UniFileBrowser - runtime file browsing

This has actually been around for a while, but I just released version 2.2 and it occurred to me that I didn't have a topic specifically for it. So here it is! UniFileBrowser is a runtime file-browser. It's not a plugin, allows for lot of customization, and works on most platforms. Source code is included; it works with Unityscript and C# (and probably Boo though I haven't tested that). Available on my site and the Unity asset store.



Feature highlights:

• Can be skinned as desired, and the various GUI elements can be resized easily. Includes two demo GUISkins, as shown above.
• Actions for opening and saving files, and opening folders.
• Can filter files by extension, including multiple extensions. (e.g., if you want to list all .jpg and .png files.)
• Can automatically add an extension when saving.
• Can allow or disallow navigation to other folders.
• Full keyboard control.
• Can use multi-file selection, including shift for selecting a range of files and command/ctrl for adding/removing individual files.
• Can have a delete button. (Destructive! Limiting to the initial folder is strongly recommended in this case.)
• Can show volumes/hard drives.
• When saving, can prevent input of "illegal" characters that are not allowed in file names in common file systems.
• Can allow or disallow window dragging and resizing.
• Includes detailed documentation.

There are a number of functions you can use, including:

• OpenFileWindow: causes the file browser window to open, allowing the user to select a file. Uses a delegate so that a function you specify is called with the selected path. (Yes, delegates work with Unityscript.)
• SaveFileWindow: as above, for saving files.
• OpenFolderWindow: as above, for selecting folders.
• CloseFileWindow: closes the file browser window.
• SetPath: sets the path that the file browser window opens to by default.
• SetWindowTitle: used for custom window titles.
• FileWindowOpen: true or false depending on if the window is open.
• GetFileWindowRect: returns the current rect for the window.
• SendWindowCloseMessage: calls a function when the window is closed.
• SendWindowChangeMessage: calls a function if the window is moved.
• SetFileExtensions: sets the file filtering extensions at runtime.

Limitations:

• No loading/saving game code is included. It's a file-browser only. Loading and saving games is extremely game-dependent, so you'll need your own code for that.
• While it works on mobile, it's currently limited to the built-in behavior for OnGUI code. So it's functional but doesn't have an ideal touch interface for scrolling and so on.
• Since Unity doesn't allow external file access in the web browser, it won't work on that platform.

If you have any questions, find any bugs (never! ), or have any feature suggestions, post them here. If you bought from my site and don't have the latest version (currently 2.6.1), send me a PM with the address you used when buying. Update notices are sent out automatically for new versions, but you need to make sure you opt in to that (if you don't, then I can't send any update notices to you), and you might also want to check your spam folder.

--Eric

 

Hello,

PlayMaker I use because I do not know coding and I bought "UnitFileBrowser".

I can not call functions UniFileBrowser.use.OpenFileWindow (OpenFileFunction) ... since PlayMaker.

Unfortunately the example does not allow truly open files!
Can you tell me how to make operational example or give me an example that open the file?


thank you

 

The point of UniFileBrowser is that it's a file browser, it's not a load/save system. It sends a string containing the file path to your functions (or an array of strings containing multiple file paths); what you do with that information totally depends on your game/app and what it does. Because of that, I can't write any code that actually opens files for you, so you'll need to write it yourself or find a third-party save system. You'll have to ask the creators of PlayMaker about PlayMaker support.

--Eric

 

Thank you for the quick response

I'm sorry to ask "dumb" question, but I am new to the computer world ...

I want to open an excel file from my game .. So if I understand correctly, your application just lets me browse to find my file ... I need another application (such as "Easy save", "save game" for example) that really opens my excel file. This is correct?

thank you

 

That is indeed correct. See here about opening Excel files.

--Eric

 

The link explains how to open an excel file in Unity ... But I do not want to do that.
I just want to create a shortcut (a button) in my game that I opened the excel software. That way the player does not have to leave the game to go on his windows open excel file.
This is possible in your opinion?

Thank you very much.

 

You want to launch Excel itself? System.Diagnostics.Process.Start, I would guess.

--Eric

 

Exactly, I want to launch Excel itself from my game

 

Is it possible to modify this to work with NGUI ?

