Hi everyone,
I’d like to suggest a structured way for developers to request tools and plugins based on real production pain points, and for marketplace/Fab creators to discover and respond to those needs.
Right now, if a developer struggles with a repetitive or boring workflow, they might:
Write a one-off forum post asking “Is there a plugin for X?”
Search Fab/Marketplace and hope someone has already solved it
End up writing internal tools that never reach others who have the same problem
There is no single, organized place where:
1\. Developers can clearly describe their repetitive workflow problems.
2\. Plugin/content creators can browse these problems as a list of concrete product ideas.
3\. Existing tools can be linked directly as solutions under a specific request.
I think this is a missed opportunity for both sides.
What I am proposing
I’d like to propose a dedicated board or category, something like:
“Tool & Plugin Requests” or “Workflow Problem Board”
The idea is simple: instead of only requesting new engine features, developers describe the exact workflow that is wasting their time, and turn it into a potential tool/plugin request.
Each request would follow a simple, consistent template, for example:
1\. Engine version(s) and platform(s)
• Example: UE 5.3–5.5, Windows
2\. Area / domain
Example: Animation, Sequencer, Level Design, UI, Build Pipeline, FX, etc.
3\. Current workflow (step-by-step)
What the developer is actually doing today:
Which windows they open
Which menus/buttons they click
How many times they repeat the same operation
Any copy–paste or manual data entry involved
4\. Pain point
Why this is a problem:
Too many clicks
Very error-prone
Hard to maintain across projects
Takes hours per week
5.Desired outcome
What “done” looks like from the user’s perspective:
“I click one button and all selected animations get this setup.”
“I run a tool and it auto-builds my standard folder/asset structure.”
“I can batch-retarget a group of animations with consistent settings.”
6\. Optional: willingness to pay / expected audience
Example: “I would personally pay around $20–50 for a robust solution; I think many animation-heavy teams would be interested.”
Under each request, there would be room for:
Other developers to comment with “I have the same problem, here are my details.”
Plugin/content developers to reply:
“I am working on this.”
“I’ve already released something similar; here is the link.”
“I can add this as a feature to my existing tool.”
Concrete example 1: Animation repetitive setup
Imagine I am an animation-focused developer.
Every time I set up new animation clips, I repeat the same actions:
Import animation files.
Set the same compression settings.
Apply the same notifies or curves.
Adjust the same set of options for root motion.
Fix a few naming conventions manually.
This is boring, repetitive, and easy to mess up.
On the proposed board, I would create a request like:
Area: Animation
Engine: UE 5.4–5.5
Problem: I repeat the same 6–8 steps for every new batch of animation clips.
Desired tool: A plugin or tool that:
Lets me define a “preset” of animation import and setup rules.
Applies that preset automatically to all selected animations.
Optionally renames and organizes them into the correct folders.
Now an animation-tool developer or marketplace seller can see this and think:
“This is a clear, repeatable workflow problem.”
“There is clear demand (if multiple people +1 it).”
“I can implement this and publish it as a plugin or asset.”
They might then reply:
“In development, targeting UE 5.5.”
Or: “I already have a tool that does 80% of this; here’s the link.”
Concrete example 2: Level design and environment setup
A level designer might have a repeated sequence like:
Creating the same base folder structure for every new map.
Placing a standard set of actors (lighting, post process, volume setup).
Applying standard project settings (collision channels, render settings).
Setting up default world partition or streaming layouts.
Instead of building this by hand or maintaining per-team internal scripts, they could post:
Area: Level Design / Environment
Engine: UE 5.3–5.6
Problem: Every new map creation repeats the same boilerplate.
Desired tool:
A “New Level Wizard” that builds a ready-to-use template:
Standard folders
Starter actors
Basic lighting setup
Optional variants (indoor/outdoor, small/large map)
Again, this becomes a clear product idea for plugin creators, instead of a vague “I want something to speed up level creation”.
Why this is useful for everyone
For developers:
They get a focused place to describe real production pain, not just vague “I wish something existed”.
They can see if others have the same problem and learn from existing tools.
Over time, they get tools that are clearly shaped by real workflows instead of guesses.
For plugin and content creators (Fab / Marketplace sellers):
They get a living backlog of real, validated problems.
They can prioritize based on:
Number of people commenting or supporting a request.
Domains they are already strong in (animation, UI, FX, tools, etc.).
They can directly link their products to the original request, showing the “before/after” story.
For Epic / Fab and the ecosystem:
It becomes easier to see which areas of the engine are causing the most friction.
It can influence:
Future engine features
Sample projects
Official tools and templates
It strengthens the relationship between end-users and marketplace creators, because both sides can see the full chain:
Problem → Discussion → Product.
Possible long-term integration ideas (optional)
This part is not required for a first step, but could be future improvements:
From a Fab product page:
If a user still has an unsolved problem, they could click:
“Create a new workflow/tool request”
and be redirected to this board with some metadata pre-filled.
From the request board:
If a plugin is published on Fab that solves a request, it can be marked as:
“Solved by: [Plugin Name] (link to Fab)”
This would help track which requests have matured into actual products.
Conclusion
To summarize:
There is currently no single, organized, workflow-focused request board that connects:
Developers with real repetitive problems, and
Fab/Marketplace creators looking for product ideas.
A dedicated “Tool & Plugin Requests” (or “Workflow Problem Board”) category with a simple template would:
Make user pain points visible.
Help creators build the right tools.
Provide clear demand signals for Fab/Marketplace productImprove the overall Unreal ecosystem by turning everyday friction into concrete solutions.
I believe this would be a valuable addition to the forums and to the Fab/Marketplace ecosystem, and I’d be very happy to help test or refine the format if needed.