LayerMasks simplified

I love LayerMasks because of their power and ability to filter things. I hate LayerMasks because I can never remember how to properly create them in code. To end this love/hate relationship I finally sat down and made a solution that’s incredibly simple and invaluable for taming LayerMasks. You too can now punch LayerMasks in their confusing face.

//Set a camera to only look at layer 7:
void Awake (){
	//by layer id:
	camera.cullingMask = LayerMaskHelper.OnlyIncluding( 7 );
	
	//or by layer name:
	camera.cullingMask = LayerMaskHelper.OnlyIncluding( LayerMask.NameToLayer("UserInterface") );
}

 

//Set a light to affect layers 4, 8 and 11:
void Awake (){
	//LayerMaskHelper doesn't care if you give them in order
	//by id:
	light.cullingMask = LayerMaskHelper.OnlyIncluding( 4, 11, 8 ); 

	//or by layer names:
	light.cullingMask = LayerMaskHelper.OnlyIncluding( LayerMask.NameToLayer("Landscape"), LayerMask.NameToLayer("Player"), LayerMask.NameToLayer("Enemies") ); 
}

 

//Set a light to affect everything except for layers 5 and 6:
void Awake (){
	//by layer id:
	light.cullingMask = LayerMaskHelper.EverythingBut( 5, 6 );

	//or by layer names:
	light.cullingMask = LayerMaskHelper.EverythingBut( LayerMask.NameToLayer("Landscape"), LayerMask.NameToLayer("Player") );
}

 

//Does this camera's culling mask allow it to look at the target object?:
public GameObject target;
	
void Update(){
	bool isTargetLayerInCullingMask = LayerMaskHelper.ContainsLayer( camera.cullingMask, target.layer );
	string textReplacement = isTargetLayerInCullingMask ? "allows" : "does not allow";
	Debug.Log( "This camera's culling mask " + textReplacement + " it to see the target object." );
}

LayerMaskHelper is now included with my Surge framework:

GET IT IN SURGE!