Is it possible to group folders together at the top on Unity for MacOS? (Like on Windows)

Pretty straight forward…

On Windows folders are sorted together at the top of the file list before their sibling files in the same folder.

I have found the Finder setting to accomplish this, which works for Finder, but it has no effect on how Unity operates**:

I also found a forum post from 2013 with an extension that is designed to fix this. However despite fixing the missing “&” symbols in the script, it still does not seem to work:

I ALSO found a Unity Answers question on this from 2015, to which the first response came from me, today, 4.5 years later:
https://answers.unity.com/questions/991484/project-view-folder-grouping-in-osx.html

REALLY hoping someone can help me out here because it’s driving me insane.

1 Like

It’s 2023 and we still don’t have a setting for this.

i’m also looking for the same thing. this folder-file sorting is killing my production speed.

Sorry to raise this post, but had to tweak some of the code to get it to work, thought I would share.
Thank you @WeslomPo for the original!

using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using UnityEngine;
using UnityEditor;
using System.Reflection;
  
[InitializeOnLoad]
public static class ProjectBrowserExtension
{
    private const string k_UnityEditorProjectBrowserAssemblyName = "UnityEditor.ProjectBrowser";
    private const string k_ProjectBrowsersFieldName = "s_ProjectBrowsers";
    private const string k_AssetTreeFieldName = "m_AssetTree";
    private const string k_ListAreaFieldName = "m_ListArea";
    private const string k_DataFieldName = "data";
    private const string k_FoldersFirstFieldName = "foldersFirst";
  
    private static readonly object s_BoolTrue = true;
    
    static ProjectBrowserExtension()
     {
         EditorApplication.projectChanged += OnChanged;
         EditorApplication.playModeStateChanged += OnPlayMode;
         EditorApplication.projectWindowItemOnGUI += OnFirstTime;
     }
     private static void OnFirstTime(string guid, Rect _)
     {
         EditorApplication.projectWindowItemOnGUI -= OnFirstTime;
         Refresh();
     }
     private static void OnChanged() => Refresh();
     private static void OnPlayMode(PlayModeStateChange obj) => Refresh();
     
     /// <summary>
     /// foreach browser in UnityEditor.ProjectBrowser.s_ProjectBrowsers
     ///     browser.m_AssetTree.data.foldersFirst = true
     ///     browser.m_ListArea.foldersFirst = true
     /// </summary>
     private static void Refresh()
     {
         Assembly assembly = Assembly.GetAssembly(typeof(UnityEditor.Editor));
         Type projectBrowser = assembly.GetType(k_UnityEditorProjectBrowserAssemblyName);
         FieldInfo field = projectBrowser.GetField(k_ProjectBrowsersFieldName, BindingFlags.Static | BindingFlags.NonPublic);
         if (field == null)
             return;
         IEnumerable list = (IEnumerable) field.GetValue(projectBrowser);
         foreach (object pb in list)
             SetFolderFirstForProjectWindow(pb);
     }
     private static void SetFolderFirstForProjectWindow(object pb)
     {
         IEnumerable<FieldInfo> members = pb.GetType().GetRuntimeFields();
         int maxMembersSought = 2;
         foreach (FieldInfo member in members)
         {
             switch (member.Name)
             {
                 // One column
                 case k_AssetTreeFieldName:
                     SetOneColumnFolderFirst(pb, member);
                     maxMembersSought--;
                     break;
                 // Two column
                 case k_ListAreaFieldName:
                     SetTwoColumnFolderFirst(pb, member);
                     maxMembersSought--;
                     break;
             }
  
             if (maxMembersSought == 0)
                 break;
         }
     }
     private static void SetTwoColumnFolderFirst(object pb, FieldInfo listAreaField)
     {
         if (listAreaField == null)
             return;
         object listArea = listAreaField.GetValue(pb);
         // safety check
         if (listArea == null)
             return;
         PropertyInfo folderFirst = listArea.GetType().GetProperties().Single(x => x.Name == k_FoldersFirstFieldName);
         folderFirst.SetValue(listArea, s_BoolTrue);
     }
     private static void SetOneColumnFolderFirst(object pb, FieldInfo assetTreeField)
     {
         if (assetTreeField == null)
             return;
         
         object assetTree = assetTreeField.GetValue(pb);
         // Fix: as we are looping all members, it's possible to end up in a case where one member is seen first, 
         // this will be null.
         if (assetTree == null)
             return;
         
         PropertyInfo data = assetTree.GetType().GetRuntimeProperties().Single(x => x.Name == k_DataFieldName);
         // AssetsTreeViewDataSource
         object dataSource = data.GetValue(assetTree);
  
         // safety check
         if (dataSource == null)
             return;
         PropertyInfo folderFirst = dataSource.GetType().GetProperties().Single(x => x.Name == k_FoldersFirstFieldName);
         folderFirst.SetValue(dataSource, s_BoolTrue);
     }
}

Is this solved in 2025?..

