Unity Error CS1656

Error CS1656 is a compilation error that occurs in Unity when there are duplicate assets present in the project. This error occurs when two or more files share the same name, which can cause confusion for the Unity compiler.

What causes Unity Error CS1656?

As mentioned earlier, Error CS1656 occurs when there are duplicate assets present in the Unity project. Assets in Unity can be anything from scripts, textures, materials, audio files, and prefabs. When two or more assets with the same name exist in the same scope, the Unity compiler cannot determine which file to compile, and that's when the error occurs.

How to resolve Unity Error CS1656?

The solution to Error CS1656 is to remove one of the duplicate assets. Here are the steps to resolve the error:

1. Identify the duplicate asset: Open the Unity console and look for the error message that contains the path of the duplicate asset. The console message will look something like this:

   error CS1656: Cannot assign to 'VariableName' because it is a 'method group'
   /Assets/Scripts/MyScript.cs(15,16): error CS0029: Cannot implicitly convert type 'UnityEngine.Object' to 'UnityEngine.Sprite'
   /Assets/Resources/Sprites/Character.png(23,32): error CS0122: 'Sprite' is inaccessible due to its protection level
   

   In the example above, there are three errors, and the duplication is found in the Character.png file.

2. Remove the duplicate asset: Once you have identified the duplicate asset, delete one of them. You can do this by selecting the file in the Unity Editor Project View and pressing the Delete key.

3. Re-import the asset: After deleting the duplicate asset, re-import the remaining asset by right-clicking on it in the Unity Editor Project View, and then selecting Reimport.

4. Delete the Library folder: If the error still persists, you can try deleting the Library folder in the Unity project. This folder contains compiled scripts and other project-specific data that can be safely regenerated by Unity. Be advised that this step will take time and might reset the settings in your project.

Conclusion

Error CS1656 is a common error that occurs in Unity when there are duplicate assets present in the project. The solution is to identify and remove the duplicate asset. Keep in mind that this error usually appears due to unintentional mistakes like naming two files the same, so be vigilant and double-check your assets when importing them into Unity.