 

UniFileBrowser works with playmaker. I have successfully configured it to load textures from a directory and then apply them to a game object. I may be able to dig up the FSM actions if you are still interested.

 

I'm sure it's technically possible, but UniFileBrowser is heavily dependent on OnGUI code, so it would probably involve mostly rewriting it from scratch.

--Eric

 

I want to use the OpenFolderWindow, so I can browser to a folder (Where the user will then save some stuff). But... I had thought you had implemented some "Create folder" functionality. Do I miss it somewhere? I know it is easy to implement (And I will), but if I misunderstand something, or it is indeed already made, I would want to save the time making it myself

 

There's currently no functionality for that, sorry...I guess you just imagined it.

--Eric

 

"so you'll need to write it yourself or find a third-party save system." Eric

Hi Eric,
Can you recommend a 3rd party save system?

I'm looking into Easysave2. to do what i want to do (below), in conjunction with UnifileBrowser.

EasySave2
http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/91040-Easy-Save-Save-using-a-single-function!

I bought UnifileBrowser a while ago. Recently updated it.

OSX/WIN Standalone use in Unity 4:

Am trying to figure out how to use it to allow a user to import an image from their desktop or hard drive,
and have that image replace a texture that's already live in runtime.

Basically, i've got a quasi 3d art gallery scene, and want the to user/player to be able to use it to see their own images in that gallery.

thanks.

 

I'm not familiar with third-party save systems so I wouldn't be able to recommend one. For importing images, you can use the WWW class with a file:// prefix, or Texture2D.LoadImage. Note that Unity only loads PNG and JPG formats; for others you'd have to write your own importer.

--Eric

 

Thanks, Eric.

I'll try and figure this out some more.

 

Hi Eric,

(Btw, i'm more designer/artist, than coder.)

I bought EasySave2 and want to integrate UniFile with it to see if i can get a working solution.

I've brought both of them into my current 3d gallery project. No code conflicts.
Using OSX Unity 4 pro. Standalone. (Win standalone later.)

Have got UniFile's example working in my 3d gallery.
Both the Open and Open Folder buttons work:
and display the name of the file i've chosen (the path to the file is not displayed),
or the name of the folder i've chosen. (the path to the folder is displayed.)

What i need next is to understand how i can access the path information to either a file or folder, which i can then use with EasySave2 to get my desired results.

I hope i'm being clear.

thanks.

shwa

 

The loading function you specify has the user-selected path passed to it as a string, so you can use the path with System.IO functions or whatever to do what you want with the file. I'm not familiar with EasySave2 or what its requirements are.

--Eric

 

Eric wrote :
"It would be better if you posted that in a new topic since it's not related to UniFileBrowser, "

You are right.
Sorry about that.

- shwa

 

It would be better if you posted that in a new topic since it's not related to UniFileBrowser, although from what I remember Application.dataPath is inside the app bundle.

--Eric

 

"although from what I remember Application.dataPath is inside the app bundle."

Doh.

I'm losing my mind.

 

Hi Eric,

Is there a function that gets called when the user presses cancel? Thanks.

 

There's a SendWindowCloseMessage function, which you could use to detect the cancel button since the open or save function would not be called in that case.

--Eric

 

Hey,

I'm trying to use this package in 4.3 with C#. I get compiler errors:

UnityProject/Assets/UniFileBrowser Assets/Demo/UniFileBrowserExample.cs(52,52): Error CS0584: Internal compiler error: Could not import type `CompilerGenerated.__UniFileBrowser_delegate$callable0$103_24__' from `Assembly-UnityScript-firstpass, Version=0.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null' (CS0584) (Assembly-CSharp)

That said, even with these errors everything still runs and I can use the browser, so I'm not exactly sure what's going on. Has anyone seen this before?

Thanks for any help,
Dan

 

I haven't come across this...I did a search and this topic was the only result for something like that, so unfortunately I don't really have any advice.

--Eric

 

Ok, I'll see if I can figure something out.

Thanks,
Dan

 

Hi Eric, I have problems with special letters. I'm danish, and so we have 3 special letters (æ, ø and å), which the uniFileBrowser doesn't seem to work with. I also had a problem with #. It is surely a problem with the version of UTF that is used...somewhere.
Do you have any reason to think this is a problem with your product? I use the path string you deliver to me via the delegate, to open files using the www class. So it may also be here the problem arrises.

