Empty to create null pointers instead of default constructors
- External references require both FileGuid and ClassGuid to be valid
- Internal references maintain object identity within the asset’s lifetime