unreal-asset-operation

name	unreal-asset-operation
description	Query and manage UE assets via UCP. Use when the user asks about asset search, dependencies, referencers, asset CRUD, asset management, getting selected/current assets, opening/closing asset editors, or any editor asset operation in Unreal Engine.

Unreal Asset Operations

Operate on Unreal Engine assets through UCP's call command. The core approach is to obtain the IAssetRegistry instance and call its rich API directly, combined with engine asset libraries for CRUD operations.

Prerequisite: The unreal-client-protocol skill must be available and the UE editor must be running with the UCP plugin enabled.

Custom Function Library

UAssetEditorOperationLibrary (Editor)

CDO Path: /Script/UnrealClientProtocolEditor.Default__AssetEditorOperationLibrary

Function	Params	Returns	Description
GetAssetRegistry	(none)	IAssetRegistry object	Returns the AssetRegistry instance. Call its functions directly via UCP call.
ForceDeleteAssets	AssetPaths (array of string)	int32 — number deleted	Force-deletes assets ignoring references. Wraps ObjectTools::ForceDeleteObjects.
FixupReferencers	AssetPaths (array of string)	bool	Cleans up redirectors left after rename/consolidate. Wraps IAssetTools::FixupReferencers.

Getting the AssetRegistry

{"object":"/Script/UnrealClientProtocolEditor.Default__AssetEditorOperationLibrary","function":"GetAssetRegistry"}

The returned object path can then be used as the object parameter for subsequent calls to IAssetRegistry functions.

Alternatively, you can use the engine helper directly:

{"object":"/Script/AssetRegistry.Default__AssetRegistryHelpers","function":"GetAssetRegistry"}

Force-deleting assets

{"object":"/Script/UnrealClientProtocolEditor.Default__AssetEditorOperationLibrary","function":"ForceDeleteAssets","params":{"AssetPaths":["/Game/OldAssets/M_Unused","/Game/OldAssets/T_Unused"]}}

Fixing up redirectors

After renaming or consolidating assets, redirectors may be left behind. Use FixupReferencers to resolve them:

{"object":"/Script/UnrealClientProtocolEditor.Default__AssetEditorOperationLibrary","function":"FixupReferencers","params":{"AssetPaths":["/Game/Materials/M_OldName"]}}

Engine Built-in Asset Libraries

IAssetRegistry (via GetAssetRegistry)

Once you have the AssetRegistry instance, you can call these BlueprintCallable functions on it:

Asset Queries

Function	Key Params	Description
GetAssetsByPackageName	PackageName, OutAssetData, bIncludeOnlyOnDiskAssets	Get assets in a specific package
GetAssetsByPath	PackagePath, OutAssetData, bRecursive	Get assets under a content path
GetAssetsByPaths	PackagePaths, OutAssetData, bRecursive	Get assets under multiple paths
GetAssetsByClass	ClassPathName, OutAssetData, bSearchSubClasses	Get all assets of a specific class
GetAssets	Filter, OutAssetData	Query with an FARFilter (powerful filtered search)
GetAllAssets	OutAssetData, bIncludeOnlyOnDiskAssets	Get ALL registered assets
GetAssetByObjectPath	ObjectPath	Get single asset data by path
HasAssets	PackagePath, bRecursive	Check if any assets exist under a path
GetInMemoryAssets	Filter, OutAssetData	Query only currently loaded assets

Dependency & Reference Queries

Function	Key Params	Description
GetDependencies	PackageName, DependencyOptions, OutDependencies	Get packages this asset depends on
GetReferencers	PackageName, ReferenceOptions, OutReferencers	Get packages that reference this asset

Class Hierarchy

Function	Key Params	Description
GetAncestorClassNames	ClassPathName, OutAncestorClassNames	Get parent classes
GetDerivedClassNames	ClassNames, DerivedClassNames	Get child classes

Path & Scanning

Function	Key Params	Description
GetAllCachedPaths	OutPathList	Get all known content paths
GetSubPaths	InBasePath, OutPathList, bInRecurse	Get sub-paths under a base path
ScanPathsSynchronous	InPaths, bForceRescan	Force scan specific paths
ScanFilesSynchronous	InFilePaths, bForceRescan	Force scan specific files
SearchAllAssets	bSynchronousSearch	Trigger full asset scan
ScanModifiedAssetFiles	InFilePaths	Scan modified files
IsLoadingAssets	(none)	Check if scan is in progress
WaitForCompletion	(none)	Block until scan finishes

