Resource Background Loader for Godot

This is a class I wrote as a solution to Godot's current lack of a feature allowing discarding assets pre-loaded through ResourceLoader.load_threaded_request().

While this is far from perfect and needs testing for various edge cases, I believe it to be the best approach to a common problem.

My BackgroundLoading class acts as a wrapper for the most commonly used ResourceLoader methods and provides extra, much-needed features.

Features

Download and drop background_loading.gd (GDScript) or BackgroundLoading.cs (C#) anywhere in your project to instantly have access to the following functions:

BackgroundLoading.request()

A drop-in replacement for ResourceLoader.load_threaded_request() that keeps track of currently requested resources.

BackgroundLoading.requested()

A list of all currently requested resources.

BackgroundLoading.get_resource()

A drop-in replacement for ResourceLoader.load_threaded_get().

BackgroundLoading.get_status()

A drop-in replacement for ResourceLoader.load_threaded_get_status().

BackgroundLoading.cancel()

A non-blocking way to unload a previously requested resource in a separate thread.

BackgroundLoading.clear()

Wipes all previously requested resources from memory.

C# Version

The C# version works the exact same way as in GDScript, using CamelCase syntax instead of snake_case like every native Godot method. A few notable differences:

• Has better encapsulation and lives in its own namespace (you must use using AlexOtsuka.Loading).
• Features a generic version of GetResource(), GetResource()<T>, allowing for cleaner code with less manual type casting.
• Probably more robust in terms of thread safety.
• When using C#, you're relying on automatic Garbage Collection. This means that cleared resources may linger in the cache for longer than expected. A quick remedy that ensures your unloaded resources are properly disposed of is to call GC.Collect(), as shown in the demo project.

Included demos

You may download either the GDScript demo (GDScript only) or the CSharp demo (features both GDScript and C#) for a quick look at how to use every BackgroundLoading function.

Additional notes

My script isn't able to track or unload resources loaded using ResourceLoader.load_threaded_request(). For this reason, it is better not to use both classes simultaneously.

This is NOT production ready and should only be used as inspiration for your own implementation of a reliable background loading system that fits your needs.

The "Damaged Helmet" 3D model used in the demo is property of ctxwing under the CC license. (https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/damaged-helmet-a1de6f1e738d446da3d50a3eebffe883).

Feel free to contact me on Discord (alexotsuka).