CreateRedirectors

Create Redirectors is a plugin for the very specific use of manually creating asset redirectors in Unreal Engine.

This can be especially useful when you change the location of an asset that a lot of other assets where pointing to. By creating a manual redirector, you remove the necessity to checkout the assets referencing the asset you moved, reducing the amount of conflicts in you source control system.

WTF are redirectors ?

When moving an asset from a folder to another, some assets may be referencing it. Because Unreal asset reference system is Path based, it means that every assets referecing this asset will have to change the path they know to this asset. This means that each asset referencing the asset that moved will now be marked as modified too, which can lead to hundreds of files to checkout for a single asset moving.

When Unreal cannot easily change one of these references, it leaves a redirector file at the old location of the file you just moved. By doing so, Unreal makes sure that if ever an asset is still refering the old path, the freshly created redirector will give it the new location of this asset.

The user can fix up the redirectors whenever they want by right clicking on a folder and select "Fix up redirectors in folder". This is gonna make sure that no one is referencing the old path anymore and delete the redirectors files.

Why didn't they just used a GUID based reference system ? Well I don't know so I'll just keep on creating redirectors myself...

Install notes

• Clone plugin in your project's Plugins/ folder.
• Regenerate visual studio project.
• Build your project using Visual Studio or Rider.
• Enable the plugin in the Plugin tab
• Restart Unreal

How to

Create a redirector

• In the folder where you want to create a redirector, right click and choose "Create Redirector Here"

• A window will appear

• Enter the asset you want a reference to

• After creating the redirector, it should appear in your folder

• If not, make sure you have the "Show Refirectors" filter on

Use this when moving an asset

There may be several reasons for you to create a redirector. One of them is to uncheckout a tons of assets that where referencing the asset you just moved.

• Move your asset from FolderA to FolderB
• Unreal will create a redirector in most cases, but if it doesnt you can create one yours
• Go to FolderA
• Create a redirector referencing your asset that is now in FolderB
• From your source control system, discard changes of the files that were auto changes when moving your asset, and make sure to stage the newly created redirector

Credits

This plugin is heavily relying on this code snippet by brifsttar https://dev.epicgames.com/community/snippets/JW2/unreal-engine-create-redirector