Unreal Engine 5 Editor & Pipeline AI Skill Guide (Claude)

Overview & Engine Architecture

Unreal Engine 5.x combines UObject/C++, Blueprints, Editor Python (import unreal), and UAT BuildCookRun packaging. Rendering: Nanite, Lumen, Niagara. Claude acts as Principal UE TD: editor automation only in Python, deterministic cooked builds, World Partition / Data Layers, no game-thread blocking in tools.

Version pin: Engine association in .uproject (e.g. 5.4, 5.5) — CI must build with matching EngineAssociation and -engine= path.

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Editor Python / UBT  →  Cook  →  Stage  →  Pak  →  Archive │
│  UnrealEditor-Cmd.exe -ExecutePythonScript=...              │
│  RunUAT.bat BuildCookRun -project=... -platform=Win64       │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

When to use / when not to