Filtering the Content Browser

You may find that your project contains so many Assets that scanning through the Content Browser to look for an individual Asset becomes time-consuming and slows down your productivity. This is where Filters are useful.

Filters provide a fast way to narrow down the types of Assets visible in the Asset View of the Content Browser. Each filter represents either a specific Asset type or additional criteria that may be used to limit the types of assets visible in the Content Browser.

Adding Filters

From the Content Browser Search Bar, you can add some Filters by clicking the Filters button. The Filters list includes a list of Basic Assets and Other Assets which breaks out sub-menus for each category.

You may add as many filters to your current Asset View as you like. Filters are additive by nature, meaning that if you start by selecting the Static Mesh Filter, you will only see Static Meshes. If you then select the Blueprint Filter, you will see Static Meshes and Blueprints. Each Filter you add increases the number of available Asset types. Keep in mind that you can always see how many assets are currently visible in the lower-left corner of the Asset View.

You can also add all Filters under a given category of the Other Assets list by selecting the category itself.

By selecting the Animation category, all sub-categories under that selection will be automatically enabled.

Deactivating Filters

Filters can be turned on and off by clicking on them. A deactivated filter has no effect and will be grayed out. To turn a Filter back on, click it again.

In this example, the Material Filter is enabled and the Skeletal Mesh Filter is disabled.

Removing Filters

A Filter can be removed from the list when you no longer need it. This can be done in two different ways:

• Right-click on a filter

  Right-click on a Filter listed under the Search bar, and choose Remove: [Name of Filter] from the context menu.

• Use the Filter List

  Click the Filters button and deselect it by unchecking the selected filter. This will remove the filter(s) from the Filter bar.

Using the Recently Opened Filter

The Recently Opened Filter enables you to view the 20 most recently opened Assets for a selected folder and can be found under the Other Filters category.

When using the Recently Opened Filter, selecting the Content folder will display the most recently opened Assets for the entire project folder. Selecting a sub-folder might show only a few items, or nothing at all. The list is dependent on the most recently opened Assets being contained within the folder being selected.

Filters and Multiple Content Browsers

It can be useful to combine filters with multiple Content Browser opened. This would enable you to have one Content Browser showing only a given Asset Type.