Unused Asset Detective is the ultimate tool for finding and removing unused (NOT REFERENCED IN MEMORY) assets in your Unreal Engine projects. Save disk space, improve project load times, and keep your content library organized.
### 🌟 WHY CHOOSE UNUSED ASSET DETECTIVE?
Unlike manual cleanup that takes hours, this plugin identifies unused assets in seconds. The professional solution for maintaining clean, optimized projects. Save time. Save space. Stay organized.
### ✨ KEY FEATURES
🔍 Smart Asset Detection
- Automatically scans your entire project for unreferenced assets using async batch processing
- Detects all asset types: Textures, Meshes, Materials, Blueprints, Sounds, Animations, Particles, and more
- Validates both AssetRegistry references AND in-memory references (same checks Unreal Editor uses)
- Shows detailed file size information for each asset
- Displays total wasted disk space
- Detection of soft-only referenced assets (tagged in UI)
🎯 Advanced Filtering & Exclusions
- Filter by asset type (Textures, Meshes, Materials, Blueprints, Sounds, etc.)
- Real-time search by asset name or path
- Clean, sortable list view with multiple columns
- Checkbox selection for precise control
- Exclude /Game/Developers folder (toggle on/off)
- Custom excluded folders list (multi-line text editor)
- Right-click Content Browser folders to add them to exclusions
🗑️ Safe Deletion Options
- Move to Trash: Safely move assets to /Game/Trash folder (fully recoverable)
- Delete Forever: Permanently remove assets with strong warning confirmations
- Batch Operations: Select multiple assets or use Select All/Deselect All
- Automatic Empty Folder Cleanup: Option to auto-delete empty folders after operations
- Standalone "Clean Empty Folders" tool
- Automatic project rescan after operations
⚡ Performance & Optimization (Still can freeze editor)
- Adjustable validation throttle (1-50 assets per tick) for UI responsiveness
- Async scanning with multi-threaded batch processing
- Cancellable scans - stop long operations anytime
- Validation stats displayed (in-world, has-references, could-not-load counts)
- Fast processing: 1000+ assets scanned in seconds
🛠️ Developer Tools
- Clear Undo History: Detects assets held only in editor's undo buffer
- Log Referencers: Output detailed hard/soft reference info to Output Log
- In-memory reference validation for debugging
- Detailed scan statistics and progress tracking
📊 Export & Integration
- Export to CSV: Generate detailed reports with timestamps for documentation
- Content Browser Integration: Right-click any asset to show it in Content Browser
- Context Menu: Quick access to Move, Delete, and Browse functions
- Real-time Updates: Automatic refresh after each operation
- Dockable window: Integrates seamlessly with Unreal Editor layout
### 🎮 HOW TO USE
1. Open the Plugin: Click the detective icon in the toolbar or go to Tools → Unused Asset Detective
2. Configure Exclusions (Optional):
- Toggle "Exclude /Game/Developers" if needed
- Add custom excluded folders in the text editor
- Right-click Content Browser folders to add to exclusions
- Adjust validation throttle slider for performance vs speed
3. Clear Undo History (Recommended): Click "Clear Undo History" before scanning to detect assets in undo buffer
4. Scan Your Project: Click "Scan Project" to analyze all assets in /Game
- Watch real-time progress bar
- Cancel anytime if needed
5. Review Results: Browse the list of unused assets with their types, sizes, and tags (Soft-only references shown)
6. Filter & Search: Use filters and search to find specific assets
7. Take Action:
- Select assets using checkboxes or Select All
- Right-click for quick options (Show in Content Browser, Move, Delete)
- Log Referencers to debug why assets appear as unused
- Move to Trash for safe, recoverable cleanup
- Delete Forever for permanent removal (with strong confirmation)
- Export CSV for record-keeping
8. Clean Up: Use "Clean Empty Folders" to remove empty directories
### 🛡️ SAFETY FEATURES
- ⚠️ Confirmation Dialogs: All deletion operations require user confirmation
- 🗂️ Trash Folder System: Non-destructive cleanup - recover assets from /Game/Trash
- 📋 CSV Export: Keep records of what was cleaned with timestamps
- 🔄 Auto-Refresh: Always see up-to-date results
- 💾 Backup Reminder: Built-in warnings encourage project backups
- 🧹 Auto Empty Folder Cleanup: Optional automatic removal of empty directories
- 🔍 In-Memory Validation: Uses same IsReferenced() check as Unreal Editor
- 🏷️ Soft Reference Tags: Visual indicators for assets with only soft references
- 🚫 Exclude System: Protect important folders from scans
- 📊 Validation Stats: See detailed breakdown of scan results
- ⏸️ Cancellable Operations: Stop long scans at any time
### 🎯 PERFECT FOR
✅ Cleaning up after downloading marketplace content
✅ Removing unused prototype assets
✅ Optimizing project size before distribution
✅ Maintaining large team projects
✅ Finding forgotten test assets
✅ Preparing projects for version control
✅ Regular project maintenance and housekeeping
### 💡 USE CASES
After Marketplace Downloads: Downloaded a pack but only used a few assets? Find and remove the unused ones instantly.
Project Optimization: Preparing for release? Remove all unused content to reduce package size and improve load times.
Team Collaboration: Keep shared projects clean by regularly scanning for unused assets created during development.
Asset Management: Maintain a clean content library by identifying assets that are no longer needed in your project.
### 📋 DETECTED ASSET TYPES
- ✅ Textures and Texture2D
- ✅ Static Meshes and Skeletal Meshes
- ✅ Materials and Material Instances
- ✅ Blueprints (Actor, Widget, Function, etc.)
- ✅ Sound Waves and Sound Cues
- ✅ Animations and Animation Blueprints
- ✅ Particle Systems and Niagara Effects
- ✅ Physics Assets
- ✅ Data Tables and Curves
### ⚠️ IMPORTANT NOTES
1. Always backup your project before performing mass deletions
2. Use "Clear Undo History" before scanning for most accurate results
3. Check the "Soft" tag - these assets have soft references and may be needed
4. Use "Log Referencers" to debug why an asset appears as unused
5. Configure excluded folders to protect important directories
6. Use "Move to Trash" first to test before permanent deletion
7. Export CSV reports for documentation and audit trails
8. Review the validation statistics to understand scan results
9. Adjust the validation throttle for optimal performance vs UI responsiveness
10. The plugin validates both AssetRegistry AND in-memory references (same as Unreal Editor's delete checks)
11. Some runtime-only references (loaded by code at runtime) may not be detected
12. Assets in /Game/Developers can be excluded via toggle
### 🤝 SUPPORT
Contact: betweenez6969@gmail.com
Discord: HERE