Can’t install UE tools in VS 2019 on Windows 11

[indigoarthur]

Hi all. My toolchain works on OSX (I can edit & recompile C++ changes in UE Editor and cook/package the code to run binary on OSX) but I bought a new windows machine for dev and I’m running Windows 11 (my stupid WIFI 7 motherboard is not recognized on Windows 10) and when installing VS Community either 22 or 19 the Unreal Tools under “Workloads C++ desktop game dev” do not show up!

I am reinstalling again but previously Run Build Task in VS Code does not show the “ObstacleAssaultEditor” build task or ANY tasks when working on UnrealLearningKit project ObstacleAssault. Please help I mostly bought this PC to dev UE on Windows and I can use OSX and Linux but Windows is not my friend.

Has anyone gotten the toolchain to work on Windows 11? Any thoughts why when editing class C++ in VS Code I see no run build tasks like I do per the class on my OSX.

Please help.

[TMrTony]

1. Installing Visual Studio with Unreal Engine Workloads:

When installing Visual Studio, ensure you select the correct workloads and components required for Unreal Engine development. Here’s what you should do:

1. Download Visual Studio Installer: Make sure you download the Visual Studio Installer from the official Microsoft website.
2. Select Workloads:

• Open the Visual Studio Installer.
• Choose “Modify” on your Visual Studio installation.
• Under the “Workloads” tab, select “Game development with C++” or “Desktop development with C++”.
• Make sure the necessary components for Unreal Engine development are selected within this workload.

3. Install/Modify: Proceed with the installation or modification to ensure the selected workloads and components are installed.

2. Setting up Visual Studio Code for Unreal Engine:

If you’re using Visual Studio Code for Unreal Engine development, you’ll need to set up the necessary tasks and configurations manually:

1. Install Extensions: Make sure you have the required extensions installed in Visual Studio Code for Unreal Engine development. These might include extensions like “Unreal Engine” or “C++ Intellisense”.
2. Task Configuration:

• Create or edit the .vscode/tasks.json file in your Unreal Engine project directory.
• Add build tasks specific to your project. Here’s an example configuration for building a UE4 project:

jsonCopy code

{
    "version": "2.0.0",
    "tasks": [
        {
            "label": "Build ObstacleAssaultEditor",
            "type": "shell",
            "command": "YourPathToUE4Editor/UE4Editor.exe",
            "args": [
                "YourProjectPath/ObstacleAssault.uproject",
                "-compile",
                "-editorrecompile",
                "-progress"
            ],
            "group": {
                "kind": "build",
                "isDefault": true
            },
            "presentation": {
                "echo": true,
                "reveal": "always",
                "focus": false,
                "panel": "shared",
                "showReuseMessage": true,
                "clear": false
            },
            "problemMatcher": "$msCompile"
        }
    ]
}

• Replace YourPathToUE4Editor with the path to your UE4Editor.exe and YourProjectPath with the path to your Unreal Engine project.

3. Build Task: After setting up the tasks, you should be able to see and run the build tasks in Visual Studio Code by pressing Ctrl+Shift+B (or Cmd+Shift+B on macOS).

3. Windows 11 Compatibility:

Windows 11 should generally be compatible with Unreal Engine development, but there might be some compatibility issues or driver-related issues affecting your specific hardware components like the WIFI 7 motherboard.

4. Additional Troubleshooting:

• Check Logs: Check the output and error messages in Visual Studio Code or Visual Studio to identify any specific issues or errors preventing the build tasks from working.
• UE4 Documentation: Refer to the official Unreal Engine documentation and forums for any known issues or solutions related to Unreal Engine development on Windows 11.
• Driver Updates: Make sure to update your graphics drivers, motherboard drivers, and any other relevant drivers to ensure compatibility and stability.
  Warm Regards:
  Working hour calculation

[indigoarthur]

@TMrTony thank you for your feedback! You reminded me that the build tasks are in the JSON file and that helped!

I reinstalled Visual Studio Community 2022, was able to find the Unreal Engine tools under Desktop C++ Game Dev. One error I realized I made is that after changing Edit->Editor Preferences->General->Source Code Editor between Visual Studio and VS Code, I did not do Tools->Refresh [VS Code Project]. When I then opened the proj manually in VS Code the build tasks were not set up. But once I Refreshed they worked in either Visual Studio or VS Code.

Some additional problems that confused me listed here in case they help anyone:
I had a “code 6 error” during build tasks and this was cause the IDE did not like UEEditor open in background. Closing and rebuilding fixed but I didn’t have to do this on OSX.

Still a noob to UE and C++ dev (am good with code in general but each toolchain/IDE is its own work) so after I added Tools->New C++ Class, I did not “drag” it from Content Pane->C++ Classes into the game world and was not able to see its updated C++ code function until I did so.

But after mindfully addressing these points I have my learner project updating and building! Thanks!