UnityExplorer

An in-game UI for exploring, debugging and modifying IL2CPP and Mono Unity games.

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Quick Overview

UnityExplorer is an in-game debugging and exploration tool for Unity games and applications. It provides a powerful runtime inspector and console, allowing developers and modders to inspect and manipulate game objects, components, and other Unity elements during runtime. UnityExplorer is particularly useful for reverse engineering and modding Unity games.

Pros

Comprehensive runtime inspection and manipulation of Unity objects and components
Powerful in-game console for executing C# code and Unity commands
Supports multiple Unity versions and is compatible with various mod loaders
Customizable UI and extensive feature set for debugging and exploration

Cons

May impact game performance when active, especially in resource-intensive games
Requires some knowledge of Unity and C# to fully utilize its capabilities
Can potentially be used for cheating or exploiting games if misused
May not work with all Unity games, especially those with strong anti-cheat measures

Code Examples

Accessing and modifying a GameObject's position:

var player = GameObject.Find("Player");
player.transform.position = new Vector3(0, 10, 0);

Listing all components on a GameObject:

var obj = Selection.activeGameObject;
foreach (var component in obj.GetComponents<Component>())
{
    Debug.Log($"Component: {component.GetType().Name}");
}

Invoking a method on a specific component:

var healthComponent = player.GetComponent<Health>();
healthComponent.SendMessage("Heal", 50);

Creating a new GameObject with a custom component:

var newObj = new GameObject("CustomObject");
newObj.AddComponent<CustomBehavior>();

Getting Started

To use UnityExplorer in a Unity game:

Download the latest release from the GitHub repository.
Install a compatible mod loader for your game (e.g., BepInEx, MelonLoader).
Place the UnityExplorer.dll file in the appropriate plugins folder of your mod loader.
Launch the game and press the configured hotkey (default: F7) to open UnityExplorer.
Use the various tabs and features to inspect and manipulate game objects and components.

Note: Ensure you have the necessary permissions and comply with the game's terms of service when using UnityExplorer.

Competitor Comparisons

BepInEx

5,087

Unity / XNA game patcher and plugin framework

Pros of BepInEx

More versatile and can be used with a wider range of Unity games and applications
Provides a robust plugin system for easy mod development and management
Offers extensive documentation and a larger community for support

Cons of BepInEx

Requires more setup and configuration compared to UnityExplorer
May have a steeper learning curve for beginners
Less focused on runtime inspection and debugging features

Code Comparison

UnityExplorer:

public static void Init()
{
    UIManager.Init();
    Inspector.Init();
    ObjectExplorer.Init();
}

BepInEx:

[BepInPlugin("com.example.plugin", "Example Plugin", "1.0.0")]
public class ExamplePlugin : BaseUnityPlugin
{
    private void Awake()
    {
        // Plugin startup logic
        Logger.LogInfo($"Plugin {Info.Metadata.GUID} is loaded!");
    }
}

UnityExplorer focuses on providing runtime inspection and debugging tools, while BepInEx offers a more comprehensive framework for mod development and plugin management. UnityExplorer's code snippet shows initialization of its core components, whereas BepInEx's example demonstrates the structure of a basic plugin using its framework.

dnSpy

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.NET debugger and assembly editor

Pros of dnSpy

More comprehensive .NET debugging and decompilation capabilities
Supports a wider range of .NET applications beyond Unity
Advanced features like editing and recompiling assemblies

Cons of dnSpy

Not specifically tailored for Unity development
May have a steeper learning curve for Unity-specific tasks
Less integrated with Unity's runtime environment

Code Comparison

UnityExplorer:

public static void Init()
{
    UIManager.Instance.ShowMenu();
    SceneExplorer.Init();
    ObjectExplorer.Init();
}

dnSpy:

public static void Initialize(StartupInfo startupInfo)
{
    InitializeCore(startupInfo);
    InitializeSettings();
    InitializeUI();
}

Key Differences

UnityExplorer is specifically designed for Unity game development, offering features like runtime inspection and modification of Unity objects. It integrates seamlessly with Unity's ecosystem, making it more accessible for Unity developers.

dnSpy, on the other hand, is a general-purpose .NET debugger and decompiler. It provides more advanced features for .NET development but may require additional setup and knowledge to use effectively with Unity projects.

Choose UnityExplorer for Unity-specific tasks and quick runtime debugging, while dnSpy is better suited for in-depth .NET analysis and more complex debugging scenarios across various .NET applications.

