So I’ve been using ChatGPT for quite a bit, and helps me with a lot, even by feeding it code of my plugins and asking it to write the text for a pdf manual (which does very nicely I must add).
So it got me thinking and I had this idea. I’m sharing it here in the hopes that it will reach someone high enough in Epic to do something about it.
The idea is to have an AI trained with the source code of Unreal Engine, probably starting around 4.27 or something and keeping it up to date with newer versions.
Once trained, it could automatically generate API documentation that is well beyond the scope of any team, let alone what documentation we currently have now, and it could easily generate lists of changes, deprecated code, migration guides…etc
It could also be amazing to allow developers access to it. Having been trained with all that data, the ability to ask it “what class do I need to do X?” or “what is the best way to acomplish Y?” would be absolute game changers.
I know it’s computationally expensive, but even if each dev is allowed even a max of 5 questions per day or something, it could be of ginormuous help to both indies and AAA devs alike.
It could also browse through the forums to look for possible solutions for existing bugs to give you more complete answers…etc. Not to mention the internal Epic devs could also use it to help them keep developing and optimizing the engine.
The posibilities are endless! And the cost/benefit should be a no-brainer.
Well, technically it did review itself in the process
But as far as I know, the more general the AI the more of those problems you’ll encounter.
I’ve been using CoPilot for months now (which is based on OpenAI Codex, geared towards code) and I can’t even think about going back, which is why I think something hyper specialized trained with UE’s source code could absolutely work.
No, don’t get me wrong. This is super exciting, a big fan of GPTs in general - the tools of the future, indeed. And I’d consider them to be past their infancy now.
What are the chances you could share a tiny sample?
I have handy a quick text I did, actually not with code itself, but instead I feed it my youtube tutorials of my plugin so it would read the transcript, as well as my plugin’s page in my website and the marketplace page, and it gave me this:
Audio Normalizer for Unreal Engine 5
User Manual
Introduction
Welcome to the user manual for Audio Normalizer, a powerful plugin for Unreal Engine 5 designed to automatically normalize the loudness of your audio assets. Whether you’re working with SoundWaves, SoundCues, or MetaSounds, this plugin streamlines your audio workflow using industry-standard techniques such as LUFS measurement.
Features
Batch Normalization: Automate the normalization of procedural and linear audio assets, including MetaSoundSources, SoundCues, and SoundWaves.
Non-Destructive: The plugin only modifies the output volume level, leaving the original sound data untouched.
Procedural Sound Support: Supports procedural sounds such as MetaSounds and SoundCues.
Filtering: Automatically filters out SoundWaves used within other selected MetaSoundSources or SoundCues to maintain their internal balance.
Advanced Settings: Offers basic and advanced settings for target loudness levels and accuracy.
Quick Tour
For a brief overview of the plugin’s capabilities, watch the Quick Tour video.
Loudness Level (Low/Mid/High): Quickly set the target loudness level for your audio assets with three presets: Low, Mid, and High.
Cue/MetaSound Accuracy (Low/Mid/High/Ultra): Adjust the accuracy level for analyzing procedural sounds. The higher the accuracy, the more time needed for the analysis.
Advanced Controls
LUFS Target Value: Manually set the target LUFS level for precise loudness control.
Peak Target Value: Set the maximum peak level to avoid saturation.
Repeat Count: Define how many times procedural sounds will be played back for analysis.
Loop Length: Define the duration of one loop iteration for looping sounds.
Iteration Cooldown: Set the time of silence between one repeat and the next.
FAQs
Why LUFS?
LUFS is the new industry standard for measuring loudness based on human ear perception.
How does the plugin handle procedural sounds?
For procedural sounds like SoundCues and MetaSounds, the plugin plays back the sound internally, records it, and analyzes it as a sound wave.
What should I be cautious about?
Avoid doing other tasks on your computer while the plugin is processing sounds, as it’s done in real-time.
Also just out of curiosity, I just did another test and fed it the code of a class I’m working on, and asked it to write me an entry for the API manual, and it wrote me this.
Quite concise description out of 600 lines of code, at least to use as a starting point.
UExtendedSoundWave Class
Overview
The UExtendedSoundWave class is a specialized extension of Unreal Engine 5’s USoundWave class, designed to facilitate advanced audio recording and editing within the Unreal Engine environment. This class is part of the VoiceCrafter: Smart Editor & Recorder plugin.
Key Features
Non-Destructive Editing: Retains a full PCM backup of the original audio data, allowing for reversible changes.
Smart Batch Auto-Editing: Provides automated editing capabilities for batch processing.
Extended Metadata: Stores additional variables for complex use-cases, such as dialogue systems.
Usage
To utilize the UExtendedSoundWave class, include its header and instantiate it as you would with a standard USoundWave object. The class provides additional methods and properties for advanced audio manipulation.
Conditionally Compiled Data
Editor-only data is conditionally compiled to ensure minimal impact on runtime performance.
See Also
USoundWave: The parent class from which UExtendedSoundWave is derived.