 

Code (csharp):

1.  
2. private string _videofileName = "initial value";
3.  
4. private void OpenFile (string pathToFile)
5. {
6.                 _videofileName = "file:///" + pathToFile;
7. }
8.  
9.  
10. public void OnGUI ()
11. {
12.  
13. if (GUI.Button (new Rect (20.0f, 10.0f, 80.0f, 30.0f), "File stream")) {
14.     UniFileBrowser.use.OpenFileWindow (OpenFile);  // Open file browser
15.  
16.         Debug.Log("Selected = " + _videofileName);
17.  
18. }
19. }
20.  

I've managed to get the code working, but am having a slight problem.

When I execute the code snippet above, it correctly shows a button labeled "File Stream". When I click on the button, it correctly opens the UniFileBrowser and I can select a file name.

However, the code prints the Debug log "initial value" rather than the filename selected by UniFileBrowser. If I click the button again, it uses the previous value I selected with the UniFileBrowser.

So the Debug.Log section doesn't wait for UniFileBrowser to return with a value. It's always one iteration behind.

Is there someway I can force the GUI to wait for the value from UniFileBrowser?

Thanks.
-Tony

 

I would assume that's the case, since I tested local files with the æ character and so on, and it worked as expected.

No, OnGUI is immediate mode and can never be delayed in any way, same as Update. The purpose of using a delegate with UniFileBrowser is that the function is run when the user selects the file, so you don't have to worry about trying to make functions wait. You can put your Debug.Log code in the delegate instead of OnGUI.

--Eric

 

Ok. So in order to get button to use the file selected, I needed to add the code to the delegate function instead of after UniFileBrowser.use.OpenFileWindow (OpenFile).

Here's the code that works:

Code (csharp):

1. private string _videofileName = "initial value";
2.  
3.  
4.  
5. private void OpenFile (string pathToFile)
6.  
7. {
8.  
9.                 _videofileName = "file:///" + pathToFile;
10.  
11. // THIS IS WHERE THE CODE GOES FOR DOING SOMETHING WITH WHATEVER FILENAME WAS SELECTED BY UniFileBrowser.
12.  Debug.Log("Selected = " + _videofileName);
13.  
14. }
15.  
16.  
17.  
18.  
19.  
20. public void OnGUI ()
21.  
22. {
23.  
24.  
25.  
26. if (GUI.Button (new Rect (20.0f, 10.0f, 80.0f, 30.0f), "File stream")) {
27.  
28.     UniFileBrowser.use.OpenFileWindow (OpenFile);  // Open file browser
29.    // DON"T PLACE THE FILENAME PROCESSING CODE HERE. IT WILL HAVE THE "initial value" and always be one iteration behind.
30.  
31. }
32.  
33. }

I just wasn't understanding what the delegate function was doing. Now this makes more sense (and works properly).

Thanks Eric.

-Tony

 

How would I change the filebrowser starting folder?

So now it is Application.dataPath.

I create a userFileFolder in my app with

Code (csharp):

1. System.IO.Directory.CreateDirectory(userFileFolder);

and then would like it to become a starting folder in Windows, Mac and Linux standalones.

I would just add

Code (csharp):

1.  "/"+userFileFolder

to Application.dataPath in Windows, but I am not sure if that would also work on Mac.

 

You can use the SetPath function.

--Eric

 

Thanks. Fantastic. I just missed that. Sorry for troubling you.

 

But I am just wondering if there is a web version of this.
I mean a supplement for browsing the server files, working with the same way and skin.
I have made myself this:
http://virtualplayground.d2.pl/Unity/experiments/?drawTube
Basicaly I would like to have that utility unified with unifilebrowser in the other project with both standalone and web versions working the same way.
But that seems as simple as an insertion of some code into the GetCurrentFileInfo () private function.

 

No, sorry. It's not something that can be done in Unity itself and would require server scripting. You can adapt the code yourself if you want (aside from doing the server programming), but I wouldn't be able to provide support since it's outside the scope for UFB.

--Eric

 

But looks like the SetPath function was also limiting the browsing to that path only.
Am I right?
I just expected this and LimitToInitialFolder setting to work independently.

