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Phase 0 Quick Start Guide

Prerequisites

  • Unreal Engine 5.0+ (source build recommended)
  • Visual Studio 2022
  • Basic C++ knowledge
  • RTX 2070 Mobile or better GPU

5-Minute Setup

Step 1: Extract Plugin

Extract NeuralLODStarter_Phase0.tar.gz to your project's Plugins folder:

YourProject/
├── YourProject.uproject
├── Content/
├── Source/
└── Plugins/
    └── NeuralLODStarter/  <-- Extract here

Step 2: Generate & Build

Windows:

  1. Right-click YourProject.uproject
  2. Select "Generate Visual Studio project files"
  3. Open YourProject.sln
  4. Build (Ctrl+Shift+B)

Command line:

bash
# From project root
UnrealEngine/Engine/Build/BatchFiles/GenerateProjectFiles.bat YourProject.uproject
UnrealEngine/Engine/Build/BatchFiles/Build.bat YourProjectEditor Win64 Development

Step 3: Enable Plugin

  1. Launch editor
  2. Edit → Plugins
  3. Search: "Neural LOD"
  4. Enable "Neural LOD Starter"
  5. Restart editor

Step 4: Test

  1. Open any level (or create new)
  2. Press Play (Alt+P)
  3. You should see a subtle blue tint

Verify it's working:

  • Press ` (backtick) to open console
  • Type: stat gpu
  • Look for "NeuralLOD_TestPass" (~0.1-0.3ms)

Success! What You've Proven:

✅ Custom plugin compiles and loads
✅ Shaders register correctly
✅ RDG pass injection works
✅ GPU profiling shows your pass
✅ You can modify rendering pipeline

Next: Experiment!

Try modifying the shader to learn the system:

Experiment 1: Increase Effect Strength

In NeuralLODViewExtension.cpp, line ~105:

cpp
PassParameters->TintStrength = 0.5f; // Was 0.1f

Save, rebuild, and see more obvious effect.

Experiment 2: Different Color

Change the tint color:

cpp
PassParameters->TintColor = FLinearColor(1.0f, 0.5f, 0.2f, 1.0f); // Orange

Experiment 3: Desaturate Instead

In TestComputeShader.usf, replace the main logic:

hlsl
// Calculate luminance
float Luma = dot(CurrentColor.rgb, float3(0.299, 0.587, 0.114));

// Desaturate
float4 Desaturated = float4(Luma, Luma, Luma, CurrentColor.a);
float4 Result = lerp(CurrentColor, Desaturated, TintStrength);

OutputTexture[PixelPos] = Result;

Experiment 4: Access G-Buffer

See Section 22.11 in the main design document for examples of:

  • Reading normals from G-buffer
  • Reading albedo
  • Edge detection (Sobel filter)
  • More advanced effects

Troubleshooting

"Shader failed to compile"

bash
# In editor console:
r.ShaderDevelopmentMode=1
# Then force recompile:
Ctrl+Shift+.

Check Output Log for specific errors.

"No visual effect in editor"

The plugin only runs during Play (PIE) by default.

To enable in editor viewports, edit NeuralLODViewExtension.cpp:

cpp
// Comment out this check:
// if (!View.bIsGameView)
// {
//     return;
// }

"Plugin won't load"

  1. Ensure UE5 source build (not launcher version)
  2. Check Output Log for errors
  3. Verify .uplugin is valid JSON
  4. Delete Intermediate/ and Binaries/, rebuild

"Shader directory not found"

Make sure the plugin structure is intact:

Plugins/NeuralLODStarter/
└── Source/NeuralLODStarter/Shaders/Private/TestComputeShader.usf

Performance Notes

On RTX 2070 Mobile @ 1080p:

  • ~0.1-0.3ms for this simple test
  • Scales with resolution
  • Negligible VRAM usage (<1MB)

What's Next?

Once Phase 0 works:

  1. Phase 1: Add ONNX Runtime integration (see main design doc)
  2. Phase 2: Replace test shader with G-buffer packing
  3. Phase 3: Integrate actual neural inference
  4. Phase 4: Add Tier 1.0 style transfer

Refer to the main NeuralLOD_Revised_Design.md for complete implementation guide.

Files You Can Safely Modify

Safe to edit (experiment here):

  • TestComputeShader.usf - The shader logic
  • NeuralLODViewExtension.cpp - Pass parameters, tint strength, etc.

Don't modify (unless you know what you're doing):

  • .uplugin - Plugin descriptor
  • .Build.cs - Build configuration
  • Module registration code

Learning Resources

Support

If you get stuck:

  1. Check Output Log first
  2. Verify shader compilation succeeded
  3. Use stat gpu to see if pass is executing
  4. Review Section 22 of main design document

Congratulations on completing Phase 0! 🎉

You now have a working foundation for the full Neural LOD system.

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    UE5 Neural LOD Plugin Phase 0 Quick Start Guide | Claude