Edit Camera Culling Mask

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Hi, all! Is it possible to change my camera's culling mask via code? How so?

(I'd like to change it from rendering just one layer, to rendering everything, then back to just the player).

Thanks! -YA

Answer 1

Best Answer

Answer by Paulius-Liekis · Nov 16, 2012 at 10:56 AM

http://docs.unity3d.com/Documentation/ScriptReference/Camera-cullingMask.html

 int oldMask = camera.cullingMask;
 
 // change mask
 camera.cullingMask = (1 << LayerMask.NameToLayer("TransparentFX")) | (1 << LayerMask.NameToLayer("OtherLayer"));
 // do something
 // ...
 
 // restore mask
 camera.cullingMask = oldMask;

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youngapprentice · Nov 16, 2012 at 12:05 PM 0

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Oh yes I understand the syntax for it, I just need someone to explain it more in depth for me. Like, why is there a pipe character and what is its functionality, why do you have two arguments, and which one does what?

Paulius-Liekis · Nov 16, 2012 at 12:24 PM 1

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culling$$anonymous$$ask is stored as bit mask. First bit (i.e. (1 << 0) or simply 1) represenst first layer. Sencond bit (i.e. (1 << 1) or simply 2) represent second layer. Third bit (i.e. (1 << 2) or simply 4) represent third layer. And so on. When you want to have two layers active you combine their appropriate bits with | operator. For example I need fist and fourth layer, so my mask would be ((1 << 0) | (1 << 3)) = (1 | 8) = 9

Paulius-Liekis · Nov 17, 2012 at 10:50 AM 1

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0xffffffff - which is 32 bits set all set to 1.

Paulius-Liekis · Nov 17, 2012 at 04:44 PM 2

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No. Just: Camera.culling$$anonymous$$ask = 0xffffffff; $$anonymous$$an you really need to lear bitwise logic and understand how binary math. Understand numbers with base 16 is useful too ;)

PixelFireXY · Nov 14, 2016 at 04:17 PM 1

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If someone don't know how to convert uint to int (Camera.culling$$anonymous$$ask = 0xffffffff;) just use unchecked keyword: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1131843/how-do-i-convert-uint-to-int-in-c

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Answer 2

Answer by roberto_sc · Nov 23, 2012 at 05:50 PM

This way you don't need backup values of old masks:

 // Turn on the bit using an OR operation:
 private void Show() {
     camera.cullingMask |= 1 << LayerMask.NameToLayer("SomeLayer");
 }
 
 // Turn off the bit using an AND operation with the complement of the shifted int:
 private void Hide() {
     camera.cullingMask &=  ~(1 << LayerMask.NameToLayer("SomeLayer"));
 }
 
 // Toggle the bit using a XOR operation:
 private void Toggle() {
     camera.cullingMask ^= 1 << LayerMask.NameToLayer("SomeLayer");
 }

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mcroswell · Nov 24, 2012 at 09:27 PM 1

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Roberto: Thanks for showing some "real" CS here! Good technique! -m

Listed for others convenience: ~ BIT-NOT (010111 becomes 101000) & BIT-AND (011 & 001 becomes 001) | BIT-OR (011 | 001 becomes 011) ^ EXCLUSIVE-OR (011 ^ 001 becomes 010)

joaoVictorCardoso · Dec 20, 2017 at 07:16 PM 0

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Thanks dude! very thanks for encapsulating this code it's very good, God bless you!

Answer 3

Answer by Eric5h5 · Nov 24, 2012 at 09:33 PM

Simple visual way:

 var playerMask : LayerMask;    // select desired layer in inspector
 var everythingMask : LayerMask; // select "Everything" in inspector
 ..
 camera.cullingMask = playerMask;
 ..
 camera.cullingMask = everythingMask;

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laurachen · Aug 29, 2016 at 04:54 PM 0

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This works great, thanks for sharing!

Answer 4

Answer by asterix14 · Dec 22, 2015 at 05:23 PM

An easy way to set the culling mask to "Everything" is:

camera.cullingMask = -1; // -1 means "Everything"

-1 is converted to a bit mask having all bits set to 1 (which means all layers).

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Answer 5

Answer by GLeBaTi · Oct 01, 2021 at 12:23 PM

 Camera.main.cullingMask = LayerMask.GetMask("UI", "Other");

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Edit Camera Culling Mask

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