No. It works fine, I have just put the wrong path, should delete this post.

 

Hi Eric!

To make UniFileBrowser more usable on mobile touch screens, I'd like to increase the size of of the files and folders. I've already increased the size of the Cancel/OK/Open buttons quite easily, but I can't seem to find anything related to the size of the file and folder selection text. Can you point me in the right direction?

Also, what about increasing the width of the scroll bar? Also a little difficult to select on mobile.

Thanks!

Edit: Thanks so much for the quick response, that's exactly the variables I needed to modify! =)

 

The file/folder size can be changed using the listScrollView custom style in the GUISkin. The scroll bars can be changed using the scrollbar styles also in the GUISkin.

--Eric

 

Eric,

I have ran into a problem. When using the OpenFolderWindow() function I have discovered after I open a subfolder and then select the "\" symbol at the top drop down list (see photo at bottom) I get the following errror:

ArgumentException: UNC paths should be of the form \\server\share.
System.IO.Path.InsecureGetFullPath (System.String path) (at /Users/builduser/buildslave/monoAndRuntimeClassLibs/build/mcs/class/corlib/System.IO/Path.cs:350)
System.IO.Path.GetFullPath (System.String path) (at /Users/builduser/buildslave/monoAndRuntimeClassLibs/build/mcs/class/corlib/System.IO/Path.cs:289)
System.IO.DirectoryInfo..ctor (System.String path, Boolean simpleOriginalPath) (at /Users/builduser/buildslave/monoAndRuntimeClassLibs/build/mcs/class/corlib/System.IO/DirectoryInfo.cs:61)
System.IO.DirectoryInfo..ctor (System.String path)
(wrapper remoting-invoke-with-check) System.IO.DirectoryInfo:.ctor (string)
UniFileBrowser.GetCurrentFileInfo () (at Assets/Plugins/UniFileBrowser/UniFileBrowser.js:796)
UniFileBrowser.BuildPathList (Int32 pathEntry) (at Assets/Plugins/UniFileBrowser/UniFileBrowser.js:789)
UniFileBrowser.DrawFileWindow () (at Assets/Plugins/UniFileBrowser/UniFileBrowser.js:642)
CompilerGenerated.$adaptor$__UniFileBrowser_closeWindowFunction$callable2$106_35__$WindowFunction$0.Invoke (Int32 capacity)
UnityEngine.GUI.CallWindowDelegate (UnityEngine.WindowFunction func, Int32 id, UnityEngine.GUISkin _skin, Int32 forceRect, Single width, Single height, UnityEngine.GUIStyle style) (at C:/BuildAgent/work/d3d49558e4d408f4/artifacts/EditorGenerated/GUI.cs:1395)



Jason

 

Is this over a server?

--Eric

 

No. I have a local app (Android platform) that I am using it in.

Jason

 

I can see you're running in the editor on Windows though. I guess Mono doesn't support different file systems like that? It should work if you build for the device.

--Eric

 

You are correct. When I built the target for the various formats it seemed to work correctly.

Jason

 

Hi I'm interested on your plugin, but I didn't see if it has ngui support, and it will be great if it has it. Any change to add ngui support?

 

No, sorry.

--Eric

 

@ Eric5h5

Will there be an update so that this Awesome asset will work with Unity's new GUI system?

 

Possibly; I'd have to see the new GUI system first to see if there would be any advantage to using it for UniFileBrowser. OnGUI isn't going away...while it's a pain for some things, it's pretty well suited for programmatic GUIs, and UniFileBrowser is highly programmatic. It's not something that needs to be laid out visually (nor can it be, really).

--Eric

 

Ah, I see your point about laying the GUI out visually as opposed to programmatically.

Is it true that new GUI is very similar to NGUI? or based on NGUI?

 

hi, if i use uniFileBrowser, can i open file. jpg or .png into my game ? and showing up in my game
its like load or importing image file into game.. on runtime mode
or
its just open image file with default aplication like window image viewer??

thx

 

Sure, since Unity has the built-in ability to load png and jpg images at runtime. UniFileBrowser only passes the selected path to your own functions, so what you do with the files is up to you. You could technically import any kind of image, but you'd have to write or buy an importer for anything other than jpg or png.

--Eric