added a type-converting room data query function

unity_package/Runtime/VELConnectManager.cs

@@ -65,8 +65,7 @@ namespace VELConnect
 				/// </summary>
 				public string TryGetData(string key)
 				{
-					string val = null;
+					return userData.TryGetData(key);
-					return userData.data?.TryGetValue(key, out val) == true ? val : null;
 				}
 			}
 
@@ -593,6 +592,41 @@ namespace VELConnect
 			return instance != null ? instance.lastState?.room?.TryGetData(key) : defaultValue;
 		}
 
+		public static T GetRoomData<T>(string key, string defaultValue = null)
+		{
+			string value = instance != null ? instance.lastState?.room?.TryGetData(key) : defaultValue;
+
+			if (typeof(T) == typeof(int))
+			{
+				if (int.TryParse(value, out int result))
+				{
+					return (T)Convert.ChangeType(result, typeof(T));
+				}
+
+				return (T)(object)0;
+			}
+			else if (typeof(T) == typeof(double))
+			{
+				if (double.TryParse(value, out double result))
+				{
+					return (T)Convert.ChangeType(result, typeof(T));
+				}
+
+				return (T)(object)0.0;
+			}
+			else if (typeof(T) == typeof(float))
+			{
+				if (float.TryParse(value, out float result))
+				{
+					return (T)Convert.ChangeType(result, typeof(T));
+				}
+
+				return (T)(object)0f;
+			}
+
+			throw new NotSupportedException($"Conversion to type {typeof(T)} is not supported.");
+		}
+
 		/// <summary>
 		/// Sets data on the device keys themselves
 		/// These are fixed fields defined for every application

unity_package/package.json

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 {
   "name": "edu.uga.engr.vel.vel-connect",
   "displayName": "VEL-Connect",
-  "version": "2.1.2",
+  "version": "2.1.3",
   "unity": "2019.1",
   "description": "Web-based configuration for VR applications",
   "keywords": [],