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Advanced search queries | Substance 3D Painter

Advanced search queries

Advanced search queries allow you to construct complex searches and reuse them as Saved searches.

Advanced queries can be used in the search bar and can contain -

  1. Path : allow to refine the result of a search by a folder/folder structure.
  2. Usage : List all the possible usage that are available in the application
  3. Text query : Allow to add any other type of query freely (like custom keywords)

Multiple selections are allowed when defining a new search query.

Path

The path query allow to refine a query based on a path. The Filter by Path panel lists all the available libraries (which you can add yourself via Edit > Settings > Libraries).
It is possible to use the path definition to filter by custom library path or by specific sub-folders in the hierarchy.

Usage

Usage define what a resource is and how to use it in Substance 3D Painter. Some can be defined by the file type of the resource.
For example-

  • pbr.glsl: A shader file - it can only be used as a shader, and nothing else.
  • effect.sbsar: A substance file - it can be a generator, a filter or even a material, so if its usage is not set in the original graph (in Designer), it will have to be indicated by the user in Painter at the moment of import.

Text

The text query support multiple type of filtering, some being more advanced than the regular interface.
They can be enabled by typing the right keywords.

  • Available search types :
    • " n: " : name
    • " s: " : shelf/library (includes "session" and "project")
    • " p: " : path
    • " u: " : usage
  • Escaping : it is possible to either use " \ " before the character that need to be escaped or use quotes instead, example :
    • a\ name\ with\ spaces
    • "a name with spaces"
  • Specific attributes (or group) : to search in specific attributes, prepend a 'or group' with a type specifier. Example :
    • n:a,b,c,d : name is a or b or c or d
  • Search behavior :
    • To filter specific usages, add the specific keyword to your search for example : " images ambient"
    • To add multiple request, use a comma " , ", for example : "cobalt , gold" (if a comma is you used, the search will only show a resource that match both keyword at the same time)
    • To search for an exact name, use an exclamation point "!" at the end, example : di! (will return dirt but not drips , this keyword disable the fuzzy matching)
    • To exclude a pattern from a search, use an hyphen " - ", for example : u:image n:-normal (will return images that don't contain "normal")
  • Matching functions (pattern suffix) :
    • default : approximate matching (fuzzy)
    • contains : !
    • regex : #
    • equal : =
    • starts with : ^
    • ends with : &

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