Docs
Quick start
A short overview. The full user guide, with the design-document format, verification limits and a longer troubleshooting table, ships with the plugin.
What you need
- Unreal Engine
- 5.8 (the only supported version)
- Project
- A C++ project: a Source folder with a game module
- Engine plugins
- Unreal MCP and Toolset Registry (both Experimental in 5.8)
- Assistant
- Claude Code, Cursor or Codex, with its own account
- Optional
- Live Coding and the Live Coding Toolset, for compile checks (Windows only)
Steps
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1. Install the plugin
Close the editor and copy the plugin to <YourProject>/Plugins/UECortex/ (or install it to the project from the Fab library). Regenerate project files and build the editor target: 0 errors and 0 warnings.
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2. Enable the plugins
Edit → Plugins: enable Unreal MCP, which also enables Toolset Registry and Python. Restart when asked. The Output Log should show “[ue-cortex] loaded … mode: engine” and “Registered … cortex toolset”.
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3. Run the checks
Open Window → ue-cortex and press Run Checks. The doctor checks the payload (11 agents, 83 reference files), engine mode, the run-state folder, the C++ module, a version-control rollback point and Epic’s MCP server, with a fix line for each warning.
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4. Connect your assistant
Turn on Auto Start Server (Editor Preferences → General → Model Context Protocol) or run ModelContextProtocol.StartServer. Then run ModelContextProtocol.GenerateClientConfig ClaudeCode (or Cursor, Codex), and start your assistant from the project folder.
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5. Describe, review and approve
Commit your project, then tell your assistant: “Use ue-cortex to build:” and your idea. It submits a design document; read Docs/UECortex/GDD.md, edit GDD.json if you want changes, and approve.
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6. Work through the steps
Each specialist gets its slice, does its step and records the result. Ask for the checks with cortex_verify_compile and cortex_verify_pie. After a C++ rebuild, say “Continue the ue-cortex run.”
Common problems
- Panel says mode unavailable
- Use UE 5.8 and enable Unreal MCP and Toolset Registry, then restart.
- Assistant cannot find the cortex tools
- Start the MCP server, run GenerateClientConfig, restart the assistant from the project folder.
- Only three tools are visible
- Normal with Tool Search on: use list_toolsets, describe_toolset and call_tool.
- A step stays reported
- Not on Windows, no artifacts recorded, or the checks were not run. Build in your IDE and tell the assistant.
- Edits to GDD.md vanished
- It is regenerated from GDD.json. Edit GDD.json instead.