What is ECS?

Learn the Entity Component System architecture.

What Is ECS?

Entity Component System (ECS) is an architecture that separates game objects into data and behavior. An Entity represents an object, a Component stores its data, and a System processes that data. This separation makes it easier to manage large numbers of game objects.

Entity: Player
Components:
  Position
  Health
  Speed

An Entity belongs to an Archetype group based on its combination of Components.

The Relationship Between Entity and Archetype

An Entity does not carry game object data by itself; that data is stored in Component elements. Entities with the same combination of Components are grouped under the same Archetype. For example, two Entities with Position and Health components can belong to the same group.

Archetype A:
  Position
  Health

Archetype B:
  Position
  Speed

When the Component combination changes, an Entity can move to a different Archetype group.

Exercise Print ECS Concepts to the Console

Create a MonoBehaviour class named ECSIntroduction. In the Start method, print the three core concepts of ECS architecture separately to the console: Entity, Component, and System.

Show example solution

using UnityEngine;

public class ECSIntroduction : MonoBehaviour
{
    void Start()
    {
        Debug.Log("Entity");
        Debug.Log("Component");
        Debug.Log("System");
    }
}

Test yourself

Which core concept represents a game object in ECS architecture?
- System
- Entity
- Archetype
- Compiler
Show answer

Entity — An Entity represents the identity of a game object in ECS architecture. Its data is stored in Component elements.

Identify Entity Components

Entity: Enemy
Components:
  Position
  ____

Show answer

Entity: Enemy
Components:
  Position
  Health

ECS Architecture Concepts

Entity

Represents the identity of a game object
Component

Stores data belonging to an object
System

Processes component data
Archetype

Defines a component combination

Next lesson: The DOTS package

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