Harmony

5,241

A library for patching, replacing and decorating .NET and Mono methods during runtime

Pros of Harmony

More focused on runtime patching and method manipulation
Extensive documentation and community support
Lightweight and efficient for specific modding tasks

Cons of Harmony

Limited in-game debugging capabilities
Less comprehensive Unity-specific features
Steeper learning curve for beginners

Code Comparison

UnityExplorer:

// Inspecting a GameObject
var go = GameObject.Find("Player");
UnityExplorer.InspectorManager.Inspect(go);

Harmony:

// Patching a method
var harmony = new Harmony("com.example.patch");
var original = typeof(Enemy).GetMethod("TakeDamage");
var prefix = typeof(MyPatch).GetMethod("Prefix");
harmony.Patch(original, prefix: new HarmonyMethod(prefix));

Summary

UnityExplorer is a comprehensive in-game debugging and exploration tool for Unity, offering a wide range of features for runtime inspection and manipulation. Harmony, on the other hand, specializes in runtime method patching and is widely used for game modding. While UnityExplorer provides a more user-friendly interface for debugging, Harmony excels in efficient code manipulation. The choice between the two depends on the specific needs of the project, with UnityExplorer being more suitable for general Unity development and Harmony for targeted modding tasks.

MelonLoader

2,535

The World's First Universal Mod Loader for Unity Games compatible with both Il2Cpp and Mono

Pros of MelonLoader

More comprehensive modding framework for Unity games
Supports a wider range of Unity versions and game types
Offers a plugin system for extending functionality

Cons of MelonLoader

Steeper learning curve for beginners
Requires more setup and configuration
May have a higher performance impact on some games

Code Comparison

MelonLoader:

[MelonInfo(typeof(MyMod), "MyMod", "1.0.0", "Author")]
public class MyMod : MelonMod
{
    public override void OnApplicationStart()
    {
        // Mod initialization code
    }
}

UnityExplorer:

public class MyPlugin : UnityExplorerPlugin
{
    public override void OnInitialized()
    {
        // Plugin initialization code
    }
}

MelonLoader provides a more structured approach for creating mods, with built-in attributes and lifecycle methods. UnityExplorer's plugin system is simpler but may offer less control over the modding process.

Both tools serve different purposes: MelonLoader is a full-fledged modding framework, while UnityExplorer is primarily a runtime inspection and debugging tool with some modding capabilities. The choice between them depends on the specific needs of the project and the developer's experience level.

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README

ð An in-game UI for exploring, debugging and modifying Unity games.

âï¸ Supports most Unity versions from 5.2 to 2021+ (IL2CPP and Mono).

â¨ Powered by UniverseLib

Releases

â¡ Thunderstore releases: BepInEx Mono | BepInEx IL2CPP | MelonLoader IL2CPP

Release schedule

Releases will be posted at most once per week, generally on weekends.

Nightly builds can be found here.

BepInEx

Release	IL2CPP	Mono
BIE 6.X	â link	â link
BIE 6.X (CoreCLR)	â link	â
BIE 5.X	âï¸ n/a	â link

Unzip the release file into a folder
Take the plugins/sinai-dev-UnityExplorer folder and place it in BepInEx/plugins/

Note: BepInEx 6 is obtainable via builds.bepinex.dev

MelonLoader

Release	IL2CPP	Mono
ML 0.5	â link	â link
ML 0.6	â link	âï¸

Unzip the release file into a folder
Copy the DLL inside the Mods folder into your MelonLoader Mods folder
Copy all of the DLLs inside the UserLibs folder into your MelonLoader UserLibs folder

Standalone

IL2CPP	Mono
â link	â link

The standalone release can be used with any injector or loader of your choice, but it requires you to load the dependencies manually.

Ensure the required libs are loaded - UniverseLib, HarmonyX and MonoMod. Take them from the UnityExplorer.Editor release if you need them.
For IL2CPP, load Il2CppAssemblyUnhollower and start an Il2CppAssemblyUnhollower runtime
Load the UnityExplorer DLL
Create an instance of Unity Explorer with UnityExplorer.ExplorerStandalone.CreateInstance();
Optionally subscribe to the ExplorerStandalone.OnLog event to handle logging if you wish

Unity Editor

Download the UnityExplorer.Editor release.
Install the package, either by using the Package Manager and importing the package.json file, or by manually dragging the folder into your Assets folder.
Drag the Runtime/UnityExplorer prefab into your scene, or create a GameObject and add the Explorer Editor Behaviour script to it.

Common issues and solutions

Although UnityExplorer should work out of the box for most Unity games, in some cases you may need to tweak the settings for it to work properly.

To adjust the settings, open the config file:

BepInEx: BepInEx\config\com.sinai.unityexplorer.cfg
MelonLoader: UserData\MelonPreferences.cfg
Standalone: sinai-dev-UnityExplorer\config.cfg

Try adjusting the following settings and see if it fixes your issues:

Startup_Delay_Time - increase to 5-10 seconds (or more as needed), can fix issues with UnityExplorer being destroyed or corrupted during startup.
Disable_EventSystem_Override - if input is not working properly, try setting this to true.

If these fixes do not work, please create an issue in this repo and I'll do my best to look into it.

