Install the Plugin

Add the DreamShader plugin to an Unreal project and prepare the language source directory.

This page focuses on the Unreal plugin. For the first language file, see Installation and Setup.

Get the Plugin

Source	Link
GitHub	TypeDreamMoon/DreamShader
Expected project path	`Plugins/DreamShader`
Current documented version	`1.4.0`

Put the plugin directory under the Unreal project:

ProjectRoot/
└─ Plugins/
   └─ DreamShader/

Enable Flow

Open the Unreal project.
Enable the DreamShader plugin.
Restart Unreal Editor.
Create the DShader source directory.
Save a .dsm, .dsf, or .dsh file under the configured source root.

The plugin should detect changes and compile affected assets when auto-compile is enabled.

Engine Compatibility

DreamShader 1.4.0 is actively developed against Unreal Engine 5.7 and has been verified on Windows with single-plugin RunUAT BuildPlugin builds:

Unreal Engine	Status
`5.7`	Verified
`5.6`	Verified
`5.5`	Verified
`5.4`	Verified
`5.3`	Verified

To validate the plugin without building a full project target, use:

& "<EngineDir>\Engine\Build\BatchFiles\RunUAT.bat" BuildPlugin `
  -Plugin="<ProjectDir>\Plugins\DreamShader\DreamShader.uplugin" `
  -Package="<OutputDir>\DreamShader" `
  -TargetPlatforms=Win64 `
  -Rocket

On Windows, UE 5.3 and 5.4 may require the MSVC 14.38 toolchain. Newer compiler toolchains can fail while compiling older engine headers before DreamShader code is reached.

Project Settings

The main settings live under:

Project Settings > DreamPlugin > Dream Shader

Setting	Purpose
`SourceDirectory`	Source root for `.dsm`, `.dsf`, and `.dsh`.
`GeneratedShaderDirectory`	Output directory for generated helper include files.
`AutoCompileOnSave`	Compile affected assets when sources are saved.
`SaveDebounceSeconds`	Debounce interval before reacting to file changes.
`VerboseLogs`	Print detailed logs for troubleshooting.
`OpenInNewWindow`	Control how the Unreal editor opens the DreamShader VSCode workspace.

Verify Installation

Check	Expected result
Plugin enabled	DreamShader settings appear in Project Settings.
Source directory exists	The plugin can scan `DShader`.
A `.dsm` file is saved	A `UMaterial` asset is generated or refreshed.
VSCode extension installed	Commands and diagnostics appear for DreamShaderLang files.
Bridge metadata exported	`Saved/DreamShader/Bridge/material-expressions.json` is available after plugin export.
Preview bridge active	`Saved/DreamShader/Bridge/preview.json` and preview images update after a VSCode preview request.

Notes

Topic	Recommendation
Source control	Commit `.dsm`, `.dsf`, `.dsh`, and package manifests. Generated `.uasset` policy depends on your project workflow.
Engine versions	Keep plugin builds aligned with the Unreal version used by the project.
Team setup	Standardize `SourceDirectory` so imports resolve the same way on every machine.