Cyrus365

UE Asset Lock

UE Asset Lock helps Unreal Engine teams avoid stepping on each other's asset changes. When the C3_PMS Unreal plugin is connected to a Projects.ink project, it shows advisory warnings when someone else already has the same Unreal asset open.

Asset locks are presence warnings. They do not block saves, check out files, or replace your source-control workflow.

What It Does

  • •Shows when a teammate is already editing the same Unreal asset
  • •Names the teammate when their profile can be resolved
  • •Keeps the warning active while the teammate keeps the asset open
  • •Clears after the teammate closes the asset or the lock expires

This is especially useful for Blueprints, levels, materials, animation assets, and other files that are difficult to merge after two people edit them at the same time.

Before You Start

Each Unreal Editor user should use their own Projects.ink public API key. Shared keys make every lock look like it belongs to the same person.

You need:

  1. 1.The C3_PMS Unreal plugin installed and enabled
  2. 2.Access to the matching Projects.ink project
  3. 3.A public API key with asset lock access
  4. 4.The plugin connected to the correct Projects.ink project

Set Up The Plugin

  1. 1.Open Unreal Editor
  2. 2.Open the Projects.ink plugin settings
  3. 3.Add your personal public API key
  4. 4.Select the Projects.ink project that matches the Unreal project
  5. 5.Validate the connection
  6. 6.Ask every teammate to repeat this with their own key

After setup, asset lock checks run automatically while the editor is open.

Daily Workflow

When You Open An Asset

The plugin registers that you are editing the asset. If nobody else has an active lock for that asset, you can keep working normally.

While The Asset Stays Open

The plugin refreshes your editing presence in the background, so teammates can still see that you are working on the asset.

When You Close The Asset

The plugin releases the lock. Other teammates should stop seeing the warning after the next refresh.

Live Updates

The plugin panel shows a small status dot:

  • •Green — live updates are active. A teammate opening or closing an asset shows up within a couple of seconds.
  • •Amber — periodic updates only. Warnings still work, but can take a little longer to appear or clear.

Live updates work on normal office and home networks with no extra setup. If they are unavailable, the plugin automatically falls back to periodic updates and keeps retrying, so you never lose warnings — they just refresh a little slower. You can adjust this under the plugin's Realtime settings.

When You See A Warning

If the plugin warns that another teammate is already editing the asset:

  1. 1.Pause before making changes
  2. 2.Contact the teammate named in the warning
  3. 3.Decide who should continue editing first
  4. 4.Wait for the other person to close the asset if you should take over
  5. 5.Refresh or reopen the panel if the warning remains after the asset is released

You can still edit the asset, but doing so may create a source-control conflict if both people save changes.

Good Team Habits

  • •Treat warnings as coordination signals
  • •Close assets you are no longer editing
  • •Use strict source-control locks for assets that must be exclusive
  • •Avoid shared API keys
  • •Keep ownership clear for large binary assets

Troubleshooting

I do not see warnings

Check that both users are connected to the same Projects.ink project, both use separate public API keys, and both keys have asset lock access.

The warning names the wrong person

The teammate may be using someone else's API key. Reconnect the plugin with the correct personal key.

A warning does not clear

Wait for the next refresh. If the other editor crashed, the lock will clear automatically after it expires.

The plugin cannot acquire locks

Validate the API connection, confirm the project is correct, and confirm the key has write access to the project.

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