ue-dev-setup

name	ue-dev-setup
description	Automated dev environment setup for deadline-cloud-for-unreal-engine. Use when onboarding, setting up the UE integration repo, building the plugin, or installing dependencies. The agent automates all steps and only prompts when user input is required.
tags	["skill","deadline-cloud","deadline-cloud-for-unreal-engine deadline-cloud-for-ue","dev-setup","onboarding","dev-setup","plugin-build"]

Unreal Engine Dev Setup

Overview

AI-guided automated setup for the deadline-cloud-for-unreal-engine project. The agent executes all steps, validates results, and only prompts the user when manual intervention is truly required.

Usage

Use this skill when:

• Setting up a new dev environment for the UE integration
• Onboarding to the deadline-cloud-for-unreal-engine repo
• Building the C++ plugin or Python packages for the first time

Core Concepts

Platform: Windows only. UE 5.4–5.7, Python 3.9+.

Build system: Hatch (Python), Unreal Build Tool (C++)

Agent Behavior

You MUST automate all possible steps by running commands directly. You MUST only prompt the user when their input is required (fork URL, UE version, custom paths). You MUST validate each step's output before proceeding to the next. You MUST inform the user clearly when manual intervention is needed (e.g., installing Visual Studio). You SHOULD report progress at each step.

Setup Workflow

Follow the detailed step-by-step workflow in references/setup-guide.md.

Summary of steps:

1. Verify Windows OS (abort if not Windows)
2. Check GPU and NVIDIA drivers
3. Enable Windows Long Paths
4. Verify Python 3.9+ (attempt install via winget if missing)
5. Verify Visual Studio with C++ tools
6. Verify Deadline Cloud Monitor / CLI
7. Detect Unreal Engine installation
8. Install Hatch
9. Build and install plugin (python scripts/build_plugin.py --install)
10. Verify environment variables on PATH
11. Display summary
12. Instruct user to enable plugin in UE