Asset Scout for Unity

A powerful Unity Editor tool for finding all references to any asset in your project. Whether you're cleaning up unused assets or refactoring your project, Asset Scout helps you track down every usage of materials, prefabs, scriptable objects, and other Unity assets.

How It Works

Unlike Unity's built-in GetDependencies API that only shows direct dependencies (what assets are used by a given asset), Asset Scout solves the reverse dependency problem - finding which assets are using your target asset. The tool not only identifies assets that reference your target asset but also shows the exact property paths where the reference is used.

Features

• Reverse Dependencies: Find which assets reference your target asset (unlike Unity's built-in API)
• Deep Search: Finds references in:
  • Scenes
  • Prefabs
  • Scriptable Objects
  • Materials (including shader properties)
  • Type references (finds which assets use specific C# types)
  • Addressable assets (finds references through AssetReference objects)
  • And other Unity assets
• Type Reference Search: Find assets that use specific C# types, including:
  • SerializeReference fields
  • Components in prefabs
  • Generic type arguments
  • Custom serializable classes
  • Multiple types within a single script file (search is performed by script asset)
• Detailed Results: Shows exact paths to referenced assets
• Fast & Efficient: Immediately search with rebuilt cache
• Performance: Rebuild cache with progress tracking (approximately 150 seconds for 35,000 assets)
• Easy to Use: Simple drag & drop interface
• Extensible: Custom processors system for adding your own search logic

Installation

Option 1: Unity Asset Store (Recommended)

1. Open the Asset Store window in Unity (Window > Asset Store)
2. Search for "Asset Scout"
3. Purchase and download the package
4. Import the package into your project using the Package Manager
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation

Option 2: Unity Package Manager via Git URL

1. Open the Package Manager window in Unity (Window > Package Manager)
2. Click the "+" button in the top-left corner
3. Select "Add package from git URL..."
4. Enter: https://github.com/elmortem/assetfinder.git?path=AssetFinder/Assets/AssetScout/Package
5. Click "Add"

Option 3: Manual Installation

1. Download this repository
2. Copy the AssetScout folder from AssetFinder/Assets/AssetScout/Package to your Unity project's Packages folder

Usage

1. Open the Asset Scout window:
   • Go to Tools > Asset Scout
2. Drag & drop any asset you want to find references to
3. Click "Find References" or wait for automatic search to begin
4. Review the list of found references:
   • Each entry shows the asset containing references
   • Expand entries to see exact paths where the reference is used

Cache System

Asset Scout uses a cache system to maintain fast search performance:

• Automatic Updates: The cache automatically updates when assets are imported, deleted, or moved (if Auto Update Cache is enabled)
• Manual Controls: Auto-update can be disabled in the settings if needed
• Performance: The cache system is highly optimized for quick reference lookups

Extensibility

Asset Scout features a powerful processor system that allows you to extend its functionality with custom plugins:

• Custom Processors: Create your own reference processors by implementing the IReferenceProcessor interface
• Support for Custom Data Types: Add support for project-specific asset types or reference systems
• Special Use Cases: Handle specialized scenarios such as:
  • Localization keys
  • Weak references to assets
  • Custom asset linking systems
  • Any other project-specific reference patterns
• UI Integration: Add custom search fields to the Asset Scout interface
• Selective Enabling: Processors can be enabled/disabled individually through the interface

Type Reference Processor

Asset Scout includes a powerful Type Reference Processor that allows you to find all assets that use specific C# types in your project:

• Find SerializeReference Usage: Discover all assets that use [SerializeReference] attribute with your custom types, helping you track polymorphic references across your project
• Component Usage Tracking: Find exactly which prefabs and scenes use specific component types, making it easy to understand component dependencies
• Script Asset Based Search: Search is performed at the script asset level, correctly handling multiple types defined in a single script file
• Nested Type Detection: Identify usage of your types in generic collections and custom classes
• Refactoring Safety: Safely modify types by knowing all places they are used
• Code Dependency Analysis: Understand dependencies between different systems in your project

This feature is especially valuable when:

• Refactoring your codebase while preserving type references
• Cleaning up deprecated types and ensuring they're completely removed
• Understanding type usage across prefabs and scriptable objects
• Finding all prefabs that use specific components for targeted updates

Addressables Reference Processor

Asset Scout includes an Addressables Reference Processor that allows you to find all assets that reference your Addressable assets:

• AssetReference Detection: Find all assets that reference your Addressable assets through AssetReference objects
• Custom AssetReference Support: Automatically detects and processes custom AssetReference types
• Dependency Tracking: Understand which assets depend on your Addressable assets
• Refactoring Safety: Safely modify or reorganize your Addressable assets by knowing all places they are used

This feature is especially valuable when:

• Refactoring your Addressables setup
• Tracking usage of Addressable assets across your project
• Understanding dependencies between regular assets and Addressable assets
• Cleaning up unused Addressable assets

Requirements

• Unity 2020.3 or later
• .NET Standard 2.0 or later

License

Free for personal use and indie developers. Commercial licenses available on the Unity Asset Store. See the LICENSE file for full details.

Support

If you encounter any issues or have questions:

1. Check the Issues page
2. Create a new issue if your problem isn't already reported