How do I find which objects are referencing another?

[tnetennba]

If I click an object I can select its dependencies but I want to know the inverse of this. For example if I have texture how do I find all the objects that are using that texture.

[tnetennba]

This script will allow you to right click an object in the editor and will search your project and highlight the objects that reference it:

using UnityEngine;
using System.Collections;
using UnityEditor;
using System.Collections.Generic;

public class ReferenceFilter : EditorWindow
{
[MenuItem("Assets/What objects use this?", false, 20)]
private static void OnSearchForReferences()
{
    string final = "";
    List<UnityEngine.Object> matches = new List<UnityEngine.Object>();

    int iid = Selection.activeInstanceID;
    if (AssetDatabase.IsMainAsset(iid))
    {
        // only main assets have unique paths
        string path = AssetDatabase.GetAssetPath(iid);
        // strip down the name
        final = System.IO.Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(path);
    }
    else
    {
        Debug.Log("Error Asset not found");
        return;
    }

    // get everything
    Object[] _Objects = FindObjectsOfTypeIncludingAssets(typeof(Object));

    //loop through everything
    foreach (Object go in _Objects)
    {
        // needs to be an array
        Object[] g = new Object[1];
        g[0] = go;

        // All objects
        Object[] depndencies = EditorUtility.CollectDependencies(g);
        foreach (Object o in depndencies)
            if (string.Compare(o.name.ToString(), final) == 0)
                matches.Add(go);// add it to our list to highlight
    }
    Selection.objects = matches.ToArray();
    matches.Clear(); // clear the list 
}
}

You will need to place it in an editor folder for this to work.

[Gotlight]

For example if I have texture how do I find all the objects that are using that texture.

There is a product which allows you to search for usages (inverse to dependencies) in both Project and Scenes, e.g. it offers:

• Interface for working with exact fields that are using selected asset
• Search for usages of different asset types: Textures, Scenes, Scripts, Shaders, Materials, Sprites, Prefabs, Sounds…
• Replacement of asset usages

Asset Store link:

• Unity Asset Store - The Best Assets for Game Making

[ricardo_arango1]

This will work for all loaded objects (Not Assets in the Project):

using System;
using System.Reflection;
using UnityEditor;
using UnityEngine;

public class BacktraceReference : EditorWindow {
    private Class1 _theObject;

    [MenuItem("GameObject/What Objects Reference this?")]
    public static void Init() {
        GetWindow(typeof (BacktraceReference));
    }

    public void OnGUI() {
        _theObject = EditorGUILayout.ObjectField("Object referenced : ", _theObject, typeof (Class1), true) as Class1;
        if (_theObject == null) return;
        if (GUILayout.Button("Find Objects Referencing it"))
            FindObjectsReferencing(_theObject);
    }

    private static void FindObjectsReferencing<T>(T mb) where T : Component {
        var objs = Resources.FindObjectsOfTypeAll(typeof (Component)) as Component[];
        if (objs == null) return;
        foreach (Component obj in objs) {
            FieldInfo[] fields =
                obj.GetType().GetFields(BindingFlags.NonPublic | BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.Instance |
                                        BindingFlags.Static);
            foreach (FieldInfo fieldInfo in fields) {
                if (FieldReferencesComponent(obj, fieldInfo, mb)) {
                    Debug.Log("Ref: Component " + obj.GetType() + " from Object " + obj.name);
                }
            }
        }
    }

    private static bool FieldReferencesComponent<T>(Component obj, FieldInfo fieldInfo, T mb) where T : Component {
        if (fieldInfo.FieldType.IsArray) {
            var arr = fieldInfo.GetValue(obj) as Array;
            foreach (object elem in arr) {
                if (elem.GetType() == mb.GetType()) {
                    var o = elem as T;
                    if (o == mb)
                        return true;
                }
            }
        }
        else {
            if (fieldInfo.FieldType == mb.GetType()) {
                var o = fieldInfo.GetValue(obj) as T;
                if (o == mb)
                    return true;
            }
        }
        return false;
    }
}

[Daniel-F]

I hacked together a version of @ricardo_arango’s script which works in Unity 5.4 and has some additional functionality (optionally find references to any component in any currently-selected GameObjects, and highlight the referencing GameObject when you click the related log entry).