Hi @NMD83 ! How are you?
So, problem lay here

// not actually code
foreach browser in UnityEditor.ProjectBrowser.s_ProjectBrowsers
    browser.m_AssetTree.data.foldersFirst = true
    browser.m_ListArea.foldersFirst = true
[InitializeOnLoad]
public static class ProjectBrowserExtension
{
    static ProjectBrowserExtension()
    {
        EditorApplication.projectChanged += OnChanged;
        EditorApplication.playModeStateChanged += OnPlayMode;
        EditorApplication.projectWindowItemOnGUI += OnFirstTime;
    }

    private static void OnFirstTime(string guid, Rect selectionrect)
    {
        EditorApplication.projectWindowItemOnGUI -= OnFirstTime;
        Refresh();
    }

    private static void OnChanged() => Refresh();

    private static void OnPlayMode(PlayModeStateChange obj) => Refresh();
    /// <summary>
    /// По сути, присваиваем значение определенной переменной:
    /// foreach browser in UnityEditor.ProjectBrowser.s_ProjectBrowsers
    ///     browser.m_AssetTree.data.foldersFirst = true
    ///     browser.m_ListArea.foldersFirst = true
    /// </summary>
    private static void Refresh()
    {
        var assembly = Assembly.GetAssembly(typeof(Editor));
        var projectBrowser = assembly.GetType("UnityEditor.ProjectBrowser");
        var field = projectBrowser.GetField("s_ProjectBrowsers", BindingFlags.Static | BindingFlags.NonPublic);

        if (field == null)
            return;

        var list = (IEnumerable) field.GetValue(projectBrowser);
        foreach (var pb in list)
            SetFolderFirstForProjectWindow(pb);
    }

    private static void SetFolderFirstForProjectWindow(object pb)
    {
        var members = pb.GetType().GetRuntimeFields();
        foreach (var member in members)
            switch (member.Name)
            {
                // One column
                case "m_AssetTree":
                    SetOneColumnFolderFirst(pb, member);
                    break;
                // Two column
                case "m_ListArea":
                    SetTwoColumnFolderFirst(pb, member);
                    break;
            }
    }

    private static void SetTwoColumnFolderFirst(object pb, FieldInfo listAreaField)
    {
        if (listAreaField == null)
            return;
        var listArea = listAreaField.GetValue(pb);
        var folderFirst = listArea.GetType().GetProperties().Single(x => x.Name == "foldersFirst");
        folderFirst.SetValue(listArea, true);
    }

    private static void SetOneColumnFolderFirst(object pb, FieldInfo assetTreeField)
    {
        if (assetTreeField == null)
            return;

        var assetTree = assetTreeField.GetValue(pb);
        var data = assetTree.GetType().GetRuntimeProperties().Single(x => x.Name == "data");
        // AssetsTreeViewDataSource
        var dataSource = data.GetValue(assetTree);
        var folderFirst = dataSource.GetType().GetProperties().Single(x => x.Name == "foldersFirst");
        folderFirst.SetValue(dataSource, true);
    }
}

Check my answer here:

I’m also looking for this feature in 2025…
I also update the @WeslomPo script, or rather refactored it.
I fixed the sorting not being updated until the window got refreshed.

Tested in Unity 6.1 beta, here it is:

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

[InitializeOnLoad]
public static class ProjectBrowserExtension
{
    private static readonly IList AllProjectBrowsers;

    static ProjectBrowserExtension()
    {
        if (!ProjectBrowserFacade.IsReflectionSuccessful)
            return;

        AllProjectBrowsers = ProjectBrowserFacade.GetAllProjectBrowsers();
        EditorApplication.update += OnUpdate;
    }

    private static void OnUpdate()
    {
        try
        {
            foreach (var browser in AllProjectBrowsers)
            {
                ProjectBrowserFacade.SetFolderFirstForProjectWindow(browser);
            }
        }
        catch (Exception e)
        {
            Debug.LogError($"Failed to set folders first for all project windows.\n{e}");
            EditorApplication.update -= OnUpdate;
        }
    }

    private static class ProjectBrowserFacade
    {
        public static IList GetAllProjectBrowsers() => (IList)ProjectBrowsersField.GetValue(ProjectBrowserType);

        public static bool SetFolderFirstForProjectWindow(object projectBrowser)
        {
            if (SetOneColumnFolderFirst(projectBrowser))
                return true;

            if (SetTwoColumnFolderFirst(projectBrowser))
                return true;

            return false;
        }

        private static bool SetOneColumnFolderFirst(object projectBrowser)
        {
            var assetTree = AssetTreeField.GetValue(projectBrowser);
            if (assetTree == null)
            {
                return false;
            }

            var data = AsserTreeDataProperty.GetValue(assetTree);
            if (data == null)
            {
                return false;
            }

            if (AssetTreeFoldersFirstProperty.GetValue(data) is true)
                return true;

