🧭 Viewport Object Finder  User Guide

The Viewport Object Finder is your essential productivity tool for Blender.
Whether you’re working on a simple scene or managing thousands of objects, finding and selecting the right one should take seconds not minutes.

⚙️ Installation

Method 1: Install from ZIP (Recommended)

1. Download the viewport_object_finder.zip file

2. Open Blender

3. Go to Edit → Preferences → Add-ons

4. Click Install... (top-right)

5. Navigate to and select viewport_object_finder.zip

6. Find Viewport Object Finder in the list

7. Enable it by checking the checkbox

8. (Optional) Click the preferences icon (▼) to view settings

Method 2: Manual Installation

1. Extract the folder viewport_object_finder from the ZIP

2. Copy it into your Blender addons directory:

   Windows: C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Roaming\Blender Foundation\Blender\[Version]\scripts\addons\
   macOS:   /Users/[YourName]/Library/Application Support/Blender/[Version]/scripts/addons/
   Linux:   /home/[YourName]/.config/blender/[Version]/scripts/addons/
   

3. Restart Blender

4. Enable the addon in Preferences → Add-ons

✅ Verify Installation

After enabling:

• Open the N-Panel in the 3D Viewport (N key)

• Look for the "Object Finder" tab

• Press Shift + F to test the quick search

🚀 Basic Usage

Quick Find (Primary Method)

Step 1 — Activate Search:
Press Shift + F in the 3D Viewport to open the search popup.

Step 2 — Type to Search:
Start typing any part of an object’s name.
Search is real-time and case-insensitive.

Step 3 — Select Object:

• Click an item in the dropdown, or

• Use the arrow keys and press Enter

Your object will be selected and centered automatically.

Step 4 — Visual Feedback:

• The object flashes briefly in wireframe

• The camera frames the object

• The object becomes active in the scene

🧩 Example Scenarios

Find a Camera:
Shift + F → type “cam” → select “Camera_001”

Find Hidden Objects:

1. Enable Visible Objects Only (optional)

2. Shift + F → type object name → select

3. Hidden object is revealed

Find Object in Deep Hierarchy:
Shift + F → type name → select
Object and its parent collections are unhidden in the Outliner.

🔍 Advanced Features

1. Type Filtering

Access: N-Panel → Search Filters → Filter by Type

Available Types:
All, Mesh, Curve, Camera, Light, Empty, Armature, Lattice, Grease Pencil

Use Case:

“Find all cameras in my scene”

1. Set Filter by Type → Camera

2. Press Shift + F — only cameras appear

2. Visibility Filtering

Access: N-Panel → Search Filters

Options:

• Visible Objects Only — search visible

• Hidden Objects Only — search hidden

• Both OFF — search all

Use Case:

“Find all hidden lights”

1. Filter by Type → Light

2. Enable Hidden Objects Only

3. Press Shift + F

3. Flash Highlight Customization

Access: N-Panel → Highlight Settings

Options:

• Flash on Select — toggle

• Flash Count (1–5)

• Flash Speed (5–30)

Recommended Presets:

• Subtle → Count = 1, Speed = 20

• Default → Count = 2, Speed = 15

• Obvious → Count = 5, Speed = 10

Tip: Uncheck Flash on Select to disable highlight flash.

4. Outliner Sync

Access: N-Panel → Display Options → Sync Outliner

What It Does:

• Unhides the selected object and its parents

• Unhides containing collections recursively

• Reveals the object in the Outliner

(Note: Blender’s API prevents auto-expanding Outliner nodes, but objects will still be visible and highlighted.)

5. Viewport Object Labels

Access: N-Panel → Display Options

Settings:

• Show Names — show object names in viewport

• Font Size — 8–72

Tip:
Ideal for learning scene structure or managing up to ~100 objects efficiently.

6. Active Object Info Panel

Access: N-Panel (appears when object is selected)

Displays:

• Name: character_head_mesh

• Parent Hierarchy:

  head_control
   ↳ neck_bone
     ↳ spine_root
  

• Collection Path:
  Scene Collection → Characters → Hero → Head

🧭 N-Panel Overview

Open Panel: Press N → Click Object Finder tab

Sections:

1. Find Object (Shift + F) — opens search

2. Active Object Info — hierarchy and collection path

3. Search Filters — type and visibility filters

4. Display Options — Outliner sync, labels, font size

5. Highlight Settings — flash count and speed

6. Scene Statistics — total objects and breakdown by type

💡 Tips & Tricks

Speed Tips

• Press Shift + F → type → Enter — fastest workflow

• Partial match works with any part of the name

• Use Filter by Type before searching for faster results

Organization Tips

• Use Hidden Objects Only to locate lost assets

• Check Active Object Info to manage collections

• Filter by type for batch edits (e.g., lights, cameras)

Visual Tips

• For emphasis: Flash Count = 3–5, Speed = 10

• For subtle effects: Flash Count = 1, Speed = 20

• Show Names (Font = 14–16) to visualize structure

🎬 Workflow Integration

Animation:

• Filter → Armature

• Shift + F → Find rig controls

• Flash highlights and reveals bone hierarchy

Lighting:

• Filter → Light

• Quickly cycle and adjust lights

Camera Setup:

• Filter → Camera

• Flash highlights active camera and frames it automatically

🛠️ Troubleshooting

⌨️ Keyboard Shortcuts

📺 Additional Resources

• 🎥 Video Tutorials: BeingAnimator YouTube Channel

• 📧 Support: [email protected]

• 🌐 Website: salmannaseem.com

• 🛒 More Addons: SuperHive Market

🗓️ Updates & Changelog

See the README.md file for version history and recent updates.

❤️ Made with Love for the Blender Community

Happy Finding! 🎯