Unreal Builder

A desktop application for automating Unreal Engine plugin and project builds across multiple engine versions and platforms.

Overview

Unreal Builder streamlines the process of building Unreal Engine plugins and projects by providing a centralized interface for managing multiple engine versions, build configurations, and target platforms. The application handles the complex UAT (Unreal Automation Tool) commands and provides real-time feedback on build progress.

Key Features

Multi-Engine Support

Manage multiple Unreal Engine installations from a single interface. Automatically detects engine versions installed on your system and allows you to build the same plugin or project for different engine versions.

Plugin and Project Support

Build both Unreal Engine plugins and standalone projects. The application automatically adjusts build parameters and UI based on the file type selected.

Plugins: - Build for multiple platforms simultaneously - Generates Editor, Development, and Shipping configurations - Outputs ready-to-distribute plugin packages

Projects: - Build complete game projects - Cook content and package for distribution - Select Development or Shipping configurations - Single platform per build with queueing support

Build Queue System

Queue multiple builds and let them process sequentially. Useful when building for multiple platforms or testing across different engine versions.

Features: - Real-time build progress with stage visualization - Live log output with auto-scroll - Cancel builds in progress - Export build logs for debugging - Build history with success/failure tracking

Build Profiles

Create reusable build profiles with preset platform configurations. Quickly switch between common build scenarios without reconfiguring platforms each time.

Build Analytics

Track build statistics over time: - Total builds executed - Success and failure rates - Average build times - Per-platform statistics

System Tray Integration

Minimize the application to the system tray and continue builds in the background. Useful for long-running builds that don't require constant monitoring.

Build Pipeline Visualization

Real-time visualization of build stages with progress indicators:

Plugin Builds: 1. Setup - Initialize build environment 2. Editor - Build editor binaries 3. Development - Build development runtime 4. Shipping - Build shipping runtime

Project Builds: 1. Setup - Initialize build environment 2. Cook - Cook game content 3. Build - Compile game binaries 4. Stage - Stage cooked content 5. Package - Create distribution package

Installation

Requirements

• Windows 10/11, macOS 10.14+, or Linux
• Unreal Engine 4.27 or 5.x installed
• 4GB RAM minimum
• A bunch of free disk space for builds

Download

Download the latest release for your platform: - Windows: Unreal Builder Setup.exe or Unreal Builder.exe (portable) - macOS: Unreal Builder.dmg - Linux: Unreal Builder.AppImage or .deb package

Windows Installation

1. Run the installer
2. Follow installation wizard
3. Launch from Start Menu or Desktop shortcut

macOS Installation

1. Mount the DMG file
2. Drag Unreal Builder to Applications folder
3. Launch from Applications

Linux Installation

AppImage:

chmod +x Unreal-Builder.AppImage
./Unreal-Builder.AppImage

Debian Package:

sudo dpkg -i unreal-builder_1.0.0_amd64.deb

Getting Started

1. Configure Engine Versions

Navigate to Engine Configuration and add your installed Unreal Engine versions:

1. Click "Add Engine"
2. Browse to engine installation folder
3. Application automatically detects version
4. Save configuration

Example engine paths: - Windows: C:\Program Files\Epic Games\UE_5.6 - macOS: /Users/Shared/Epic Games/UE_5.6 - Linux: /home/user/UnrealEngine/Engine

2. Add a Plugin

From the Dashboard:

1. Click "New Project"
2. Select "Plugin" as project type
3. Click "Browse" and select your .uplugin file
4. Project name is auto-filled from filename
5. Select engine version
6. Choose target platforms:
7. Windows 64-bit
8. Linux
9. macOS
10. Android
11. iOS
12. Select output directory for built plugin
13. Click "Create Project"

3. Add a Project

From the Dashboard:

1. Click "New Project"
2. Select "Project" as project type
3. Click "Browse" and select your .uproject file
4. Project name is auto-filled from filename
5. Select engine version
6. Choose target platform (one at a time)
7. Select build configuration:
8. Development (with debug symbols)
9. Shipping (optimized, no debug)
10. Select output directory
11. Click "Create Project"

4. Start a Build

From the Dashboard:

1. Find your plugin or project
2. Click "Build" button
3. Application switches to Build Queue page
4. Monitor real-time progress:
5. Current build stage
6. Elapsed time
7. Live log output
8. Wait for completion or cancel if needed

5. Using Build Profiles (Optional)

Build profiles allow quick switching between platform configurations:

1. Navigate to Build Profiles page
2. Click "New Profile"
3. Name your profile (e.g., "Desktop Platforms")
4. Select platforms for this profile
5. Save profile

To use a profile: 1. On Dashboard, find your project 2. Select profile from dropdown 3. Click "Build" 4. Project builds with profile's platform settings

About

Support

Support page contains useful links which might help you if you are stuck or if you want to financially support Mountea Framework.

Discord Community: - Official Discord server to raise support tickets or discuss anything gamedev related

Mountea Tools: - Mountea website where you can see list of our tools, some you might find useful

Source Code: - Public GitHub repository containing the full source, we have nothing to hide!

Patreon: - If you are feeling generous we would happily appreciate any financial support!

