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Game Event Finder

The Reference Finder is a powerful diagnostic tool that scans your entire active scene to locate every GameObject, Script, and Component that is referencing a specific Game Event.

It answers the critical question: "If I change this event, who will be affected?"

🚀 Accessing the Tool​

You can open the Reference Finder from the Game Event Editor

Game Event Editor → Click 🔍 icon on event row

The window opens showing all scene references to that event.

🖼️ Interface Modes​

The window supports two visualization modes to suit different inspection needs. You can toggle between them using the toolbar buttons.

List Mode (Flat View)​

Displays a straightforward, sortable list of all references.

List Mode View

Best for: Quickly scanning total usage or sorting by path/name.

Grouped Mode (Script View)​

Groups references by the Script Component that is holding them.

Grouped Mode View

Best for: Understanding which systems rely on this event (e.g., seeing that 5 EnemyAI scripts and 1 GameManager are using it).

Toggle: Click the List / Grouped button in the toolbar to switch between modes.

📊 Status Indicators​

Each row provides real-time feedback about the state of the referencing object:

IconStatusDescription
🟢ActiveThe GameObject is currently active in the hierarchy. The event binding is live.
🔴InactiveThe GameObject is disabled. The event binding will not trigger until enabled.

📝 Reference Details​

The columns provide detailed context for every reference:

ColumnDescription
GameObjectThe name of the object in the scene
Hierarchy PathThe full breadcrumb path (e.g., Environment/Enemies/Grunt_01)
ScriptThe name of the C# class referencing the event (e.g., PlayerHealth)
TypeThe variable name in the code (e.g., onDeathEvent)
Smart Scanning

The tool uses Reflection to scan all public and private fields on your MonoBehaviours. It finds references even if they are buried in private serialized fields!

🔍 Search & Sort​

Search Bar: Type to filter references by GameObject name, hierarchy path, script name, or field name. Supports partial matching.

Sortable Columns: Click any column header to sort by that column. Click again to reverse the sort order.

⚡ Quick Actions​

The Actions column on the right provides three powerful navigation tools to jump instantly to the target object.

ButtonIconActionUse Case
Ping🔍Ping in HierarchyFlashes the object in the Hierarchy window to show its location without changing selection
Focus📋Focus in InspectorSelects the object and instantly brings the Inspector into focus, allowing you to edit the script immediately
Frame🎥Frame in SceneSelects the object and moves the Scene View camera to frame it perfectly

🛠️ Toolbar Features​

The toolbar provides additional controls for managing the reference view:

Refresh Button (🔄): Re-scan the current scene to update the reference list. Useful after making changes to your scene.

Select All Button (👁️): Selects all referenced GameObjects in the Hierarchy at once. Useful for batch operations.

List/Grouped Toggle (📁 / 📄): Switch between flat list view and grouped script view.

💡 Practical Use Cases​

Before Refactoring​

Question: "Which objects will break if I rename or delete this event?"

Answer: Open the Finder to see all references before making changes. Update each reference accordingly.

Debugging​

Problem: "My event isn't firing as expected."

Solution: Use the Finder to verify that references exist on active GameObjects. Check the status indicators (🟢/🔴) to ensure objects are enabled.

Cleanup & Optimization​

Goal: "Remove unused events to clean up the project."

Process: Open the Finder for each event. If it shows "0 References", the event is safe to delete from that scene.

Team Documentation​

Need: "Document which systems use specific events for team members."

Result: The Finder provides a complete list of event usage that can be screenshotted or documented.

❓ Troubleshooting​

No References Found​

Possible Causes:

  • The event is not used in the current scene
  • References exist in other scenes (Finder only scans active scene)
  • Event is used only through code via AddListener() (not detectable by Reflection scan)
  • References exist in prefabs that aren't instantiated in the scene

Solution: Check other scenes or use Unity's built-in "Find References in Scene" on the event asset.

Inactive References​

Cause: GameObject is disabled in the hierarchy.

Impact: The event binding exists but won't trigger until the GameObject is enabled.

Action: Enable the GameObject or verify this is intentional behavior (e.g., pooled objects).

Reference Count Mismatch​

Common Reasons:

  • Each prefab instance counts as a separate reference
  • Multiple fields in the same script each count as individual references
  • Disabled GameObjects are included in the count (check status icons)

📖 Workflow Example​

Scenario: You're refactoring the damage system and need to change the OnPlayerDamaged event.

Step 1: Open the Game Event Editor

Step 2: Find OnPlayerDamaged event → Click 🔍 icon

Step 3: Review the Finder results:

3 References Found:
├─ PlayerHealth (Script) - Active 🟢
├─ UIHealthBar (Script) - Active 🟢  
└─ DeathScreen (Script) - Inactive 🔴

Step 4: Use Quick Actions to navigate to each reference:

  • Click 🔍 Ping to locate in Hierarchy
  • Click 📋 Focus to open in Inspector
  • Update each reference as needed

Step 5: Safely complete refactoring knowing all usage points

🔗 Related Tools​

Finder vs Editor:

ToolScopeBest For
Game Event EditorAll events in projectBrowse and manage event library
Game Event Finder (this tool)Single event referencesImpact analysis and debugging
Pro Tip

Always check the Finder before deleting or renaming an event. Even events showing "0 References" in the current scene might be used in other scenes or through code-based listeners.

Scope Limitation

The Finder scans the active scene only. To check references across multiple scenes:

  1. Open each scene individually
  2. Run the Finder in each one
  3. Compile results manually

For true project-wide asset search, use Unity's built-in "Find References in Scene" feature on the event asset itself.