            AssetTreeFoldersFirstProperty.SetValue(data, true);
            TreeViewDataSourceRefreshRowsField.SetValue(data, true);
            return true;
        }

        private static bool SetTwoColumnFolderFirst(object projectBrowser)
        {
            var listArea = ListAreaField.GetValue(projectBrowser);
            if (listArea == null)
                return false;

            if (ListAreaFoldersFirstProperty.GetValue(listArea) is true)
                return true;

            ListAreaFoldersFirstProperty.SetValue(listArea, true);

            TopBarSearchSettingsChangedMethod.Invoke(projectBrowser, new object[] { true });

            return true;
        }

        static ProjectBrowserFacade()
        {
            ProjectBrowserType = Assembly.GetAssembly(typeof(Editor)).GetType("UnityEditor.ProjectBrowser");
            TopBarSearchSettingsChangedMethod = ProjectBrowserType?.GetMethod("TopBarSearchSettingsChanged",
                BindingFlags.Instance |
                BindingFlags.NonPublic);

            ProjectBrowsersField =
                ProjectBrowserType?.GetField("s_ProjectBrowsers", BindingFlags.Static | BindingFlags.NonPublic);

            AssetTreeField =
                ProjectBrowserType?.GetField("m_AssetTree", BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.NonPublic);

            AsserTreeDataProperty = AssetTreeField?.FieldType.GetProperty("data");
            AssetTreeFoldersFirstProperty = Assembly.GetAssembly(typeof(Editor))
                                                    .GetType("UnityEditor.AssetsTreeViewDataSource")
                                                    ?.GetProperty("foldersFirst");

            ListAreaField =
                ProjectBrowserType?.GetField("m_ListArea", BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.NonPublic);

            ListAreaFoldersFirstProperty = ListAreaField?.FieldType.GetProperty("foldersFirst");
            TreeViewDataSourceRefreshRowsField = Assembly.GetAssembly(typeof(Editor))
                                                         .GetType("UnityEditor.IMGUI.Controls.TreeViewDataSource")
                                                         ?.GetField("m_NeedRefreshRows",
                                                                    BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.NonPublic);

            IsReflectionSuccessful = ProjectBrowsersField != null &&
                                     AssetTreeField != null &&
                                     AsserTreeDataProperty != null &&
                                     AssetTreeFoldersFirstProperty != null &&
                                     ListAreaField != null &&
                                     ListAreaFoldersFirstProperty != null &&
                                     TreeViewDataSourceRefreshRowsField != null;

            if (!IsReflectionSuccessful)
            {
                Debug.LogWarning("ProjectBrowserFacade could not initialize all fields:\n" +
                                 $"ProjectBrowserType: {ProjectBrowserType}\n" +
                                 $"TopBarSearchSettingsChangedMethod: {TopBarSearchSettingsChangedMethod}\n" +
                                 $"ProjectBrowsersField: {ProjectBrowsersField}\n" +
                                 $"AssetTreeField: {AssetTreeField}\n" +
                                 $"AsserTreeDataProperty: {AsserTreeDataProperty}\n" +
                                 $"AssetTreeFoldersFirstProperty: {AssetTreeFoldersFirstProperty}\n" +
                                 $"ListAreaField: {ListAreaField}\n" +
                                 $"ListAreaFoldersFirstProperty: {ListAreaFoldersFirstProperty}\n" +
                                 $"TreeViewDataSourceRefreshRowsField: {TreeViewDataSourceRefreshRowsField}");
            }
        }

        private static readonly Type ProjectBrowserType;

        private static readonly MethodInfo TopBarSearchSettingsChangedMethod;

        private static readonly FieldInfo ProjectBrowsersField;

        private static readonly FieldInfo AssetTreeField;

        private static readonly FieldInfo ListAreaField;

        private static readonly PropertyInfo AsserTreeDataProperty;

        private static readonly PropertyInfo AssetTreeFoldersFirstProperty;

        private static readonly FieldInfo TreeViewDataSourceRefreshRowsField;

        private static readonly PropertyInfo ListAreaFoldersFirstProperty;

        public static readonly bool IsReflectionSuccessful;
    }
}