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Unreal Engine Automation Plugins

Here are automation and optimization tools I developed for artists using Unreal Engine and Blender. Designed to simplify batch processing, repetitive tasks, and workflow optimization, these tools have been used on major productions like Those About to Die, Here, and Time Bandits. Built with UE Blueprints and Python Scripts, they make creative workflows smoother than ever!

  • Description of the imageUnreal Engine
  • Description of the imageBlender
  • Description of the imagePython

Material Slot Collapser

The Material Slot Collapser simplifies the material management for assets by grouping similar materials and consolidating them to reduce duplication. It allows the efficient grouping and organization of materials within assets, saving time in project setup and management.

Functionality: Tool loads each asset’s materials and then groups similar ones based on textures, and input values. The user can customize each group, select the primary material in each group, and proceed through the asset list. Once ready, the tool exports each asset to Blender, use blender engine to run a python code, swap grouped materials with the primary material, and re-imports the optimized assets back to Unreal, removing any unnecessary materials and files.

Mesh Consolidator

The Mesh Consolidator Tool minimizes project bloat by identifying and consolidating duplicate assets, an often time-consuming task. This tool identifies identical assets based on parameters such as bounds, pivot, and materials, and allows for further customization of comparison criteria.

Functionality: The tool compares static meshes based on customizable parameters, including origin, bounds extent, and vertex count. Users can then designate a "master" asset for each identified duplicate set, standardizing project assets while removing unnecessary duplicates.

Material Consolidator

The Material Consolidator addresses the inefficiencies that arise when assets imported from Maya generate unique materials for every asset. This tool replaces these unique materials with Material Instances (MI) that reference our standard Master Materials (MM). The MIs are then applied to all assets that previously referenced these Master Materials, streamlining material management and significantly optimizing project performance.

Functionality: Tool loads each asset’s materials and then groups similar ones based on textures, and input values. The user can customize each group, select the primary material in each group, and proceed through the asset list. Once ready, the tool exports each asset to Blender, use blender engine to run a python code, swap grouped materials with the primary material, and re-imports the optimized assets back to Unreal, removing any unnecessary materials and files.