Global Search is a plugin for Substance Designer extending its search capabilities. Searches can be made in multiple packages / folders / graphs / functions at a time using various filters. It requires Substance Designer 2019.2 or above.

USE CASES

• Search for terms in frames or comments, input parameters, variable names, graph names, function names etc. in multiple packages / graphs / folders / functions at once.
• Determine which graph parameters have custom functions.
• Determine which areas are left to be worked on or temporary and need to be removed before production using TODO and TMP markers.
• Find specific variables/input parameters into functions including package functions involved in cooking errors.
• Find places where specific variables are being assigned (Set) and retrieved (Get) in functions.

FEATURES

• Searches text or presets into multiple packages/folders/graphs/functions from a user-defined search root. The list of possible search roots can be refreshed if items have been added/removed in the Explorer view.
• Persistent search filters enabling to search into the following fields:

        – graph name (ID or label)

        – Folder name (ID)

        – Comments and frames

        – Package function names (ID or label)

        – Package function input parameter names (ID)

        – Variables or input parameters in function Get nodes (including Package function)

        – Variables or input parameters in function Set nodes (including Package function)

These search capabilities, in particular the ability to find variable Get/Set usage into package functions are especially useful when developing function code as cooking errors currently do not identify the package function in which an error is present. If the error is related to a variable, the search tool enables to quickly find it.

• Search presets override search filters and search for specific information. The following presets are available:

        – Param functions: searches all graph input parameters to which are assigned custom parameter functions. In a large graph, it is easy to loose track of the input parametters having custom functions, this preset lets you identify them.

        – TODO: searches for TODO strings that can be left in comments to indicate a feature left to implement. This way you can easily manage a TODO list of what’s left to do in your graphs.

        – TMP: searches for TMP strings that can be left in comments to indicate a temporary feature that needs to be removed before final release.

• Two search modes: Natural searches for text contained into the items determined by search filters. If not using Natural mode, search is made for exact match, in this case the * wildcard character may be used at the beginning or end of the search text to find items by prefix or suffix. Search can be made case sensitive or not.
• Search results presented as hierarchical (Tree) or flat (List) view. In List mode, search results can be sorted by column.
• Persistent Search history keeping the last searches having returned results. Search History can be cleaned in Preferences.