** GitHub Sponsors:** - If you are feeling generous we would happily appreciate any financial support!

Configuration

Settings

Access settings from the sidebar:

Notifications: - Enable/disable build completion notifications - Desktop notifications when builds finish

Build Queue: - Auto-open Build Queue when build starts - Automatically switches to queue page

Build History: - Maximum builds to keep in history - Older builds are automatically cleaned up

System Tray: - Minimize to system tray - Continue builds in background - Click tray icon to restore window

Output Folder Structure

After a successful build:

Plugin Output:

OutputFolder/
└── PluginName/
    ├── Binaries/
    ├── Content/
    ├── Resources/
    └── PluginName.uplugin

Project Output:

OutputFolder/
└── ProjectName/
    └── WindowsNoEditor/  (or LinuxNoEditor, etc.)
        ├── ProjectName.exe
        └── ProjectName/
            ├── Content/
            └── Binaries/

Build Queue Management

Queue Controls

• Cancel Build: Stops the current build immediately
• Clear History: Removes all completed builds from history
• Export Logs: Save build logs to text file for debugging

Build Status

Each build shows: - Current status (Queued, Building, Success, Failed) - Build duration - Platform(s) being built - Completion timestamp

Log Viewer

The integrated log viewer provides: - Real-time output from Unreal Automation Tool - Auto-scroll to latest output - Manual scroll for reviewing earlier output - Color-coded error messages - Export capability for bug reports

Advanced Features

Multiple Platform Builds

Plugins: Select multiple platforms and build all at once. The build system compiles binaries for each platform in sequence.

Projects: Queue separate builds for each platform. For example, to build for Windows and Linux: 1. Create build for Windows Development 2. While first build runs or is queued, create another for Linux Development 3. Builds process sequentially

Engine Version Testing

Test plugin compatibility across multiple engine versions: 1. Add plugin multiple times, each with different engine version 2. Queue builds for all versions 3. Compare results to identify compatibility issues

Build Analytics

Track build performance over time: - Success Rate: Percentage of successful builds - Average Build Time: Mean duration across all builds - Platform Statistics: Success rates and times per platform - Recent Activity: Quick view of latest build results

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Ctrl+1: Navigate to Dashboard
• Ctrl+2: Navigate to Engine Configuration
• Ctrl+3: Navigate to Build Queue
• Ctrl+4: Navigate to Build Profiles
• Ctrl+,: Open Settings
• Ctrl+B: Start build (when project selected)
• Ctrl+Shift+X: Cancel current build

Troubleshooting

Engine Not Detected

Problem: Engine not showing in dropdown when adding project

Solution: 1. Navigate to Engine Configuration 2. Manually add engine installation 3. Verify path points to engine root folder 4. Ensure Engine/Build/BatchFiles/RunUAT.bat exists

Build Fails Immediately

Problem: Build fails in Setup stage

Common Causes: - Incorrect engine path - Missing UAT dependencies - File permissions

Solutions: 1. Verify engine installation is complete 2. Run Unreal Builder as administrator (Windows) 3. Check build logs for specific error messages 4. Ensure output directory is writable

Build Hangs

Problem: Build appears stuck at certain stage

Solution: 1. Check log output for errors 2. Verify sufficient disk space 3. Ensure engine version matches project requirements 4. Try canceling and restarting build

Missing Platforms

Problem: Cannot build for certain platforms

Causes: - Platform SDK not installed - Engine not built with platform support

Solutions: 1. Install required platform SDKs 2. Rebuild engine with platform support enabled 3. Verify platform files exist in engine installation

Plugin Won't Load After Build

Problem: Built plugin doesn't load in engine

Common Issues: 1. Plugin built for wrong engine version 2. Module names don't match 3. Dependencies missing

Solutions: 1. Verify engine version matches 2. Check .uplugin file for correct module names 3. Review build logs for compilation errors 4. Ensure all dependencies are included

Building from Source

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18 or higher
• Git

Clone Repository

git clone https://github.com/Mountea-Framework/MounteaUnrealBuilder.git
cd unreal-builder

Install Dependencies

npm install

Development Mode

npm start

Build for Production

npm run build

Create Distribution

npm run dist:win   # Windows
npm run dist:mac   # macOS
npm run dist:linux # Linux

Project Structure

unreal-builder/
├── src/
│   ├── main/           # Main process (Electron)
│   │   ├── main.ts     # Application entry point
│   │   └── builder.ts  # Build execution logic
│   ├── preload/        # Preload scripts
│   │   └── preload.ts  # IPC bridge
│   ├── renderer/       # Renderer process (React)
│   │   ├── pages/      # Application pages
│   │   ├── styles.css  # Global styles
│   │   └── App.tsx     # Main React component
│   └── shared/
│       └── types.ts    # Shared TypeScript types
├── assets/
│   ├── icon.ico        # Windows icon
│   ├── icon.icns       # macOS icon
│   └── icon.png        # Linux icon
└── package.json        # Dependencies and scripts

Technology Stack

• Electron: Cross-platform desktop framework
• React: User interface library
• TypeScript: Type-safe JavaScript
• Webpack: Module bundler
• Unreal Automation Tool: Build backend

Contributing

Contributions are welcome. Please follow these guidelines:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Commit changes with clear messages
4. Push to your fork
5. Submit a pull request

Support

For issues, questions, or feature requests: - GitHub Issues: [Link to issues page] - Documentation: [Link to docs]

License

This project is licensed under the GPL-2.0 license. See LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

Built with Unreal Engine developer workflows in mind. Special thanks to the Unreal Engine community for feedback and testing and Epic Games for not creating anything better so I had to do it myself.

Version History

1.0.4 (Current)

• Win paths fix
• Pre-operation/Post-operation script variables in Profiles
• Fixed a few visual issues with clipping texts

1.0.3

• Mac paths fix

1.0.2

• Mac paths fix
• Added support page

1.0.1

• Pre-operation script selector
• Post-operation script selector

1.0.0

• Initial release
• Plugin build support
• Project build support
• Multi-engine support
• Build queue system
• Build profiles
• Build analytics
• System tray integration
• Real-time build logs
• Cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux)