Unity Modular Settings System

A plug-and-play, data-driven settings framework for Unity built around ScriptableObjects, runtime profiles, and persistent save data.

Supports:

• Audio settings
• Video/quality settings
• Key rebinding
• Custom sliders/indexes/toggles
• Save & load persistence
• Runtime events
• Default profile restoration

Built for Unity 2021 LTS+.

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Demo

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Features

Modular Architecture

The system cleanly separates:

• Runtime state
• Save data
• Default values
• UI interaction
• Disk I/O

This keeps gameplay/UI code independent from serialization and file handling.

Data-Driven Design

Custom settings can be added directly from the inspector without modifying code.

Supported custom types:

• Float sliders
• Integer indexes/dropdowns
• Boolean toggles

ScriptableObject Profiles

The system uses:

• Default Profile → stores default settings
• Active Profile → runtime session values

This allows instant restoration of defaults and easy runtime editing.

Persistent Save System

Settings are automatically saved and loaded using serialized save data.

Current implementation:

• Binary serialization (BinaryFormatter)

The system can also be migrated to JSON serialization easily.

Runtime Events

Built-in events allow UI and gameplay systems to react instantly to changes.

Examples:

• Volume updates
• Quality changes
• Key rebinding
• Full profile reloads

Keybinding Support

Includes:

• Primary + alternate keybinds
• Runtime rebinding
• Key detection
• Default restoration

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System Architecture

┌─────────────────┐     Resources.Load      ┌──────────────────────┐
│  SettingsSystem │ ─────────────────────── │  SettingsProfile     │
│   (static API)  │◄──── events / props ───►│  (ScriptableObject)  │
└────────┬────────┘                         └──────────────────────┘
         │  SaveSettingsData / LoadSettingsData
         ▼
┌─────────────────┐    binary file (.dat)   ┌──────────────────────┐
│   SaveSystem    │ ◄────────────────────── │   SettingsData       │
│  (disk I/O)     │                         │  (serialisable DTO)  │
└─────────────────┘                         └──────────────────────┘

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Included Scripts

Script	Responsibility
SaveSystem.cs	Generic save/load serialization
SettingsData.cs	Serializable settings snapshot
SettingsProfile.cs	ScriptableObject settings container
SettingsSystem.cs	Main public API

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Installation

Copy the scripts into your Unity project:

Assets/
└─ Settings System/
   ├─ Scripts/
   │  ├─ SaveSystem.cs
   │  ├─ SettingsData.cs
   │  ├─ SettingsProfile.cs
   │  └─ SettingsSystem.cs

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Setup

1. Create Settings Profiles

Create two SettingsProfile ScriptableObjects:

• Default
• Active

Place them inside:

Resources/Settings Profiles/

Required exact path:

Assets/Resources/Settings Profiles/

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2. Configure Defaults

Configure all default values inside the Default profile.

The Active profile is populated automatically at runtime.

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Example Usage

Audio

SettingsSystem.MasterVolume = 0.8f;
SettingsSystem.MusicVolume  = 0.5f;

SettingsSystem.SaveSettingsData();

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Key Rebinding

KeyCode key = await SettingsSystem.DetectKeybind();

SettingsSystem.SetKeybind("Jump", key);

SettingsSystem.SaveSettingsData();

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Custom Settings

SettingsSystem.SetCustomSlider("Brightness", 0.9f);

bool subtitles =
    SettingsSystem.GetCustomToggle("Subtitles");

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Events

void OnEnable()
{
    SettingsSystem.OnMasterVolumeChanged += RefreshAudio;
    SettingsSystem.OnProfileLoaded += RefreshUI;
}

void OnDisable()
{
    SettingsSystem.OnMasterVolumeChanged -= RefreshAudio;
    SettingsSystem.OnProfileLoaded -= RefreshUI;
}

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Demo Features

The included demo scene showcases:

• Audio sliders
• Quality dropdown
• Runtime key rebinding
• Custom settings
• Save/load functionality
• Undo unsaved changes

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Extending the System

Add Custom Settings

Simply add entries in:

• customSliders
• customIndexes
• customToggles

No additional code required.

Add New Categories

You can extend the framework with:

• Graphics settings
• Accessibility settings
• Gameplay modifiers
• Input presets
• Localization options

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Known Limitations

• BinaryFormatter is deprecated in modern .NET
• No encryption layer
• New Input System rebinding must be implemented manually
• WebGL persistence may require a PlayerPrefs fallback

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Future Improvements

Planned improvements:

• JSON serialization support
• New Input System implementation
• Save encryption/obfuscation
• WebGL compatibility improvements

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License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

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Author

Developed by Belal Saad.