Getting Started With Unreal
The editor from a technical artist's seat - what actually matters on day one, and the habits that pay off for the whole project.
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Projects & Versions The Content Browser Viewport Survival Day-One Settings Source Control1.1Projects, Versions, And Where Things Live
An Unreal project is a folder. The three subfolders you care about first: Content/ for every binary .uasset, Config/ for the .ini files TAs eventually end up living in, and Saved/ for logs, screenshots, and autosaves. Never commit Saved/.
Pin the team to an exact engine version. Assets saved in a newer editor won't open in an older one, so keep a version-controlled copy before upgrading. Launcher builds are fine for most teams. Source builds matter when you need engine patches or console platform work.
The DDC caches compiled shaders and processed assets. It's safe to delete because everything rebuilds, which is why "delete the DDC" is the classic Unreal folk remedy. On teams, a shared network DDC saves hours of shader compilation.
1.2The Content Browser Is Your Database
Everything in Content/ is an asset, and Unreal tracks references through the Asset Registry. Two views are useful before changing an asset:
- Right-click -> Reference Viewer - see everything an asset depends on and everything that depends on it. Run this before deleting or moving anything.
- Right-click -> Size Map - see the true disk/memory footprint, including references. A "small" mesh that pulls in four 4K texture sets isn't small.
Never move or rename assets in Windows Explorer - the engine tracks references by path and you'll leave broken redirectors behind. Move assets inside the editor, then right-click the folder -> Fix Up Redirectors.
1.3Viewport Survival Kit
| Shortcut / command | What it does |
|---|---|
G | Game view - hides all editor icons and helpers |
F | Frame selected |
Ctrl+Shift+H / stat fps | FPS counter |
Alt+2...8 | View modes: wireframe, unlit, lit, detail lighting... |
| View Mode -> Shader Complexity | The TA's x-ray - green is cheap, red is expensive, white is an emergency |
| View Mode -> Quad Overdraw | Shows overlapping translucent/small-triangle cost |
1.4Settings Worth Changing On Day One
- Editor Preferences -> Loading & Saving - enable AutoSave, but know where it writes so it doesn't surprise your workflow.
- Project Settings -> Maps & Modes - set the editor startup map to something tiny, not your biggest level.
- Disable "Use Less CPU when in Background" if you profile with the editor unfocused.
- Project Settings -> Rendering - decisions like Nanite, Lumen, Virtual Shadow Maps, and Forward vs Deferred live here. Agree on them early and test changes carefully - flipping them mid-project invalidates shaders and lighting everywhere.
1.5Source Control Isn't Optional
Binary .uasset files can't be merged. The studio standard is Perforce with exclusive checkout (locks); Git LFS with a locking workflow is another option for smaller teams. Connect the editor itself (Revision Control in the status bar) so checkouts, adds, and history happen where you work.
Learn the Reference Viewer, Size Map, and redirector cleanup before anything else. They’re useful starting points when an asset loads unexpected dependencies or references stop resolving.