### File Type Pattern Availability LightWave® 6.0 Component Layout, Modeler Header lwhost.h This global returns a function that allows plug-ins to retrieve file name pattern strings. These can be used to translate the string in the `fileType` passed to file request plug-ins into a literal filter string. Global Call
       LWFileTypeFunc *filetypes;
       filetypes = global( LWFILETYPEFUNC_GLOBAL, GFUSE_TRANSIENT );
The global function returns a pointer to an LWFileTypeFunc.
       typedef const char * LWFileTypeFunc (const char *type);
The `type` argument identifies the kind of file you want a pattern string for. It can be any of the following.
`LWFTYPE_ANIMATION` `LWFTYPE_IMAGE` `LWFTYPE_ENVELOPE` `LWFTYPE_MOTION` `LWFTYPE_NODES` `LWFTYPE_RIGS` | `LWFTYPE_OBJECT` `LWFTYPE_PLUGIN` `LWFTYPE_PREVIEW` `LWFTYPE_PSFONT` `LWFTYPE_SOUNDS` `LWFTYPE_INSTALL` | `LWFTYPE_SCENE` `LWFTYPE_SETTING` `LWFTYPE_SURFACE` `LWFTYPE_CONTENT` `LWFTYPE_DYNAMICS` `LWFTYPE_LIGHTS`
The association between a type string and a literal filter is usually stored in the configuration file. Pattern strings are platform-specific. Under Windows, the string is a list of wildcard extensions separated by semicolons, e.g. `*.iff;*.tga` for images. On the Mac, the string is a list of 4-character file types, also separated by semicolons. The Unix string uses a regular expression. Example This code fragment obtains the pattern string for image files.
       #include <lwserver.h>
       #include <lwhost.h>

       char *imgpat;
       LWFileTypeFunc *filetypes;

       filetypes = global( LWFILETYPEFUNC_GLOBAL, GFUSE_TRANSIENT );
       if ( filetypes )
          imgpat = filetypes( LWFTYPE_IMAGE );
       ...