How to Create a Blocking Mask in Unity using Image Components?

Question

I'm designing a tutorial for a Unity game and am stuck at what seems like a trivial problem. For every step in the tutorial, I guide the user by hiding everything on the screen except the buttons they need to press. My game hierarchy looks like this.

Button Canvas
   Select_Me_Button
   Dont_Select_Me_Button
Tutorial Canvas
   Mask Group 1
      Left Border Mask
      Right Border Mask
      Up Border Mask
      Down Border Mask
   Mask Group 2 ...

The TutorialCanvas GameObject has a Canvas component with a higher sorting order than ButtonCanvas. I added GraphicRaycaster Component with Blocking Mask set to everything and Blocking Objects set to None for the TutorialCanvas. However, even though TutorialCanvas renders on top of Button Canvas, I am still able to click through the mask and trigger buttons that are not supposed to be clickable. I was able to block clicks by adding image components functioning as masks to parent objects Mask Group 1 and Mask Group 2 belonging to TutorialCanvas, but this is not desirable, because I need to group the image components to create a mask, and gameobject can only accept 1 image component.

I'm having a hard time imagining this is so hard. I just need one canvas with a mask to block clicks going to a canvas behind it.

Not what you asked but as an alternative solution I would: 1) create an image overlay over the entire screen blocking everything. 2) (de)activate exact duplicates of the buttons you already have at the same position with exactly the same callbacks assigned => only this/these exact button/s is/are clickable at all. ;) — derHugo
– derHugo, Commented Feb 19, 2021 at 7:21
Thanks, but I'm looking for a simpler solution. I've tried something like youve suggested, only to get bogged down in syntax. Im hoping to avoid scripting my way out of this. — I Like
– I Like, Commented Feb 19, 2021 at 8:29
Alternative might be using CanvasGroups or alternatively simple transparent Image components and you simply overlay each individual button with such an image/CanvasGroup => set the Image.raycastTarget/CanvasGroup.blocksRaycast for your allowed interactions per step — derHugo
– derHugo, Commented Feb 19, 2021 at 16:43

I Like · Accepted Answer · 2021-02-21 20:13:29Z

1

Thanks to the help on Unity Forum I solved the issue by creating a single group of masks and positioning them via RectTransform's anchoredPosition component in script.

answered Feb 21, 2021 at 20:13

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