Features

Inspector API

If you want to inspect an object or Type from outside the C# console, use the InspectorManager class:

To inspect an object:

UnityExplorer.InspectorManager.Inspect(theObject);

To inspect a Type:

UnityExplorer.InspectorManager.Inspect(typeof(SomeClass));

Object Explorer

Use the Scene Explorer tab to traverse the active scenes, as well as the DontDestroyOnLoad and HideAndDontSave objects.
- The "HideAndDontSave" scene contains objects with that flag, as well as Assets and Resources which are not in any scene but behave the same way.
- You can use the Scene Loader to easily load any of the scenes in the build (may not work for Unity 5.X games)
Use the Object Search tab to search for Unity objects (including GameObjects, Components, etc), C# Singletons or Static Classes.
- Use the UnityObject search to look for any objects which derive from UnityEngine.Object, with optional filters
- The singleton search will look for any classes with a typical "Instance" field, and check it for a current value. This may cause unexpected behaviour in some IL2CPP games as we cannot distinguish between true properties and field-properties, so some property accessors will be invoked.

Inspector

The inspector is used to see detailed information on objects of any type and manipulate their values, as well as to inspect C# Classes with static reflection.

The GameObject Inspector (tab prefix [G]) is used to inspect a GameObject, and to see and manipulate its Transform and Components.
- You can edit any of the input fields in the inspector (excluding readonly fields) and press Enter to apply your changes. You can also do this to the GameObject path as a way to change the GameObject's parent. Press the Escape key to cancel your edits.
- note: When inspecting a GameObject with a Canvas, the transform controls may be overridden by the RectTransform anchors.
The Reflection Inspectors (tab prefix [R] and [S]) are used for everything else
- Automatic updating is not enabled by default, and you must press Apply for any changes you make to take effect.
- Press the â¼ button to expand certain values such as strings, enums, lists, dictionaries, some structs, etc
- Use the filters at the top to quickly find the members you are looking for
- For Texture2D, Image, Sprite and Material objects, there is a View Texture button at the top of the inspector which lets you view the Texture(s) and save them as a PNG file.
- For AudioClip objects there is a Show Player button which opens an audio player widget. For clips which are loaded as DecompressOnLoad, there is also a button to save them to a .wav file.

C# Console

The C# Console uses the Mono.CSharp.Evaluator to define temporary classes or run immediate REPL code.
You can execute a script automatically on startup by naming it startup.cs and placing it in the sinai-dev-UnityExplorer\Scripts\ folder (this folder will be created where you placed the DLL file).
See the "Help" dropdown in the C# console menu for more detailed information.

Hook Manager

The Hooks panel allows you to hook methods at the click of a button for debugging purposes.
- Simply enter any class and hook the methods you want from the menu.
- You can edit the source code of the generated hook with the "Edit Hook Source" button. Accepted method names are Prefix (which can return bool or void), Postfix, Finalizer (which can return Exception or void), and Transpiler (which must return IEnumerable<HarmonyLib.CodeInstruction>). You can define multiple patches if you wish.

Mouse-Inspect

The "Mouse Inspect" dropdown in the "Inspector" panel allows you to inspect objects under the mouse.
- World: uses Physics.Raycast to look for Colliders
- UI: uses GraphicRaycasters to find UI objects

Freecam

UnityExplorer provides a basic Free Camera which you can control with your keyboard and mouse.
Unlike all other features of UnityExplorer, you can still use Freecam while UnityExplorer's menu is hidden.
Supports using the game's main Camera or a separate custom Camera.
See the Freecam panel for further instructions and details.

Clipboard

The "Clipboard" panel allows you to see your current paste value, or clear it (resets it to null)
- Can copy the value from any member in a Reflection Inspector, Enumerable or Dictionary, and from the target of any Inspector tab
- Can paste values onto any member in a Reflection Inspector
- Non-parsable arguments in Method/Property Evaluators allow pasting values
- The C# Console has helper methods Copy(obj) and Paste() for accessing the Clipboard

Settings

You can change the settings via the "Options" tab of the menu, or directly from the config file.
- BepInEx: BepInEx\config\com.sinai.unityexplorer.cfg
- MelonLoader: UserData\MelonPreferences.cfg
- Standalone {DLL_location}\sinai-dev-UnityExplorer\config.cfg

Building

Run the build.ps1 powershell script to build UnityExplorer. Releases are found in the Release folder.

Building individual configurations from your IDE is fine, though note that the intial build process builds into Release/<version>/... instead of the subfolders that the powershell script uses. Batch building is not currently supported with the project.

Acknowledgments

ManlyMarco for Runtime Unity Editor [license], the ScriptEvaluator from RUE's REPL console was used as the base for UnityExplorer's C# console.
Geoffrey Horsington for mcs-unity [no license], used as the Mono.CSharp reference for the C# Console.

Disclaimer

UnityExplorer is in no way associated with Unity Technologies. "Unity", Unity logos, and other Unity trademarks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Unity Technologies or its affiliates in the U.S. and elsewhere.

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