A filter consists of one more field expressions combined with boolean operators — for example, AND, OR, and NOT — and other grouping operators. Each field expression specifies which field is searched and the field value being searched on. The field also has a particular type which dictates how the field value will be interpreted by Model Manager — see Field Types.

You write a field expression using an @-notation of the general form:

with <field-name> equal to the name of one of the available fields in Table 3-1, and <field-value> the value being filtered on. Write, for example,

to find all models whose title contain the word busbar. To match on several search words, enclose the words with parentheses. Write

to find all models whose title contain both the words electrical and busbar.

A space between two search words is automatically interpreted as a boolean AND in the Model Manager search syntax. The above is thus equivalent to:

if you want to find all models whose title contain either electrical or busbar.

Field expressions can be written for other Field Types than a simple Text Field. Write

to find all models last modified on September 17, 2021 using a Date Field.

You can enter a custom filter query either directly in the search field in the Open, Select File, Select Model, and Model Manager windows, or apply it as a separate filter in The Applied Filters Toolbar by first clicking the Customize filter query button () from The Filter Dialog Box.

and matches on all models with a title, description, filename, or assigned tags containing the words electrical and busbar, and that has a description containing the word example. The following is not valid:

A boolean AND takes precedence over a boolean OR in the Model Manager search syntax. The filter

matches models whose title either contains both electrical and busbar, or whose title contain both tuning and fork. You can override this operator precedence with parentheses. Write

to match all models whose title contain electrical, and either the single word busbar or the two words tuning and fork.

You can use an asterisk character as a wildcard symbol that matches on zero or more arbitrary characters. The filter:

You can match on all models that have any value set for a field by using a single wildcard symbol. Write

to find all models with a nonempty description. This can also be written using the special ANY symbol:

to match on models whose title contains electrical followed by heating. You can also combine phrase search with ordinary search. Write

to match on models whose title contains electrical followed by heating, as well as the word busbar, for example, Electrical Heating in a Busbar.

You can reverse the match logic using the special NOT symbol. Write

to find all models whose title does not contain the word busbar. The NOT symbol takes precedence over both AND and OR, although you can override this precedence with parentheses. Write

to find all models whose title does not contain the words electrical and busbar.

A filter on a Date Field and a Numeric Field can be written as inclusive ranges. Write

Some characters serve special purposes in the Model Manager search syntax and are considered reserved characters. If you want to search on words that contain these characters, precede them by a backslash. Write

to match all models assigned the tag with title [In Progress]. The enclosing parentheses are necessary as there are two search words, [In and Progress].

The last one is a common pitfall when writing a filter on a Keyword Field that matches a string containing a space character. Write

to match a model with filename electrical heating busbar.mph. Parentheses are not necessary here because the value is considered as one search word when escaping the two space characters.