# How to prepare a custom build of the editor for artists? **URL:** \ **Category:** C++\ **Tags:** unreal-engine, Engine-Source-Code, GitHub, UE5-0, UE4-27, question\ **Created:** [January 15, 2022, 1:43pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/how-to-prepare-a-custom-build-of-the-editor-for-artists/272650 "2022-01-15T13:43:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Arshia001](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Arshia001](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Arshia001)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2022, 1:43pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/how-to-prepare-a-custom-build-of-the-editor-for-artists/272650/1 "2022-01-15T13:43:22Z")
I’m sure there must be an answer to this somewhere, but I haven’t been able to find it, so here I am, asking a question google failed to answer for the first time in… 4 years maybe? 😁 Anyway, I’m building the engine from source (mostly to be able to optimize package sizes), and I need to create smaller builds for the artists. My repo is over 165 GB and counting; the one I downloaded from the launcher is 30 GB, so less than 20%. I’m sure Epic has a tool or something for making the builds that they publish inside the launcher. It’s hard to imagine them hiding that specific part of the build pipeline when everything else in the engine is open-source. The question is, where is it? ---
**Author:** ![TomHank](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/tomhank/32/615012_2.png) [@TomHank](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/TomHank)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2022, 6:55am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/how-to-prepare-a-custom-build-of-the-editor-for-artists/272650/2 "2022-01-16T06:55:52Z")
Honey, I’m doing the same thing, Unreal Engine is too complicated for non-programmer artists. I’m now working on Unreal Modules as a pipeline engine, just like you install files, the artist just has to keep hitting “next” to make the project. I’m guessing that Epic might have a “module loader” or something like that, which can directly load and unload a module and other dependencies, similar to “reference viewing” in Unreal Engine. Maybe we can discuss it, can you leave your contact information? ---
**Author:** ![Arshia001](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Arshia001](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Arshia001)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2022, 8:59am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/how-to-prepare-a-custom-build-of-the-editor-for-artists/272650/4 "2022-01-16T08:59:21Z")
Perhaps I didn’t phrase my question correctly. I’m a programmer, and I’m trying to create lighter builds for the artists in our team. ---
**Author:** ![eblade](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@eblade](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/eblade)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2022, 7:21pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/how-to-prepare-a-custom-build-of-the-editor-for-artists/272650/5 "2022-01-16T19:21:41Z")
what do you mean ‘lighter builds’? The vast bulk of a project is almost always the art. ---
**Author:** ![jwatte](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/jwatte/32/744941_2.png) [@jwatte](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/jwatte)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2022, 7:44pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/how-to-prepare-a-custom-build-of-the-editor-for-artists/272650/6 "2022-01-16T19:44:56Z")
What does “a build” mean for you? There are a number of intermediate files that you don’t have to include in an installer or download, no matter whether you ship a zip file or an actual installer. Make sure to exclude all of those (using whatever method you prefer – anything from installer maker scripts to .gitignore) and your built engine/editor will be the smallest necessary size. That being said – once the artist runs the editor, and it builds/bakes/processes all the art, the actual disk usage will be quite big for artists, too. That’s just what it is to use Unreal Engine. If you need all the fancy bits of this engine, you have to live with the size explosion, because that’s what’s needed to deliver those. ---
**Author:** ![GarnerP57](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@GarnerP57](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/GarnerP57)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2022, 7:53pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/how-to-prepare-a-custom-build-of-the-editor-for-artists/272650/7 "2022-01-16T19:53:44Z")
Artists only need the Development Editor Build configuration and you can skip all the .pdb files too. ---
**Author:** ![L1v3i](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@L1v3i](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/L1v3i)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2022, 8:25pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/how-to-prepare-a-custom-build-of-the-editor-for-artists/272650/8 "2022-01-16T20:25:10Z")
I think you want to create a binary build from your source customization. If that’s the case, this might help > [@\[TOOL\] Create your own binary build for your team](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/tool-create-your-own-binary-build-for-your-team/81421): > > I just made a small app that can help you build binary version of UE4 from source build. [[Unreal Binary Builder - What is it?] ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuvvBMrWX8s) https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ryanjon2040/UE4-Binary-Builder/master/Documentation/Screenshot\_1.png https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ryanjon2040/UE4-Binary-Builder/master/Documentation/Screenshot\_2.PNG https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ryanjon2040/UE4-Binary-Builder/master/Documentation/Screenshot\_4.PNG Download (with source): [Unreal Binary Builder v…](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ryanjon2040/unreal-binary-builder-v3-0-released) ---
**Author:** ![Arshia001](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Arshia001](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Arshia001)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2022, 9:26pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/how-to-prepare-a-custom-build-of-the-editor-for-artists/272650/9 "2022-01-16T21:26:01Z")
Yes, I believe this is it! Thanks for the help 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Arshia001](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@Arshia001](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Arshia001)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2022, 9:36pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/how-to-prepare-a-custom-build-of-the-editor-for-artists/272650/10 "2022-01-16T21:36:51Z")
I’m sorry to have confused everyone with my bad wording. I wasn’t referring to the project folders, I was referring to the editor itself.