Super Search Super Status - adobe-photoshop/spaces-design GitHub Wiki

What is Done

  • Search for:
    • layers in any open document-- will select
    • current (open) documents-- will switch to document
    • recent documents-- will open and switch to document
    • enabled menu commands-- will perform the action associated
    • libraries-- will place a graphic or apply layer/character style to a selected layer
  • Filter by:
    • any of the above categories
    • layers: all of the layer types that are enabled in Design Space
    • library assets: graphics, character styles, layer styles and individual libraries
    • With no document open, you can search for just recent documents and menu commands
  • Interactions
    • Clicking on the little X on the right clears your search and all your filters
    • Enter, Tab, and Click all confirm options
    • Enter/tab when your search has no results does nothing
    • Clicking on the dialog (not an option) should do nothing
    • Clicking on canvas or hitting escape closes without confirming an option

What is Sort Of Done

  • Libraries search-- this will likely need touching up as the libraries panel functionality grows.
    • Placing character and layer styles only work when a single layer is selected (otherwise just closes without doing anything)
    • When placing a graphic, you need to confirm again by hitting enter, which is maybe confusing
    • Colors not supported at all
    • Thumbnails should somehow be integrated in the list
    • Being able to apply multiple filters would be nice for this
  • Priority system of displaying options and autocomplete choice-- Right now I have a pretty simple system of deciding what is likely a better match to your search term. From playing around with it, I think it is mostly successful, but this could definitely be more clever if want it to be.
    • How It Works:
      • Suggestion for autocomplete is picked first, based on title alone, and then given the best possible priority. This could be done the other way, by assigning priorities and then seeing if we can autocomplete based on one of the top options.
      • Then the category of options that the suggestion is in will go to the top. For example if the suggestion is a menu command, the menu command options will go above layer and document options.
    • Ordering of items also does not fully account for category: For example, if the user enters “artboard” but doesn’t have the Artboard filter on, should artboard layers appear higher up than other types of layers?

Dreams for the Future

This is a both a brain dump of ideas I’ve thought of, and a summary of feedback I’ve gotten from people, including Seth, Ian, Eric, and Adobe employees who saw the demo at the Intern Expo.

  • Alternate action when holding down command/control
  • Adobe stock
  • Help/tutorial content
  • Search within text of text layers
  • Multiple filters (would be useful for CC Libraries to specify type of asset in a particular library and for some of the other suggestions on this list)
  • Visible/hidden layers, layer masks, linked vs unlinked smart objects
  • Search scripts
  • Layers with broken links, missing fonts
  • Layer effects (ie find my layers with drop shadows!)
  • Select multiple layers
  • “Preview” as your selection changes (ie showing layer in layers panel or showing a menu command’s location)
  • Tools (rectangle, ellipse, etc)
  • Search for tools (and/or other things) in PS Standard. When selected, switch to PS Standard with the tool active
  • Search for color palettes with Color API
  • Show a list of options of alternative actions to selecting
  • If you hit escape with text in it and then reopen, keep last entered text
  • Remember what you have searched for in the past to change priority values of items and/or autocomplete
  • More forgiveness of spelling errors: http://blog.brackets.io/2013/04/03/brackets-quick-open-thats-no-regex/?lang=en