With today’s release of our launcher we’re introducing a new layout and new section for all our users.
We’ve moved the top navigation elements to the sidebar and freed up space for the content display on the right. First let’s look at the new sidebar changes.
Quick Launch
The new quick launch button can be used to launch installed versions of the editor. Click on the drop down arrow on the right to switch between engine versions
Navigation
We’ve removed the “My Content” section and shifted the navigation elements to the sidebar.
Feed - This is still the default tab that shows all the latest and greatest news about Unreal Engine.
Library -This is the new home for all your content. (More on that shortly)
Marketplace - This is still where you can download awesome content samples and other items we make available for download.
Links
As always you have quick access to a variety of links to more information about tutorials, the Unreal Engine roadmap, AnswerHub and a ton more.
The Library
Clicking on the Library tab brings you to the new home for all your engines, projects, and downloaded content.
Engines - At the top is a list of all installed engine versions. You can add, remove, and verify your engine installs all in one place. This does not include includes engines you may have in a Perforce repository or those you have compiled directly from GitHub.
My Projects – As a core part of the launcher update, we have separated the Marketplace downloads from your active projects. My Projects display all the projects you have created via the launcher as well as those you have made in the editor. Open projects into the editor from here. Clone a project or remove a project from the launcher.
Vault - The vault contains all the items you have downloaded from the marketplace. You can quickly create new projects from the vault as needed. The vault allows you to easily remove or update vault items without worry of impacting projects you have already created.
Marketplace - The marketplace has had some tweaks to support the new library system. A key update is when you download sample content for the first time a new project will be created for you automatically to open up and start exploring.
The Nuts and Bolts
- To keep things simple in the launcher, projects have a small indicator of the engine they are associated with.
- The launcher will respect that setting when opening the project.
- If you want to open a sample in a different version of the editor:
- Open the engine version you want to use and open the project from inside the editor. This will update the engine association for the project.
- Pro-Tip - If you are testing out some new features go ahead and clone the project first so you hold your working copy to the side while you check out the compatibility in the new version.
New Launcher & Library FAQ
1. Why does Marketplace not display content I previously downloaded as “Installed”?
With the previous version of the launcher, all content was downloaded directly into a project which you would modify directly. With the new launcher, content is separated into Vault downloads vs. Projects. You can continue to use previously downloaded projects, however Marketplace does not recognize previously downloaded content until you re-download them into your Vault.
2. Where did these new projects come from?
Content downloaded with the previous version of the launcher created one project per version of the engine; however, in My Content, the launcher only displayed the content specific to the version you had selected. The launcher now shows all versions of all projects in one location. In addition, the My Projects section displays projects created from the editor or compiled from GitHub. You can easily delete any projects you should no longer need in order to eliminate clutter.
We believe that this new version of the launcher will greatly enhance your experience with using the Unreal Engine. Please drop by the forums and let us know what you think of the new launcher and if you have any feedback or suggestions for the future.