Not blocking load_untyped using a wrapper asset

crates/bevy_asset/src/assets.rs

@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
-use crate::{Asset, AssetEvent, AssetHandleProvider, AssetId, AssetServer, Handle};
+use crate as bevy_asset;
+use crate::{Asset, AssetEvent, AssetHandleProvider, AssetId, AssetServer, Handle, UntypedHandle};
 use bevy_ecs::{
     prelude::EventWriter,
     system::{Res, ResMut, Resource},
 };
-use bevy_reflect::{Reflect, Uuid};
+use bevy_reflect::{Reflect, TypePath, Uuid};
 use bevy_utils::HashMap;
 use crossbeam_channel::{Receiver, Sender};
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
@@ -74,6 +75,15 @@ impl AssetIndexAllocator {
     }
 }
 
+/// A "loaded asset" containing the untyped handle for an asset stored in a given [`AssetPath`].
+///
+/// [`AssetPath`]: crate::AssetPath
+#[derive(Asset, TypePath)]
+pub struct LoadedUntypedAsset {
+    #[dependency]
+    pub handle: UntypedHandle,
+}
+
 // PERF: do we actually need this to be an enum? Can we just use an "invalid" generation instead
 #[derive(Default)]
 enum Entry<A: Asset> {

crates/bevy_asset/src/lib.rs

@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@ impl Plugin for AssetPlugin {
         }
         app.insert_resource(embedded)
             .init_asset::<LoadedFolder>()
+            .init_asset::<LoadedUntypedAsset>()
             .init_asset::<()>()
             .configure_sets(
                 UpdateAssets,

crates/bevy_asset/src/processor/mod.rs

@@ -660,7 +660,7 @@ impl AssetProcessor {
         source: &AssetSource,
         asset_path: &AssetPath<'static>,
     ) -> Result<ProcessResult, ProcessError> {
-        // TODO: The extension check was removed now tht AssetPath is the input. is that ok?
+        // TODO: The extension check was removed now that AssetPath is the input. is that ok?
         // TODO: check if already processing to protect against duplicate hot-reload events
         debug!("Processing {:?}", asset_path);
         let server = &self.server;

crates/bevy_asset/src/server/mod.rs

@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ use crate::{
     },
     path::AssetPath,
     Asset, AssetEvent, AssetHandleProvider, AssetId, Assets, DeserializeMetaError,
-    ErasedLoadedAsset, Handle, UntypedAssetId, UntypedHandle,
+    ErasedLoadedAsset, Handle, LoadedUntypedAsset, UntypedAssetId, UntypedHandle,
 };
 use bevy_ecs::prelude::*;
 use bevy_log::{error, info, warn};
@@ -288,6 +288,35 @@ impl AssetServer {
         self.load_internal(None, path, false, None).await
     }
 
+    #[must_use = "not using the returned strong handle may result in the unexpected release of the assets"]
+    pub fn load_untyped<'a>(&self, path: impl Into<AssetPath<'a>>) -> Handle<LoadedUntypedAsset> {
+        let handle = {
+            let mut infos = self.data.infos.write();
+            infos.create_loading_handle::<LoadedUntypedAsset>()
+        };
+        let id = handle.id().untyped();
+        let path = path.into().into_owned();
+
+        let server = self.clone();
+        IoTaskPool::get()
+            .spawn(async move {
+                match server.load_untyped_async(path).await {
+                    Ok(handle) => server.send_asset_event(InternalAssetEvent::Loaded {
+                        id,
+                        loaded_asset: LoadedAsset::new_with_dependencies(
+                            LoadedUntypedAsset { handle },
+                            None,
+                        )
+                        .into(),
+                    }),
+                    Err(_) => server.send_asset_event(InternalAssetEvent::Failed { id }),
+                }
+            })
+            .detach();
+
+        handle
+    }
+
     /// Performs an async asset load.
     ///
     /// `input_handle` must only be [`Some`] if `should_load` was true when retrieving `input_handle`. This is an optimization to