Filter & Sort

Function	Key Params	Description
RunAssetsThroughFilter	AssetDataList, Filter	Filter asset list in-place (keep matching)
UseFilterToExcludeAssets	AssetDataList, Filter	Filter asset list in-place (remove matching)

UAssetRegistryHelpers (Static Utilities)

CDO Path: /Script/AssetRegistry.Default__AssetRegistryHelpers

Function	Description
GetAssetRegistry	Get the IAssetRegistry instance
GetDerivedClassAssetData	Get asset data for derived classes
SortByAssetName	Sort FAssetData array by name
SortByPredicate	Sort FAssetData array by custom predicate

IAssetTools (via UAssetToolsHelpers::GetAssetTools())

Get the instance via static helper:

{"object":"/Script/AssetTools.Default__AssetToolsHelpers","function":"GetAssetTools"}

Then call functions on the returned instance:

Create

Function	Key Params	Description
CreateAsset	AssetName, PackagePath, AssetClass, Factory	Create a new asset (Factory can be null for simple types)
CreateUniqueAssetName	InBasePackageName, InSuffix	Generate a unique name to avoid conflicts
DuplicateAsset	AssetName, PackagePath, OriginalObject	Duplicate an existing asset

Example: Create a new material

{"object":"<asset_tools_instance>","function":"CreateAsset","params":{"AssetName":"M_NewMaterial","PackagePath":"/Game/Materials","AssetClass":"/Script/Engine.Material","Factory":null}}

Import & Export

Function	Key Params	Description
ImportAssetTasks	ImportTasks (array of UAssetImportTask)	Import external files as assets
ImportAssetsAutomated	ImportData (UAutomatedAssetImportData)	Automated batch import
ExportAssets	AssetsToExport, ExportPath	Export assets to files

Rename & Move

Function	Key Params	Description
RenameAssets	AssetsAndNames (array of FAssetRenameData)	Batch rename/move assets
FindSoftReferencesToObject	TargetObject	Find soft references to an object
RenameReferencingSoftObjectPaths	PackagesToCheck, AssetRedirectorMap	Update soft references after rename
MigratePackages	PackageNamesToMigrate, DestinationPath	Migrate packages to another project

Example: Batch rename assets

RenameAssets takes an array of FAssetRenameData structs. Each struct has Asset (the object to rename), NewPackagePath (destination directory), and NewName (new asset name):

{"object":"<asset_tools_instance>","function":"RenameAssets","params":{"AssetsAndNames":[{"Asset":"/Game/Materials/M_OldName.M_OldName","NewPackagePath":"/Game/Materials","NewName":"M_NewName"}]}}

Example: Find soft references

{"object":"<asset_tools_instance>","function":"FindSoftReferencesToObject","params":{"TargetObject":"/Game/Materials/M_Example.M_Example"}}

UEditorAssetLibrary

CDO Path: /Script/EditorScriptingUtilities.Default__EditorAssetLibrary

Query & Check

Function	Description
DoesAssetExist(AssetPath)	Check if an asset exists
DoAssetsExist(AssetPaths)	Batch existence check
ListAssets(DirectoryPath, bRecursive, bIncludeFolder)	List assets in directory
ListAssetByTagValue(AssetTagName, TagValue)	List assets matching a specific tag value
LoadAsset(AssetPath)	Load an asset into memory
LoadBlueprintClass(AssetPath)	Load a Blueprint and return its generated class
GetTagValues(AssetPath, AssetTagName)	Get tag values for a specific asset
FindPackageReferencersForAsset(AssetPath, bLoadAssetsToConfirm)	Find all packages that reference this asset

Example: Find references to an asset

{"object":"/Script/EditorScriptingUtilities.Default__EditorAssetLibrary","function":"FindPackageReferencersForAsset","params":{"AssetPath":"/Game/Materials/M_Example","bLoadAssetsToConfirm":false}}

Example: List assets by tag

{"object":"/Script/EditorScriptingUtilities.Default__EditorAssetLibrary","function":"ListAssetByTagValue","params":{"AssetTagName":"MyCustomTag","TagValue":"SomeValue"}}

