Custom Metadata for Save Files

While the default SaveMeta provides the basics (Name, Date/Time, etc.), most games require more specific information to show in a Save-Slot UI, and developers benefit greatly from introducing custom metadata.

FlaxSave provides a straight-forward integration to attach additional information (i.e. player location, current skill level or quest progression) to a SaveMeta entry.

Core Concepts

Built-in & Custom Metadata

A save slot usually needs more than just a name. We differentiate between

• Default Data Save Name, Display Name, Date/Time and the IsAutoSave flag
• Custom Data Project specifc info, like "Current Location", "Player Level", "Completion Percentage"

Performance and Access

• Performance Listing 100 saves is nearly instant, because the heavy savegames stay on disk.
• Access All discovered saves are available via SaveManager.Instance.SaveMetas

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Step-By-Step

Custom Data Class

Use a custom class for the project-specific values you want to store.

C#

public class MySaveInfo
{
    public string LocationName;
    public int PlayerLevel;
    public float CompletionPercentage;
    public bool AutoSave;
}

Attaching Data during Save

When you request a save, you can pass your custom class object directly into the RequestGameSave method. The SaveManager will serialize the class and store it inside the SaveMeta file.

C#

public void SaveTheGame()
{
    var customInfo = new MySaveInfo()
    {
        LevelName = "The Darkest Dungeon",
        PlayerLevel = 5,
        CompletionPercentage = 42.7f,
        AutoSave = false
    };

    // This data is now attached to the savegames metadata
    SaveManager.Instance.RequestGameSave("My Save", customInfo);
}

Retrieving Data

You can access your data directly from a SaveMeta entry. Use the GetCustomData<T>() method to safely cast the stored object back into your data class.

C#

public void BuildLoadMenu()
{
    foreach (SaveMeta meta in SaveManager.Instance.SaveMetas)
    {
        // Extract the custom data
        var customInfo = meta.GetCustomDataAs<MySaveInfo>();

        if (customInfo != null)
        {
            // Update your UI elements
            Debug.Log($"Location: {customInfo.LevelName} | Level: {customInfo.PlayerLevel}");
        }
    }
}

Performance

Custom metadata is stored as a JSON-string within the small .meta file. Because this file is separate from the large savegame files, you can create rich, informative save lists with zero lag.