Console Enhanced
A replacement console for Unity3D
by Mark Currie
Version 3.3.5 - November 2022
Version 3.3.4 - September 2021
Version 3.3 - August 2020
Unity 2019.3 introduced a massive change to the editor UI, we support it.
We support Unity 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020. Latest version tested is 2020.1.
Free version limits ability to open rows that are 4+ levels deep in the callback (hoping to improve sales)
Right-click menu option to quickly open the folder containing a file of interest.
The location of the wrapper list file can get set to anywhere (just as the tab settings file). This allows you to make ConsoleE a unity package so you can easily share it with a team.
Added Clear on Build button, better rich text support, optimized rendering when E button is toggled, and more.
Version 3.2 - April 2019
Activation is no longer required for Pro version, if downloaded from Unity Asset Store.
Improved support for newer versions of Unity, especially Unity 2019.1
Better RegEx support, new right-click menu in advanced tab settings, misc bug fixes.
Version 3.1 - October 2018
The callstack area can be placed right of the main area. This new layout is surprisingly cool, it’s become my new favorite layout!
Adding a scrollbar in the callstack is controversial, it can block precious screen real estate. This option however is clearly appropriate when using the new horizontal layout.
Visual glitches have been fixed for Unity 2018 users. ConsoleE 3.1 has improved high resolution display support which is especially nice because Unity 2018.2 finally supports high DPI screens like 4k on Windows.
Unity 2018 records a DateTime.Now kind of timestamp with each log entry. ConsoleE can show these timestamps in a nicely formatted column. Note the existing Time.time column is still supported.
ConsoleE is fully compatible with Unity’s built-in remote logging system. For your convenience, ConsoleE adds the same remote logging button its toolbar. This requires Unity 2017.3 or newer.
If you right-click on a toolbar tab button, a new menu is shown. The menu allows you to quickly perform common actions related to tabs. Extend this menu in your custom script.
Version 3.0 - December 2017
Greatly improved readability of callstack, choose between various color themes.
Tiny navigation buttons that take you to the next or previous error, or to items the were newly added off-screen.
ConsoleE always had good support for external DLLs, but now this support is better, if you are using Visual Studio on Windows. If the source of your Debug.Log() comes from a DLL built with Visual Studio, ConsoleE can automagically open files within their correct solution.
Custom icons are rendered at pixel-perfect resolution on versions of Unity supporting Retina displays on MacOS. Once Unity supports high-res displays on Windows, ConsoleE should automatically take advantage of these displays.
Repeated searches are made easier with history. A dropdown with autocomplete appears as you type text.
Note that specific regex expressions can result in infinite loops causing Unity to freeze. Newer versions of .NET address this. When Unity upgrades to a newer .NET, this Regex issue will be resolved.
ConsoleE already had extra columns for things like timestamps. Now you can display custom data as columns. For example:
Debug.LogFormat(“Msg Received.\nConsoleE_ColumnX:{0}”, DateTime.Now);
Api.OpenWithVsTool()
ConsoleTab.onCheckForMatch lets you programmatically override tab categorization behavior.
ConsoleTab.HasKeyword(), AddKeyword(), RemoveKeyword()
Bug fixes, easier horizontal scrolling of callstack, improved context-menu placement on MacOS, and much more.
Version 2.6 - June 2016
A new button takes you to the first log of a particular type, for example, the first error.
Fix for “Invalid editor window UnityEditor.ConsoleWindow” among other fixes.
New API functions in ConsoleE.Api including Api.ClearLog(), Api.selectedEntrySingle, Api.consoleTabs, Api.FindEntryByRenderIndex(). See Extensions.zip for samples. Use intellisense to browse the full public API.
Version 2.51 - March 2016
Clicks on the Unity status bar are handled by ConsoleE rather than the default console.
Time.time, Object.name, and other properties associated with log entries can be automatically displayed in columns, in the callstack area, or in the 2nd line.
Dim the second line for better overall readability, wrap log message text to the 2nd line.
Hide toolbar buttons you never use, or enable small button mode to reduce clutter.
Options for small toolbar buttons and text wrapping allow the console window to become very narrow without losing functionality.
Settings for tabs (categories) can be loaded from outside the project. This allows using a single file between multiple projects. You can also easily switch between different tab settings files in the same project. This is useful if you have different tab settings for different debugging scenarios.
Write C# extensions to customize right-click menus, or intercept events like open or selection.
Each category can have a custom open-with override. This is useful if part of your project is using externally-built DLLs.
Unity 5.3 support, Windows 10 support, icon rendering glitch fix, and misc bug fixes.
