ParagonEditor

Abstract base class for Paragon custom editors. Wraps Odin Inspector's OdinEditor with UI Toolkit support, UXML template auto-loading, element querying helpers, and property tree disposal. Provides both a non-generic base and a generic ParagonEditor<T> variant with typed target access.

Definition

Namespace: Paragon.Editor Assembly: Paragon.Editor.dll

public abstract class ParagonEditor : OdinEditor, IDisposable

Inheritance: OdinEditor → ParagonEditor Implements: IDisposable

Generic Variant

public abstract class ParagonEditor<T> : ParagonEditor where T : UnityEngine.Object

Inheritance: OdinEditor → ParagonEditor → ParagonEditor<T>

Remarks

CreateInspectorGUI() is sealed — subclasses cannot override it. Instead, the editor lifecycle routes through:

1. CreateInspectorGUI() (sealed) — Clones the UXML template (if visualTreeAsset is assigned), creates the root element, adds an IMGUIContainer for OnInspectorGUI(), calls OnCreateGUI(), then schedules Initialize() via EditorApplication.delayCall.

2. OnCreateGUI() — Override to set up UI elements after the template is cloned.

3. Initialize() — Override for deferred setup that runs one frame after OnCreateGUI().

4. OnInspectorGUI() — Override for per-frame IMGUI drawing inside the embedded IMGUIContainer.

Quick Lookup

Goal	How
Create a custom editor	Subclass ParagonEditor<T>, add [CustomEditor(typeof(MyType))]
Assign a UXML template	Set visualTreeAsset in the inspector or via [UxmlTemplate]
Query template elements	Q("elementName") or Q<Button>("elementName")
Access the inspected object	target (typed in generic variant)
Add IMGUI content	Override OnInspectorGUI()
Set up UI after template load	Override OnCreateGUI()
Deferred initialization	Override Initialize()

Fields

Field	Type	Access	Description
visualTreeAsset	VisualTreeAsset	protected	UXML template to clone. Assigned via Inspector. If null, an empty root element is created
rootVisualElement	VisualElement	protected	Root element containing template children and the IMGUI container

Methods

CreateInspectorGUI

Sealed. Creates the inspector UI by cloning the UXML template, adding the IMGUI container, and scheduling initialization.

public sealed override VisualElement CreateInspectorGUI()

OnCreateGUI

Virtual callback invoked after the UXML template is cloned and the root element is ready. Override to query template elements and build additional UI.

protected virtual void OnCreateGUI()

Initialize

Virtual callback invoked one frame after OnCreateGUI() via EditorApplication.delayCall. Override for setup that requires the visual tree to be fully attached.

protected virtual void Initialize()

OnInspectorGUI

Virtual callback for per-frame IMGUI rendering inside the embedded IMGUIContainer. Defaults to empty (no IMGUI content).

public override void OnInspectorGUI()

Q

Queries the rootVisualElement for a child element by name.

protected VisualElement Q(string name = null)
protected TElement Q<TElement>(string name = null) where TElement : VisualElement

Dispose

Explicitly disposes the Odin property Tree. Called automatically via IDisposable.

void IDisposable.Dispose()

Extension Points

Optional Overrides

Method	Purpose
OnCreateGUI()	Build UI after template cloning — query elements, wire callbacks
Initialize()	Deferred setup one frame after OnCreateGUI()
OnInspectorGUI()	Per-frame IMGUI content inside the embedded container

Implementation Requirements

When subclassing, you MUST:

1. Add [CustomEditor(typeof(YourType))] to register with Unity

2. Use the generic ParagonEditor<T> variant for typed target access

You SHOULD:

• Override OnCreateGUI() to query UXML elements with Q()

• Use Initialize() for setup that depends on the visual tree being attached

• Override OnInspectorGUI() only if IMGUI fallback content is needed

You MUST NOT:

• Override CreateInspectorGUI() — it is sealed

• Access template elements before OnCreateGUI() is called

Properties (Generic Variant)

Property	Type	Access	Description
target	T	protected	Typed access to the inspected UnityEngine.Object (shadows Editor.target)

Common Pitfalls

Initialize() runs one frame late. It is scheduled via EditorApplication.delayCall, so any setup that depends on Initialize() will not be available in OnCreateGUI(). Query elements in OnCreateGUI(), perform deferred logic in Initialize().

OnInspectorGUI() defaults to empty. Unlike OdinEditor which draws the default property tree, ParagonEditor overrides OnInspectorGUI() with an empty body. If you want Odin's default inspector, call base.OnInspectorGUI() explicitly or draw properties manually.

Examples

Custom Editor with UXML Template

[CustomEditor(typeof(MyComponent))]
public class MyComponentEditor : ParagonEditor<MyComponent>
{
    private Button actionButton;
    private Label statusLabel;

    protected override void OnCreateGUI()
    {
        actionButton = Q<Button>("ActionButton");
        statusLabel = Q<Label>("StatusLabel");

        actionButton.clicked += OnActionClicked;
    }

    protected override void Initialize()
    {
        statusLabel.text = target.CurrentStatus;
    }

    private void OnActionClicked()
    {
        target.DoAction();
        statusLabel.text = target.CurrentStatus;
    }
}

Custom Editor with IMGUI Fallback

[CustomEditor(typeof(MySettings))]
public class MySettingsEditor : ParagonEditor<MySettings>
{
    protected override void OnCreateGUI()
    {
        // Add UI Toolkit elements to rootVisualElement
        var header = new Label("My Settings");
        rootVisualElement.Insert(0, header);
    }

    public override void OnInspectorGUI()
    {
        // Draw Odin property tree as IMGUI
        Tree.DrawProperties();
    }
}

See Also

• ParagonDrawer<TProperty> — base class for property drawers

• ParagonVisualElement — base class for reusable visual elements

• ParagonVisualElementDrawer<TProperty> — UI Toolkit property drawers

• Objects — editor objects overview