'Shipping' configuration cannot be launched, even with cooked content

I have also tested this in 4.9.

This is stolen from my [post][1] in the ‘Packaging and Deployment’ section:

After I cook content in the editor, then build my game in ‘Shipping’ configuration (either Win64 or Win32), running that game, either via Visual Studio directly or by finding the Shipping .exe in the Binaries folder and running it, I receive the error that cooked content is missing / the global shader cache file is missing. This does not occur with Development or DebugGame builds. Only Shipping.

I have also tried this after cooking content via UnrealFrontend, by launching a Shipping build and selecting ‘By The Book’ for the cooking options so it will cook everything and save it. This will allow me to launch via the frontend, but I still cannot launch Shipping from VS or run the executable from the Binaries folder.

This has been happening for a long time across multiple versions of the editor and on multiple PCs. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I’m trying to launch a shipping build from Visual Studio so I can easily attach profiling tools to it (ones that are built/integrated into VS). This is made difficult by this problem.

Thanks!

EDIT: I forgot to throw in some repro steps! My bad.

  1. Create an empty C++ project
  2. Compile the project in the Development configuration, then launch it in Development Editor.
  3. Select ‘Cook content for Windows’
  4. Close out of the editor and launch the project in the Shipping configuration.
  5. Observe the ‘global shader cache file is missing’ error
  6. Try launching in Development or DebugGame configurations and notice that it still works - cooked content is working for them but not for ‘Shipping’.

Running a Shipping build out of Visual Studio always fails, even with Cooked Content - Pipeline & Plugins - Epic Developer Community Forums

,

Could you show me the error that is associated with this issue you’re running in to?

I also want to verify whether you are on Binary or Source. Since you’re working within Visual Studio on a code project, I do want to make sure of which version of the editor you’re in.

Looking forward to hearing back from you, thanks!

Hi ,

The error received is the following:

74517-cookedcontentmissingerror.png

I am running a binary build of the engine. Currently working with 10.1, but have tested with 4.9 (and probably 4.8 in the past, but I can’t verify that).

Thanks!

Hi ,

I just wanted to check in and see if there was anything else you and the team needed on this one.

Thanks!

Could you please review this [post][1] and let us know whether or not the tips provided actually help resolve the issue you’ve ran in to?

Thank you!

Global shader cache-pcd3d-sm5 missing - Platform & Builds - Epic Developer Community Forums

Hi ,

This occurs with a fresh project without any spaces in the name (the problem specified in the provided link).

Thanks!

Hey ,

Have you tried rebuilding your solution on DevelopmentEditor mode instead of DebugGameEditor mode?

I have been able to replicate this. I have sent a message to our Developers requesting additional information.

Hey ,

We have not heard back from you in a few days, so we are marking this post as Resolved for tracking purposes. If you are still experiencing the issue you reported, please respond to this message with additional information and we will offer further assistance.

Thank you!

Hi ,

Sorry for not getting back to you. I’m not sure what you meant by your previous message - whether I build my solution in DevelopmentEditor or DebugGameEditor configurations, trying to launch the Shipping build via the process I outlined earlier still fails, even after cooking in either of the two ‘Editor’ configurations.

Any news?

Have you tried rebuilding the solution (.sln) in DeveloperEditor mode instead of DebugGameEditor mode and produced the same results?

Hi ,

Yes, regardless of the editor configuration I use to do the initial cook (DevelopmentEditor, DebugGameEditor, etc), Shipping is still failing out of Visual Studio with the above error.

Thanks!

Hey -

I’m trying to follow the steps you posted and have a few questions to make sure I’m following along correctly. What exactly do you mean when you say “launch” in Development Editor / Shipping? My understanding is that you create a new project and then compile in Development. Are you then compiling again in Development Editor and opening the .uproject or are you opening the project from Visual Studio in DebugMode?

Cheers

,

We have not heard back from you in a few days, so we are marking this post as Resolved for tracking purposes. If you are still experiencing the issue you reported, please respond to this message with additional information and we will offer further assistance.

Thank you!

We have the same issue. Cooking content with -cook parameter and then run Shipping-Win64.exe gives the missing shader file error.

If you’re experiencing trouble with cooking content within your project, please submit a new thread to AnswerHub.

Thanks! :slight_smile:

Hi ,

This is still an issue in 4.11.0. Again, if you cook content, you can launch non-editor builds from Visual Studio that use that cooked content just fine, unless that build is ‘Shipping’ (and also ‘Test’ but I can’t try that in 4.11.0 just yet).

Cooking in editor, then launching from Visual Studio:

  • DebugGame = fine;
  • Development = fine;
  • Shipping = fail;
  • Test (only available with source engine build) = fail.

Those two fails look like this.

Repro steps:

  1. Create a new C++ project. I didn’t include starter content for convenience’s sake.
  2. Open the project in UE4 and add some content, including a level (can be empty).
  3. Set the level to be the default game level (Project Settings → Maps & Modes → Game Default Map). The game won’t work otherwise.
  4. We want to cook our content, but we have to build in ‘Development’ config first, so close UE4, open the project up in VS2015, and compile it in ‘Development’ configuration.
  5. Open the project back in UE4 (can be via the .uproject file, can be launched from within VS2015 into DebugGame Editor or Development Editor, etc. Just get back into UE4 somehow).
  6. Cook content so we can launch non-editor builds and use our content (File → Cook Content for Windows)
  7. Close UE4, and return to VS2015. Build the project in ‘DebugGame’ configuration.
  8. In VS2015, launch the project in this configuration and observe that the game loads. If you created a totally blank level as your default, you’ll see a black screen, but that’s okay. The error message I linked above doesn’t display. This means the content cooking worked and we’re all good.
  9. Try the same with ‘Development’ configuration. It also works.
  10. Now try ‘Shipping’. Observe the above fail message.
  11. If you’re using a source build of the engine, also try ‘Test’. Same result as Shipping - fail.

I hope this late-night post makes sense!

Sorry for not getting back to you earlier, . I’ve replied to 's post below with more details + repro steps. Any help is appreciated!

,

I am able to open the .exe that’s created once building the project in shipping from Visual Studio. Since I am able to run the .exe from that, there doesn’t seem to be an issue here. Shipping isn’t supposed to have debugging capabilities, so when you’re launching it with debugging through VS, errors are expected.

[Programming Documentation][1]

Good luck! :slight_smile:

Compiling Game Projects in Unreal Engine Using C++ | Unreal Engine 5.1 Documentation

Hi ,

I also receive the above error when I run the project from the ProjectName-Win64-Shipping.exe directly, and this is the same for the ‘Test’ configuration version. These configurations not having debug symbols is unlikely to be a reason why the cooked content can’t be found (both because launching it directly fails, and that I don’t see how they’re connected).

Were you able to launch the .exe directly via the steps I gave? What happened if you launched it from within VS2015?

If you take a look at the documentation linked previously, it specifically states, “Shipping: This is the configuration for optimal performance and shipping your game. This configuration strips out console commands, stats, and profiling tools.” Therefore, if you’re attaching profiling tools to your project, it definitely will not work like you’re wanting it to. I would suggest trying the ‘Test’ building configuration because it uses the shipping configuration, but it includes some of the console commands, stats and profiling tools.

Thanks!