Example: Load a Blueprint class

{"object":"/Script/EditorScriptingUtilities.Default__EditorAssetLibrary","function":"LoadBlueprintClass","params":{"AssetPath":"/Game/Blueprints/BP_MyActor"}}

Create & Modify

Function	Description
DuplicateAsset(SourceAssetPath, DestinationAssetPath)	Duplicate an asset by path
DuplicateDirectory(SourceDirectoryPath, DestinationDirectoryPath)	Duplicate an entire directory of assets
RenameAsset(SourceAssetPath, DestinationAssetPath)	Rename/move an asset by path
RenameDirectory(SourceDirectoryPath, DestinationDirectoryPath)	Rename/move an entire directory
SaveAsset(AssetToSave, bOnlyIfIsDirty)	Save an asset to disk
SaveDirectory(DirectoryPath, bOnlyIfIsDirty, bRecursive)	Save all assets in directory

Example: Duplicate a directory

{"object":"/Script/EditorScriptingUtilities.Default__EditorAssetLibrary","function":"DuplicateDirectory","params":{"SourceDirectoryPath":"/Game/Materials","DestinationDirectoryPath":"/Game/Materials_Backup"}}

Example: Rename a directory

{"object":"/Script/EditorScriptingUtilities.Default__EditorAssetLibrary","function":"RenameDirectory","params":{"SourceDirectoryPath":"/Game/OldFolder","DestinationDirectoryPath":"/Game/NewFolder"}}

Delete & Reference Replace

Function	Description
DeleteAsset(AssetPathToDelete)	Delete an asset by path
ConsolidateAssets(AssetToConsolidateTo, AssetsToConsolidate)	Replace all references to AssetsToConsolidate with AssetToConsolidateTo, then delete the consolidated assets

Example: Consolidate assets

Replace all references to M_OldMaterial with M_NewMaterial, effectively merging them:

{"object":"/Script/EditorScriptingUtilities.Default__EditorAssetLibrary","function":"ConsolidateAssets","params":{"AssetToConsolidateTo":"/Game/Materials/M_NewMaterial.M_NewMaterial","AssetsToConsolidate":["/Game/Materials/M_OldMaterial.M_OldMaterial"]}}

After consolidation, run FixupReferencers to clean up any leftover redirectors:

{"object":"/Script/UnrealClientProtocolEditor.Default__AssetEditorOperationLibrary","function":"FixupReferencers","params":{"AssetPaths":["/Game/Materials/M_OldMaterial"]}}

Directory Management

Function	Description
MakeDirectory(DirectoryPath)	Create a content directory
DeleteDirectory(DirectoryPath)	Delete a content directory
DoesDirectoryExist(DirectoryPath)	Check if directory exists
DoesDirectoryHaveAssets(DirectoryPath, bRecursive)	Check if directory contains assets

Metadata Tags

Function	Description
SetMetadataTag(Object, Tag, Value)	Set asset metadata tag
GetMetadataTag(Object, Tag)	Get asset metadata tag
RemoveMetadataTag(Object, Tag)	Remove asset metadata tag
GetMetadataTagValues(Object)	Get all metadata tag key-value pairs for an asset

Example: Get all metadata tags

{"object":"/Script/EditorScriptingUtilities.Default__EditorAssetLibrary","function":"GetMetadataTagValues","params":{"Object":"/Game/Materials/M_Example.M_Example"}}

Browser Sync

Function	Description
SyncBrowserToObjects(AssetPaths)	Sync the Content Browser to show the specified assets

Example: Sync browser to an asset

{"object":"/Script/EditorScriptingUtilities.Default__EditorAssetLibrary","function":"SyncBrowserToObjects","params":{"AssetPaths":["/Game/Materials/M_Example"]}}

Checkout (Source Control)

Function	Description
CheckoutAsset(AssetToCheckout)	Check out asset for editing
CheckoutLoadedAsset(AssetToCheckout)	Check out a loaded asset
CheckoutDirectory(DirectoryPath, bRecursive)	Check out all assets in directory

