wave6-baker-set-component-enabled

Baker.SetComponentEnabled — Bake-Time Initial State

Intent

Set the initial enabled state of an IEnableableComponent at bake time using Baker.SetComponentEnabled(), avoiding runtime first-frame conditionals.

Use When

• Entity should start with a component present but inactive (e.g., Carry component exists but disabled until grabbed)
• Initial enabled state varies per authoring instance

Avoid When

• All instances start enabled — AddComponent default is enabled; SetComponentEnabled unnecessary
• Initial state must be set at runtime based on dynamic data — use ISystemStartStop.OnStartRunning

Senior Pattern

public class BallAuthoring : MonoBehaviour
{
    public bool startCarried;
}

public class BallBaker : Baker<BallAuthoring>
{
    public override void Bake(BallAuthoring authoring)
    {
        var entity = GetEntity(TransformUsageFlags.Dynamic);

        // Component must be added before SetComponentEnabled:
        AddComponent<Carry>(entity);
        SetComponentEnabled<Carry>(entity, authoring.startCarried);  // false = present but inactive

        AddComponent<Ball>(entity);
    }
}

Anti-Patterns

• Calling SetComponentEnabled before AddComponent — exception; component must exist first.
• Omitting SetComponentEnabled when default-disabled is required — AddComponent always starts enabled.
• Using a runtime system to set initial state when it could be baked — unnecessary first-frame overhead and potential one-frame visible error state.
• Calling SetComponentEnabled with a hard-coded true — this is the default; the call is redundant noise.

Runtime Risks

• Baker-set enabled state is serialized with SubScene — changing authoring data requires SubScene reimport to take effect.
• If baking is incremental and only the enabled state changes (not component data), ensure DependsOn() captures the relevant authoring property.

Performance Notes

Zero runtime cost — bake-time operation only. State is embedded in chunk bitmask at SubScene load.