NetworkObjectExtensions

Static extension methods that add networking convenience APIs to UnityEngine.Object and Unity.Netcode.NetworkObject. Provides shortcuts for retrieving NetworkObject components and for per-object typed messaging.

Definition

Namespace: Paragon Assembly: Paragon.dll

public static class NetworkObjectExtensions

Remarks

The per-object messaging methods use NetworkObjectId.ToString() as the handler ID, creating a unique message channel for each network object. This enables targeted communication to specific objects without requiring RPCs.

Per-object messaging pattern: Receivers must call SubscribeToMessage on the same NetworkObject before senders call SendMessage. The handler ID is derived from the object's network ID, so both sides must reference the same spawned network object.

Quick Lookup

Goal	How
Get NetworkObject from a GameObject	gameObject.GetNetworkObject()
Get NetworkObject from a MonoBehaviour	behaviour.GetNetworkObject()
Get a NetworkObjectReference	obj.GetNetworkObjectReference()
Subscribe to per-object messages	networkObject.SubscribeToMessage<T>(callback)
Send a per-object message	networkObject.SendMessage(message)

Methods

GetNetworkObject

Retrieves the NetworkObject component from a UnityEngine.Object. Supports GameObject and MonoBehaviour inputs.

public static NetworkObject GetNetworkObject(this Object @object)

Parameter	Type	Description
@object	UnityEngine.Object	A GameObject or MonoBehaviour

Returns: The NetworkObject component on the object.

Throws: ArgumentException if the object is neither a GameObject nor a MonoBehaviour.

GetNetworkObjectReference

Creates a NetworkObjectReference from any Unity Object that has a NetworkObject component.

public static NetworkObjectReference GetNetworkObjectReference(this Object @object)

Parameter	Type	Description
@object	UnityEngine.Object	A GameObject or MonoBehaviour

Returns: A NetworkObjectReference wrapping the object's NetworkObject.

SubscribeToMessage<TMessage>

Subscribes to typed messages scoped to a specific NetworkObject, using its NetworkObjectId as the handler ID.

public static void SubscribeToMessage<TMessage>(this NetworkObject networkObject, Action<TMessage> callback)

Parameter	Type	Description
networkObject	NetworkObject	The network object to scope messages to
callback	Action<TMessage>	Callback invoked when a message arrives for this object

SendMessage<TMessage>

Sends a typed message scoped to a specific NetworkObject, using its NetworkObjectId as the handler ID.

public static void SendMessage<TMessage>(this NetworkObject networkObject, TMessage message)

Parameter	Type	Description
networkObject	NetworkObject	The network object to send the message from
message	TMessage	The message payload

Examples

Per-Object Damage Channel

// On the receiver (e.g., in OnNetworkSpawn)
NetworkObject.SubscribeToMessage<DamageMessage>(msg =>
{
    health -= msg.amount;
});

// On the sender
targetNetworkObject.SendMessage(new DamageMessage { amount = 25f });

Spawning with NetworkObject

// Get NetworkObject from a MonoBehaviour
NetworkObject netObj = myBehaviour.GetNetworkObject();
netObj.Spawn();

// Or use the reference for RPCs
NetworkObjectReference reference = myBehaviour.GetNetworkObjectReference();

See Also

• NetworkManager — the underlying messaging and spawning API these extensions delegate to

• ParagonNetworkBehaviour — base class for network behaviours