From Grafana to Unity

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Before proceeding, make sure you meet the requirements and have completed the base configuration.

This page explains how to configure and implement the communication pipeline for sending data from Grafana queries into Unity. The Unity Grafana plugin offers flexible options for mapping query results to GameObjects. Depending on your use case, you can:

• Send all query results to a single GameObject.
• Distribute values dynamically across multiple GameObjects.

On the Unity side, you must implement a function that receives the incoming data string, parses it as JSON, and applies the logic needed to update your objects or scene.

In Unity

To receive and process data from Grafana, you must implement a public function in a Unity script and attach it to the GameObjects that will handle the data.

The simplest implementation is a function that prints the received data to the Unity Debug Console:

using UnityEngine;

public class ChangeInfo : MonoBehaviour
{
    public void SetValues(string values)
    {
        Debug.Log(values);
    }
}

• The function name (SetValues in this example) must match the name configured in the plugin.
• The function parameter type must be string.

You can attach this script to a single GameObject (which then distributes the data to other objects) or directly to multiple GameObjects.

In Grafana

In Grafana, configure the Send data to Unity section by specifying:

• The query identifier that retrieves the data.
• The function name to be invoked in Unity.
• The data transfer mode.
• The relevant field (ID column or Id game object).
• The columns used for grouping (if any).

tip

Use the Table view to inspect incoming data and confirm its structure. You can also open Query Inspector > JSON > Select Source > Panel data to review the exact JSON sent to the plugin.

For more details on available modes and configuration fields, see the Unity plugin options documentation.

How data is sent

When Grafana queries return results, the plugin transforms the table into a JSON structure that Unity can consume. The exact format depends on the plugin mode and whether you enable grouping by one or more fields.

The result is always delivered as a string. Unity functions can parse the received string (e.g., using Json.NET) and apply logic to update object properties.

tip

For smaller Unity projects, you can implement the minimal function above (which only prints to the console), connect it to Grafana, and verify the incoming data directly in the browser developer tools.

For example, if a query returns the following table:

time	sensorId	temperature	humidity
2024-11-05 12:00:00.000	A	22.1	45
2024-11-05 12:00:00.000	B	23.4	50
2024-11-10 17:00:00.000	A	22.3	44
2024-11-10 17:00:00.000	B	23.6	49

info

Timestamps are converted to Epoch UNIX time in milliseconds.
For example, 2024-11-05 12:00:00.000 → 1730808000000.

Mode: Send All Data to a Single GameObject

All query results are bundled into one JSON string and sent to the configured GameObject:

[
    { "time": "1730808000000 ", "sensorId": "A", "temperature": 22.1, "humidity": 45 },
    { "time": "1730808000000 ", "sensorId": "B", "temperature": 23.4, "humidity": 50 },
    { "time": "1731258000000", "sensorId": "A", "temperature": 22.3, "humidity": 44 },
    { "time": "1731258000000", "sensorId": "B", "temperature": 23.6, "humidity": 49 }
]

Mode: Send Data to GameObjects by ID Column

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Ensure that the IDs in the column exactly match the identifiers of the GameObjects, including case sensitivity.

If sensorId is set as the ID column, each GameObject receives only its corresponding data.

• For GameObject A:

  [
      { "time": "1730808000000", "temperature": 22.1, "humidity": 45 },
      { "time": "1731258000000", "temperature": 22.3, "humidity": 44 }
  ]

• For GameObject B:

  [
  { "time": "1730808000000", "temperature": 23.4, "humidity": 50 },
  { "time": "1731258000000", "temperature": 23.6, "humidity": 49 }
  ]

Grouping Data

It is often useful to group data by one or more fields before sending it to Unity. This reduces redundancy and produces a more structured JSON.

• Grouped by sensorId:

{
  "A": [
    { "time": "1730808000000", "temperature": 22.1, "humidity": 45 },
    { "time": "1731258000000", "temperature": 22.3, "humidity": 44 }
  ],
  "B": [
    { "time": "1730808000000", "temperature": 23.4, "humidity": 50 },
    { "time": "1731258000000", "temperature": 23.6, "humidity": 49 }
  ]
}

• Grouped by sensorId and then by time:

{
  "A": {
    "1730808000000": { "temperature": 22.1, "humidity": 45 },
    "1731258000000": { "temperature": 22.3, "humidity": 44 }
  },
  "B": {
    "1730808000000": { "temperature": 23.4, "humidity": 50 },
    "1731258000000": { "temperature": 23.6, "humidity": 49 }
  }
}

Without grouping, Unity receives a flat list of rows (simpler but repetitive). With grouping, Unity receives nested JSON, organized by the chosen fields (cleaner and easier to query by ID or timestamp). The choice depends on how you plan to process data in your Unity scripts.