UEditorUtilityLibrary — Content Browser & Selection

CDO Path: /Script/Blutility.Default__EditorUtilityLibrary

Function	Description
GetSelectedAssets()	Get currently selected assets in Content Browser
GetSelectedAssetData()	Get selected asset metadata
GetSelectedAssetsOfClass(AssetClass)	Get selected assets filtered by class
GetCurrentContentBrowserPath()	Get the current path shown in Content Browser
GetSelectedFolderPaths()	Get the folder paths selected in Content Browser
SyncBrowserToFolders(FolderList)	Navigate Content Browser to specified folders

Example: Get selected assets of a specific class

{"object":"/Script/Blutility.Default__EditorUtilityLibrary","function":"GetSelectedAssetsOfClass","params":{"AssetClass":"/Script/Engine.Material"}}

Example: Navigate Content Browser to a folder

{"object":"/Script/Blutility.Default__EditorUtilityLibrary","function":"SyncBrowserToFolders","params":{"FolderList":["/Game/Materials"]}}

Example: Get current Content Browser path

{"object":"/Script/Blutility.Default__EditorUtilityLibrary","function":"GetCurrentContentBrowserPath"}

UAssetEditorSubsystem

CDO Path: Use via call on the subsystem (get instance via FindObjectInstances)

Function	Description
OpenEditorForAsset(Asset)	Open asset editor
CloseAllEditorsForAsset(Asset)	Close all editors for asset

Common Patterns

Browse content directory

{"object":"/Script/EditorScriptingUtilities.Default__EditorAssetLibrary","function":"ListAssets","params":{"DirectoryPath":"/Game/Materials","bRecursive":true,"bIncludeFolder":false}}

Duplicate and rename an asset

First duplicate, then rename (run as separate calls):

{"object":"/Script/EditorScriptingUtilities.Default__EditorAssetLibrary","function":"DuplicateAsset","params":{"SourceAssetPath":"/Game/Materials/M_Base","DestinationAssetPath":"/Game/Materials/M_BaseCopy"}}

{"object":"/Script/EditorScriptingUtilities.Default__EditorAssetLibrary","function":"RenameAsset","params":{"SourceAssetPath":"/Game/Materials/M_BaseCopy","DestinationAssetPath":"/Game/Materials/M_NewName"}}

Delete an asset

{"object":"/Script/EditorScriptingUtilities.Default__EditorAssetLibrary","function":"DeleteAsset","params":{"AssetPathToDelete":"/Game/Materials/M_Unused"}}

Force-delete assets ignoring references

{"object":"/Script/UnrealClientProtocolEditor.Default__AssetEditorOperationLibrary","function":"ForceDeleteAssets","params":{"AssetPaths":["/Game/OldAssets/M_Deprecated"]}}

Query dependencies via AssetRegistry

First get the registry, then call GetDependencies on it (run as separate calls):

{"object":"/Script/AssetRegistry.Default__AssetRegistryHelpers","function":"GetAssetRegistry"}

Then on the returned registry path:

{"object":"<returned_registry_path>","function":"GetDependencies","params":{"PackageName":"/Game/Materials/M_Example","DependencyOptions":{},"OutDependencies":[]}}

Find all materials in project

{"object":"/Script/AssetRegistry.Default__AssetRegistryHelpers","function":"GetAssetRegistry"}

Then on the returned registry:

{"object":"<registry_path>","function":"GetAssetsByClass","params":{"ClassPathName":"/Script/Engine.Material","OutAssetData":[],"bSearchSubClasses":false}}

Save all dirty assets in a directory

{"object":"/Script/EditorScriptingUtilities.Default__EditorAssetLibrary","function":"SaveDirectory","params":{"DirectoryPath":"/Game/Materials","bOnlyIfIsDirty":true,"bRecursive":true}}

Consolidate and clean up

Replace references to old assets with a canonical asset, then fix redirectors:

{"object":"/Script/EditorScriptingUtilities.Default__EditorAssetLibrary","function":"ConsolidateAssets","params":{"AssetToConsolidateTo":"/Game/Materials/M_Master.M_Master","AssetsToConsolidate":["/Game/Materials/M_Duplicate1.M_Duplicate1","/Game/Materials/M_Duplicate2.M_Duplicate2"]}}

{"object":"/Script/UnrealClientProtocolEditor.Default__AssetEditorOperationLibrary","function":"FixupReferencers","params":{"AssetPaths":["/Game/Materials/M_Duplicate1","/Game/Materials/M_Duplicate2"]}}