I realise it’s not an elegant solution, but it works and I don’t have time for elegance right now, so posting in case someone else finds a use for it. Tried to post it as a comment to his answer but it wouldn’t submit for some reason.

 using System;
 using System.Reflection;
 using UnityEditor;
 using UnityEngine;
 
 public class BacktraceReference : EditorWindow {
    private Component _theObject;
	bool specificComponent = false;


	[MenuItem("GameObject/What Objects Reference this?")]
     public static void Init() {
         GetWindow(typeof (BacktraceReference));
     }
 
     public void OnGUI() {
		
		if( specificComponent = GUILayout.Toggle(specificComponent, "Match a single specific component") ) {
			_theObject = EditorGUILayout.ObjectField("Component referenced : ", _theObject, typeof(Component), true) as Component;
			if( _theObject == null )
				return;

			if( GUILayout.Button("Find Objects Referencing it") )
				FindObjectsReferencing(_theObject);
		}
		else if( GUILayout.Button("Find Objects Referencing Selected GameObjects") ) 
		{
			GameObject[] objects = Selection.gameObjects;
			if( objects==null || objects.Length < 1 ) {
				GUILayout.Label("Select source object/s in Hierarchy.");
				return;
			}
			foreach( GameObject go in objects ) {
				foreach( Component c in go.GetComponents(typeof(Component)) ) {
					FindObjectsReferencing(c);
				}
			}
		}
     }
 
     private static void FindObjectsReferencing<T>(T mb) where T : Component {
         var objs = Resources.FindObjectsOfTypeAll(typeof (Component)) as Component[];
         if (objs == null) return;
         foreach (Component obj in objs) {
             FieldInfo[] fields =
                 obj.GetType().GetFields(BindingFlags.NonPublic | BindingFlags.Public | BindingFlags.Instance |
                                         BindingFlags.Static);
             foreach (FieldInfo fieldInfo in fields) {
                 if (FieldReferencesComponent(obj, fieldInfo, mb)) {
                     Debug.Log("Ref: Component " + obj.GetType() + " from Object " + obj.name +" references source component "+mb.GetType(), obj.gameObject);
                 }
             }
         }
     }
 
     private static bool FieldReferencesComponent<T>(Component obj, FieldInfo fieldInfo, T mb) where T : Component {
         if (fieldInfo.FieldType.IsArray) {
             var arr = fieldInfo.GetValue(obj) as Array;
             foreach (object elem in arr) {
                 if (elem != null && mb != null && elem.GetType() == mb.GetType()) {
                     var o = elem as T;
                     if (o == mb)
                         return true;
                 }
             }
         }
         else {
             if (fieldInfo.FieldType == mb.GetType()) {
                 var o = fieldInfo.GetValue(obj) as T;
                 if (o == mb)
                     return true;
             }
         }
         return false;
     }
 }

[ShawnFeatherly]

I made a script with similar functionality to @Daniel-F. It only handles a single scene file. Yet it handles all type of sub-references well, complex objects, arrays, etc… Tested in 2013.3.1f1 & 5.6.3f1

using System.Collections.Generic;
using UnityEngine;
using System.Linq;
#if UNITY_EDITOR
using UnityEditor;

public class BacktraceReference : EditorWindow
{
    /// <summary> The result </summary>
    public static List<Component> ReferencingSelection = new List<Component>();

    /// <summary> allComponents in the scene that will be searched to see if they contain the reference </summary>
    private static Component[] allComponents;

    /// <summary> Selection of gameobjects the user made </summary>
    private static GameObject[] selections;

    /// <summary>
    /// Adds context menu to hierarchy window https://answers.unity.com/questions/22947/adding-to-the-context-menu-of-the-hierarchy-tab.html
    /// </summary>
    [UnityEditor.MenuItem("GameObject/Find Objects Referencing This", false, 48)]
    public static void InitHierarchy()
    {
        selections = UnityEditor.Selection.gameObjects;
        BacktraceSelection(selections);
        GetWindow(typeof(BacktraceReference));
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Display referenced by components in window
    /// </summary>
    public void OnGUI()
    {
        if (selections == null || selections.Length < 1)
        {
            GUILayout.Label("Select source object/s from scene Hierarchy panel.");
            return;
        }