Support
If you have any questions, contact me at:
About ConsoleE
Console Enhanced is Unity3D asset that is an enhanced replacement for the editor console window. ConsoleE is an editor extension. No part of the console is included in your standalone application. There are two versions of ConsoleE, a free version and a pro version. This document covers both versions, features specific to the pro version are labelled with [PRO].
Showing the Console Window
In the Unity Editor, select Window->Console Enhanced. You can press the hotkey Command+Shift+C on OSX or Control+Shift+C on Windows. Clicking on a log message in Unity’s status bar will also open ConsoleE.
Usage
For the most part, using Console Enhanced is done in the same way as using Unity's built-in console. No code changes are necessary to use the ConsoleE. Just as in the regular console, calls to Debug.Log(), Debug.LogWarning(), and Debug.LogError() will show in ConsoleE.
Settings Dialog
To show the Advanced Settings Dialog, right-click anywhere on the console window, when nothing is selected. You can also access settings from Unity’s Edit->Preferences menu.
Nearly every item in the Settings Dialog has a tooltip. Just hold the mouse cursor over a UI element to see its tooltip.
Text Search
ConsoleE has an optimized text search filter. Type some text in the control, and only log entries containing the same text will be shown. Pressing Tab or Ctrl+F will focus the text search control. Press Escape to cancel your search.
Callstack Navigation [PRO]
The pro version of Console Enhanced lets you easily open any row of the callstack. Double-click a row to open it. Using a long press with mouse drag will select a block of text rather than a single row.
Double-clicking this row will open its script file
Open With [PRO]
Right-click on any entry or callstack row to show the Open With menu. This feature is useful if
you edit your source code in an editor like Visual Studio, and debug your code using
MonoDevelop. The list of options found in the Open With menu is automatically generated based on your Unity Preferences. It can be configured in the dialog at Edit->Preferences->External Tools->External Script Editor. The Open With right-click menu is automatically hidden from view if you only have one external editor option.
Override File Open Behavior [PRO]
The file open override allows you to override how open files are open when console log entries are clicked. Using this option has no effect on how files are opened from the project window or other parts of the Unity Editor.
Note that on OSX, you may need to prefix your Arg Format String with --args. The Arg Format String is formed using the C# string.Format function. {0} is replaced with the filename and {1} is replaced with the line number.
If this feature is enabled, only the primary external editor is overridden. Other editors opened with Open With will use the default open behavior.
Hide Second Line
Hiding the second line offers a more concise view of the console. The extra space can be used to fit more rows at once, or can be used to display a larger font.
When unchecked, each entry has two lines
When checked, each entry has just one line
Smooth Auto-scroll
This option smoothens the auto-scrolling that occurs when new entries are added to the console. This helps makes it clear when new log entries are added.
Multiselection
The console supports multiselection. Hold Control while clicking to toggle selection. Hold Shift while clicking to select a bunch of entries at once. Press Control+A to select all entries. Once selected, entries can be copied to the clipboard. Selected entries also can be removed from the console.
End-of-Log Marker
When enabled, the color of separator UI changes to make it clear if you are viewing the last log entry and if auto-scroll is active.
Custom Tabs & Categories [PRO]
The regular console has tabs and categories for Log, Warning, and Error. ConsoleE lets you create your own. To create a custom category, right click on on a log entry or callstack row, and choose Categorize->Create New. This will create a new category and ensure the selected item is included in the new category.
Keywords [PRO]
Custom categories tab use keywords to decide which log entries belong to them. Normally, adding keywords to a category is done via the right-click context menu. You can also manage the keyword list in the category’s settings dialog.
Enabled Checkbox
Uncheck Enabled to complete disable the category. It’s useful if you want to temporarily remove a category from the console.
Share with another Tab
Using this option, a category can inherit specific traits of another category. It’s essentially a way to create subcategories of another category.
Consume Matches [PRO]
This is a option for custom categories. If checked and if a log entry has a matching keyword, the log entry will not be considered by any lower priority tabs. If not checked, matched results will not only show in this tab but will also show in other matching tabs. Tab order in the tab list decides which tab can consume a result first. Tabs at the bottom of the list are checked first. Tabs can be reordered using drag-and-drop.
Hide Toolbar Tab if Empty
This is a option for all category tabs. When enabled, the small toolbar icon in the top-right of the console will be hidden unless the tab has log entries.
Rows Colors
If Colorize is checked, background colors of rows will be overridden. Colors are overridden on a per-category basis.
Flash Effect
If enabled, a quick flash of color is shown on the background. This is useful for making sure log entries belonging to the category catch your attention.
