Sleeping Forest
Sleeping Forest is a VSCode extension for Unreal Engine 4 that provides powerful code-completion and command-line features for programmers and asset management, optimization tools for designers.
The primary goal is to help in creating data-driven gameplay, optimized level design, shader authoring and faster development iteration through DevOps tools and smart code-completion. Note that multiplayer is not supported as of yet.
Note that this the plug-in is currently in beta and undergoing improvements. If you want to tag along and suggest features, join my discord to help build the best gamedev extension for vscode !!!
As of now, only Windows support is available for micro-services.
Installation
To install through VS Code extensions, Search for Sleeping Forest - UE4 Multitool
To get the beta releases/requested patches, visit the website
The nightly builds are available below and updated daily.
Key Features
- Improved Intellisense
- 200+ snippets
- Context aware custom auto-completion
- file/function/header generation/management
- Asset management via asset streams
- Command line shader/game/code compilation support
- Modding support for most modules
- Various micro-service integrations
- Support for writing UE4 HLSL shaders [Planned]
Documentation
Feature Overview
Better intellisense
Configurable setting to override configuration in the .code-workspace file for better search results and faster overall performance. (Your experience may vary)
Contextual auto-completion
150+ snippets and counting. Constantly updated support towards smart auto-completion at generic/repetitive blocks of code as shown below. (// context keyword after macro usage). Learn more abotu context key
Class/Header/Function generation
Commands to add templated class files, headers from inside (.h/.cpp) files and automatically adding common functions liek BeginPlay in (.h/.cpp). These features can be customizing by your own JSON definitions. See more...
Also, support for
- Class generation for Actors, ActorComponents. More...
- Contextual constructors for Component properties
Command line tools
Detects engine and project folders and runs generated commands from cmd using tools provided by Epic. No concrete benchmarks yet but from tests, 50k shaders could be compiled within an hour.
The code compilation features are also solid when you do not want to wait for the engine to load while fixing bugs.
Micro services(currently only for windows)
The following service tools are currently available for windows only. Convenient way to optimize, update and manage assets through concept of asset streams.
Batch export tool
Assembles information about raw assets in tagged asset-stream folders and produces a python file which can be used in UE4 to automatically import all assets into respective folder structure and settings using python API.
![Batch export]
Texture Packing tool
Able to pack different types of textures into RGBA channels of a single mega texture. This is the feature being currently worked on. Fully supports asset stream workflow. Supported import extensions are { jpg, tiff, png }, supported output extensions are png and jpg with quality settings
Asset Audit tool
Every folder is inside an asset stream is scanned and indexed in JSON files. These can be imported into UE4 directly for data driven gameplay elements.
Building from source
Run Install.ps1 to run all the pipelines and generate the .vsix file. Install powershell core if you are not on Windows.
Linux
sudo apt-get install -y powershell
pwsh
./Install.ps1MacOS
brew cask install powershell
pwsh
./Install.ps1Windows
pwsh.exe
./Install.ps1Disclaimer
Please consider joining my discord and suggesting improvements. It is recommended you use it on casual projects. The project is undergoing rapid progress and we don't want remnant bugs to break anything. Stability will be guaranteed post 1.0.0 launch.
You are free to tag along. I would love to hear what you improvements you have in mind.