When I do a file search on eclipse it includes the .svn
directories by default. I tried excluding them from the build path but they still appear on file search
Ah - OK. I don't use SubVersion per se, but would this be of any use? It claims it can do what you want...
If you install the subclipse plugin then it automatically excludes the .svn
directories (plus provides some other cool stuff in the IDE).
http://subclipse.tigris.org/
If it does not work, simply restart Eclipse (sometimes it's needed on a fresh checkout)
Spaceman is right. With Helios, choose Project -> Properties -> Resource -> Resource Filters
and then add an exclude
filter for type "Folder" with name .svn
.