Unreal Engine Multi-User Editing: A guide to setting up team sessions

What you’ll learn in this guide

Unreal Engine Multi-User Editing connects multiple Unreal Editor instances to a shared editing session, allowing a team to work together in the same virtual world. Although the feature was developed for virtual production teams, it can also be used by other teams that need to work on the same content. Epic Games describes the system as beta and advises caution when using it in production.

This guide covers the basic steps for preparing a session, joining it, and understanding synchronization limitations that may affect teamwork. The source documentation does not provide step-by-step setup details for every Unreal Engine version, so we’ll focus here on the documented settings and behavior.

Requirements

• The computers joining the session need Unreal Engine and a copy of the project content. The server can record transactions and modified assets without having access to all of the project content, but the computers joining the session must have copies of that content.

• The Multi-User Editing Plugin must be enabled in the project. Once enabled, its options appear under Project Settings > Plugins > Multi-User Editing.

• To make connections easier, the team can decide on default server and session names in advance; this is optional. Sessions can still be found and joined through the Multi-User Browser without default settings.

• The documentation does not specify a separate account requirement for Multi-User Editing. It also does not list specific hardware requirements, so it is not possible to give a definitive minimum hardware threshold.

Setting up and using a shared session

1. Enable the plugin in the project. Once the Multi-User Editing plugin is enabled, its settings become available in the project settings, along with connection options in the editor toolbar. The team should agree in advance to work on the same project; the session server does not replace the project content on participants’ computers.

2. Start the server. The dropdown menu in the editor toolbar offers options to open the Multi-User Browser, go to project settings, or start the Multi-User Server on the computer. The server can also be run outside the editor: the official reference documentation lists the server component at Engine/Binaries/<platform>/UnrealMultiUserServer.exe in the Unreal Engine installation directory. The computer running the server from the command line does not need to have the project.

3. Create a session or find an existing one. If connection details have not been set in advance, select Browse in the toolbar to open the Multi-User Browser, where you can search for and join a session. If default server and session names have been set, use Join to connect to that session. When Auto Connect is enabled, the editor tries to connect to the specified default server and session each time the project opens. If the session name does not yet exist on the server, the server starts a new session with that name.

4. Make team identities easy to recognize. The Display Name and Avatar Color options in the project settings help other users identify participants in the session’s presence information. You can set a desktop avatar for participants using a standard keyboard and mouse, and a VR avatar class for those using VR Editing. Since the sources do not provide steps for creating custom avatars within the scope of this guide, it’s best to start with the default classes for basic teamwork.

5. See how changes are transmitted. The system relays supported transactions between connected editor instances. For example, dragging an Actor in the Level Viewport or changing a slider in the Details panel are given as examples of transactions transmitted in real time. However, don’t assume that every asset type will synchronize in the same way: Landscape classes are excluded by default, and changes to this content are not sent to other users until the relevant Level is saved.

6. Leave the session deliberately. Once connected, the toolbar option changes to Leave, which disconnects you from the session. Use Cancel to abort a connection in progress. Settings also include options for restoring saved sessions or specifying the name under which a session is saved. Before leaving, the team should clarify which changes will be persisted and which assets need to be saved, according to its project workflow.

Common mistakes and things to watch out for

Expecting Landscape changes to appear immediately: Landscape classes are included in the default exclusion list. As a result, changes made to a Landscape are not synchronized until the Level containing it is saved. If a terrain edit does not reach other participants, first check this behavior and whether the Level has been saved.

Assuming the session server provides the project content: The server records transactions and modified assets; it does not need to host all the project content. Make sure your plan accounts for copies of the project content being available on the computers joining the session.

Changing advanced transaction filters too early: Multi-User Transactions settings can affect which classes of changes are transmitted. Epic Games advises against changing these settings from their defaults before the system has been used sufficiently, and says to consider the effect on stability. Exclusion rules in particular can narrow the scope of synchronization.

Leaving detailed logging enabled: Enable Logging keeps detailed records of the session and can use a significant amount of disk space in a short time. Turning logging off does not automatically delete existing log files; you must remove those files separately to reclaim the space.

Ignoring the beta warning: Multi-User Editing is a beta feature. Teams should test it with their own project workflow before using it on a live project, and separately verify that assets and Levels have been saved before making critical changes. This workflow precaution is based on the documented beta warning for the feature.

What this means for architecture and visualization teams

A shared session can help architectural visualization, virtual production, or design teams working on the same virtual scene see changes during a session and provide feedback quickly. For example, the goal might be for team members working in the same virtual world to evaluate a change as soon as another participant makes it. However, this does not mean all content types are transmitted in the same way; the Landscape exception and the requirement for every participant to have the project content are especially important to keep in mind.

The sources do not specify pricing, a dedicated hardware threshold, or a general compatibility list for a particular Unreal Engine version. It therefore makes sense for offices to start with a small test using their own computers, project content, and connection conditions, and to account for the beta status and saving critical content in their workflow.

Next steps

Start by enabling the plugin in a small test project, launching a server, and joining the session from a second editor instance. Check the connection using a documented synchronized transaction, such as moving an Actor; then test Landscape behavior, leaving the session, and logging settings separately. As the team grows, setting default server and session names can simplify the connection process. Evaluate advanced transaction filters only after you understand how the system works with its default settings.

Sources and license

This guide was adapted into Turkish based on the information in Epic Games’ Unreal Engine Multi-User Editing overview and reference documentation. The source texts specify “free” as the license information; no source sentences have been quoted directly here, and the workflow is explained in our own words.