Icon Editor
Each category has an associated icon. The basis of the icon is a unicode character. Its color, size, outline, and other visual properties can be edited.
Wrapper Functions [PRO]
Sometimes when you click a log entry, you don’t want to be taken to Debug.Log(). You’d rather be taken to the method that called it. ConsoleE lets you mark methods in your project as wrapper functions. ConsoleE will then skip these methods as it scans the callstack when considering the best source file to open.
You can manually edit the Wrapper Function list from the Settings Dialog. Alternatively, you can right-click a callstack row, and mark the row as a wrapper.
Extensions & Hooks [PRO]
Using C#, you can write extensions to modify the behavior of the console. Using extensions you can:
Refer to ConsoleE_Extensions.cs for sample code.
Hide File Paths [PRO]
When enabled, file paths are hidden from the callstack area. This helps remove clutter.
Hide Wrappers from Second Line [PRO]
When this option is checked, Wrapper Functions are not shown in the second-line display (of any main entry). Instead, the line shown is the one that is opened if the entry is clicked.
Compile During Play
By default, Unity automatically recompiles script changes, even if done during playmode. This feature is sometimes called Live Recompile or Edit-and-Continue. Many projects are not compatible with this feature of Unity. ConsoleE offers alternatives for how to handle scripts changes during playmode.
If playmode is active, compilation will be postponed until playmode is stopped.
If Unity begins compilation while playmode is active, ConsoleE will automatically stop playmode.
If Unity begins compilation while playmode is active, ConsoleE will automatically stop playmode, and then restart once compilation is complete.
Status Bar Clicks
By default, any clicks to Unity’s status bar will be handled by ConsoleE rather than the default console. To disable this feature, uncheck Status bar clicks in the Misc section. In Unity 4, this feature works only while the ConsoleE window is open. In Unity 5, it works even if ConsoleE’s window is not open.
Extra Columns
Pressing the Button E on the toolbar will toggle extra columns on or off. Columns can be resized. The resizing behavior changes if you hold a modifier key (SHIFT, CTRL or ALT) while resizing. Object.name is the name of the object passed as the second parameter to Debug.Log(). It’s the same object as the one highlighted in the hierarchy (or project) window when the log entry is clicked. The timestamp column uses unity’s Time.time at the time of the Debug.Log call. If ConsoleE cannot determine the exact time, a tilde will prefix the time value. Text formatting of the columns can be customized using a C# hook. See the example code in Extensions.zip.
Tab settings file management
You can switch between different groups of tab configurations. Sometimes it’s useful to switch tab groups depending on your current debugging scenarios, like one set of tabs for network debugging, another for graphics debugging, etc.
Settings for tabs (categories) is normally stored inside the project. But they can also be stored outside the project. This allows a single file to be shared between multiple projects.
Tab settings file menu is accessible from the Advanced Setting dialog.
Custom Buttons & Actions
Just like the regular console, ConsoleE supports rich text. Additionally, you can create custom buttons and actions, like this:
The settings button is created using log text in this format:
<ConsoleE_Button=ConsoleE.Api.ShowMiscSettingsWindow>Settings</ConsoleE_Button>
If the button is clicked, any static method can be called. In this case, the method is ShowMiscSettingsWindow.
It's also possible to call a static method if an log entry is double clicked. It follows a similar format:
<ConsoleE_OnClick=ConsoleE.Api.ShowMiscSettingsWindow>
If the static method takes a single string parameter, the log text and callstack will be passed to the method.
Horizontal Layout
When the horizontal layout option is enabled, the callstack is placed on the right side of the window. If you prefer the usual callstack layout, choose “Callstack on Bottom”. This setting can be found at Advanced Settings -> Callstack -> Callstack on Bottom. See image:
Activating Pro
ConsoleE runs in free version mode until activated with a pro license. Activation is initiated from the License tab in the Settings Dialog. Enter the unity invoice number in the field provided. Your unity invoice number is included in an email sent by Unity when the asset is ordered. You can also find your invoice number at the Unity website, in the billing transaction history.
Like Unity, the pro version of ConsoleE is licensed per-seat. Each user may use ConsoleE on two computers simultaneously.
Both the free version and pro version use the same binary DLL file. This means you can add the DLL to your repository, and some members of your team can use the free version while others use the pro version.
For teams, it’s possible to set up ConsoleE so that the activation field is pre-populated with your team’s serial key or unity invoice number. To do this, add a text file with the name serialkey (with no file extension) and place file next to ConsoleE.dll in your project. The file should contain a single line of text, your serial key or unity invoice number.
If you have any questions about activation, please email me.
