Hey folks, Hope everyone is keeping well
I’ve just released my first commercial UE4 plugin (Although I actually wrote a number which are in the Engine) 
The plugin I wrote is called Detective Plugin. It’s an editor tool which will allow you to quickly see which plugins are being included in your project. It’s intended to be a tool you run maybe once every engine upgrade. This way you can keep track of some small things which could be contributing to your build and cook times.
I am currently awaiting approval for the UE4 marketplace, but in the meantime *(https://trifoliumdigital.itch.io/detective-plugin).
[Edit: This is now on the UE4 marketplace]
Some blurb below along with some screenshots.
Thanks for reading I hope this helps a few people.
/Terence
Why should i audit plugins?
UE4 has an enormous code base. Plugins are add-ons which extend the functionality available to the user. They’re great! However, there are also a lot of them. Many you will never use are ‘Enabled By Default’
Each plugin has a footprint.
Plugins may have modules. These modules have source files. If a plugin is enabled, its modules may be built for your project. Each can add dozens/scores/hundreds of compile actions to your builds, depending on complexity. These actions may also add to your executable size in your final project.
Plugins may also have content. This content can be in the form of lots of Assets. These Assets may be being cooked, and added to your package. Even though you may never use them. If they make it to your package, these may heavily increase the size of your pak file for installed projects. It will also have an impact on the cook time of your project.
Making changes to which plugins are enabled will help you make savings in engine/editor startup times, code compile times, and also cook times.
What does this tool do?
The Detective Plugin extension will allow you, the user, to quickly discover which plugins may be enabled for your project. If you see any you don’t need, you can disable these directly from the Tool.
The tool also shows which plugins are enabled for which platforms. This should allow you to make decisions based on whether you need these plugins enabled for your platform.
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