        // display reference that is being checked
        GUILayout.Label(string.Join(", ", selections.Where(go => go != null).Select(go => go.name).ToArray()));

        // handle no references
        if (ReferencingSelection == null || ReferencingSelection.Count == 0)
        {
            GUILayout.Label("is not referenced by any gameobjects in the scene");
            return;
        }

        // display list of references using their component name as the label
        foreach (var item in ReferencingSelection)
        {
            EditorGUILayout.ObjectField(item.GetType().ToString(), item, typeof(GameObject), allowSceneObjects: true);
        }
    }

    // This script finds all objects in scene
    private static Component[] GetAllActiveInScene()
    {
        // Use new version of Resources.FindObjectsOfTypeAll(typeof(Component)) as per https://forum.unity.com/threads/editorscript-how-to-get-all-gameobjects-in-scene.224524/
        var rootObjects = UnityEngine.SceneManagement.SceneManager
            .GetActiveScene()
            .GetRootGameObjects();

        List<Component> result = new List<Component>();
        foreach (var rootObject in rootObjects)
        {
            result.AddRange(rootObject.GetComponentsInChildren<Component>());
        }
        return result.ToArray();
    }

    private static void BacktraceSelection(GameObject[] selections)
    {
        if (selections == null || selections.Length < 1)
            return;

        allComponents = GetAllActiveInScene();
        if (allComponents == null) return;
        ReferencingSelection.Clear();

        foreach (GameObject selection in selections)
        {
            foreach (Component cOfSelection in selection.GetComponents(typeof(Component)))
            {
                FindObjectsReferencing(cOfSelection);
            }
        }
    }

    private static void FindObjectsReferencing<T>(T cOfSelection) where T : Component
    {
        foreach (Component sceneComponent in allComponents)
        {
            componentReferences(sceneComponent, cOfSelection);
        }
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Determines if the component makes any references to the second "references" component in any of its inspector fields
    /// </summary>
    private static void componentReferences(Component component, Component references)
    {
        // find all fields exposed in the editor as per https://answers.unity.com/questions/1333022/how-to-get-every-public-variables-from-a-script-in.html
        SerializedObject serObj = new SerializedObject(component);
        SerializedProperty prop = serObj.GetIterator();
        while (prop.NextVisible(true))
        {
            bool isObjectField = prop.propertyType == SerializedPropertyType.ObjectReference && prop.objectReferenceValue != null;
            if (isObjectField && prop.objectReferenceValue == references)
            {
                ReferencingSelection.Add(component);
            }
        }
    }
}
#endif

[thienhaflash]

@tnetennba You may want to check out Find Reference 2, it shows the usage count and all references from and to any selected object in project panel

[idbrii]

To additionally find references to the object in unloaded scenes or assets, you could search the text of your .unity and .prefab files for the target object’s guid.

Get the guid:

string guid = AssetDatabase.AssetPathToGUID(AssetDatabase.GetAssetPath(Selection.activeObject));

Use some C# code to search files recursively in Application.dataPath, and you should get a list of files that reference the guid. You may want to strip .meta from the results since a prefab’s own meta file will contain its prefab.

As an optimization, you should ignore binary files. (So you’re not searching textures.)

---

Alternatively, unity-findrefs is a simple unity package for finding references. It shows the results in the console:

It depends on ripgrep or mdfind for fast searching instead of implementing it in C#.

[Ogdy]

Hi !

Check out this open source tool, it is perfect for finding dependencies of an asset and what references it.

GitHub - ogxd/project-curator: A convenient tool to help cleaning and...

Have fun !

[AvPerov]

There is yet another tool for that: GitHub - AlexeyPerov/Unity-Dependencies-Hunter: This tool finds unreferenced assets by scanning all files in your Unity project..

It consists of a single script so it’s easy to just copy-paste it to your project.

Internally it uses AssetDatabase.GetDependencies to build a map of all assets to use for analysis.

[robinwood]

@tnetennba

Find Pro provides a complete solution for finding out all references to an asset.

Check it out