gh-dev-gom-claude-code-marketplace-plugins-auto-release-manager/skills/references/unreal-guide.md

Unreal Engine Project Version Management

Overview

Unreal Engine projects use .uproject JSON file for project configuration and versioning.

File Structure

MyUnrealProject/
├── MyGame.uproject                      # Project file with version
├── Config/
│   └── DefaultGame.ini                  # Game config
├── Source/
│   └── ...
└── Content/
    └── ...

.uproject File

The project file is a JSON file containing project metadata:

{
  "FileVersion": 3,
  "EngineAssociation": "5.3",
  "Category": "",
  "Description": "",
  "Version": "1.2.3",
  "Modules": [
    {
      "Name": "MyGame",
      "Type": "Runtime",
      "LoadingPhase": "Default"
    }
  ],
  "Plugins": [
    ...
  ]
}

Version Fields:

• Version (custom): Semantic version of your project
• EngineAssociation: Unreal Engine version (e.g., "5.3", "5.4")

Version Update Workflow

Manual Update

1. Edit .uproject file:

   {
     "Version": "1.3.0"
   }
   

2. Commit:

   git add MyGame.uproject
   git commit -m "chore: bump version to 1.3.0"
   

Automatic Update (with auto-release-manager)

1. Detect .uproject file
2. Update Version field → 1.3.0
3. Git commit
4. Create tag v1.3.0
5. Push to remote

DefaultGame.ini

Optional: You can also store version in Config/DefaultGame.ini:

[/Script/EngineSettings.GeneralProjectSettings]
ProjectID=...
ProjectName=MyGame
ProjectVersion=1.2.3
CompanyName=MyCompany

This is useful for in-game version display.

Build Versioning

For packaging builds, you may want to configure:

Config/DefaultGame.ini:

[/Script/UnrealEd.ProjectPackagingSettings]
BuildConfiguration=PPBC_Shipping
ProjectVersion=1.2.3

Example: Full Update

When updating version from 1.2.3 to 1.3.0:

Files to update:

1. MyGame.uproject → Version: "1.3.0"
2. Config/DefaultGame.ini → ProjectVersion=1.3.0 (if used)

auto-release-manager handles:

• Detecting .uproject file
• Updating Version field
• Git commit + tag
• Push to remote

Common Issues

Q: Is Version field required in .uproject?

A: No, it's optional. But recommended for version tracking.

Q: What about EngineAssociation?

A: EngineAssociation is the UE version (e.g., "5.3"). Don't confuse it with your project version.

Q: Can I use multiple version fields?

A: Yes! You can maintain:

• .uproject → Version (project version)
• DefaultGame.ini → ProjectVersion (in-game display)
• version.json → Custom metadata

Just ensure they stay synced.

Recommended Approach

Best Practice:

1. Use .uproject → Version as primary
2. Optionally sync to DefaultGame.ini for in-game display
3. Use auto-release-manager to keep everything consistent

Example:

// MyGame.uproject
{
  "Version": "1.3.0"
}

; Config/DefaultGame.ini
[/Script/EngineSettings.GeneralProjectSettings]
ProjectVersion=1.3.0