Using Laser and LaserHit (Java)

The laser system behaves like a raycast: you shoot an invisible line and the engine tells you whether it hit something. Component methods like repeat() run every frame, which makes lasers easy to use in gameplay logic that updates continuously.

Example (beginner-friendly)

The example below creates a Laser, fires it inside repeat(), and handles the case where nothing is hit by catching NoHitException.

public class LaserExample extends Component {
    private final Laser laser = new Laser();

    @Override
    public void repeat() {
        try {
            LaserHit hit = laser.trace(myObject.getGlobalPosition(), myObject.getForward());

            // Use the hit immediately (e.g., read hit point, collider, etc.).
            // This is where you react to the collision.
        } catch (NoHitException exception) {
            // Nothing was hit this frame. Decide what to do here.
        }
    }
}

Why not store LaserHit globally?

For beginners, it may sound convenient to store the LaserHit in a global variable and use it later, but that is not a good practice because the hit data can become outdated after the next frame. Lasers are meant to be evaluated per frame, so you should use the hit right after you trace.

If you really need to keep it for later, always check if it exists:

LaserHit cachedHit = null;

// Later...
if (cachedHit != null) {
    // Safe to use cachedHit
}

That null check prevents errors when no hit happened and ensures your code stays safe for beginners.