Working in Unreal Engine can feel overwhelming, especially if you aren’t coming from a game design background. The good news is that with the right plugins, working in UE can go from frustrating to fantastic.
Here at CoPilot, we’re a film & tech company that uses UE for pre-visualization and virtual production. While we have our own in-house Unreal Engine specialist (shoutout to Serhii!), not everyone on the team is as well-versed in the engine as he is, so plugins like these help us do the work we need to do easily and quickly, without the expertise.
Here are the plugins that make working in UE a breeze for the CoPilot crew:
1. FlightDeck - AI-Powered Creative Assistant
Let’s start with the game-changer: FlightDeck. If you've ever felt intimidated by Unreal Engine's complexity, this plugin is a lifesaver. It brings conversational AI directly into UE, letting you control the engine using simple chat commands instead of wrestling with menus and settings.
What makes FlightDeck special is its three core systems:
The 2.5D system transforms flat images into layered environments with realistic parallax effects. FlightDeck does this by using Machine Learning to detect a 2D photo’s foreground, midground, and background, and splitting them up into their own separate planes, right in the engine.
The Explore system lets you visit any location in the world just by typing "take me to Tokyo at sunset" — no coordinates needed. It uses Cesium for Unreal’s API (more on that later) to pull geospatial data from around the world into the engine. All you have to do is tell it where to go.
The cool thing about the Explore feature is that the LLM is designed to understand prompts that are:
- Specific — i.e. “NYC”
- Referential — i.e. “The Big Apple”
- Conceptual — i.e. “The city where the Yankees play”
And lastly, the Chat system acts like having a technical expert sitting next to you, helping troubleshoot issues and answering questions about UE features. Think “Clippy,” but for Unreal Engine. You can ask it to build something like a 3x3 grid of lights in alternating red and blue colours, flashing in morse code, or you can ask it to teach you how.
We created FlightDeck for filmmakers and creative professionals, to remove the technical barriers that usually keep us from fully utilizing Unreal Engine's power. It's currently in beta until September 30, 2025, so try it for free today: https://www.copilotco.io/flightdeck
2. Cesium for Unreal - Real-World Data Integration
While FlightDeck makes Cesium incredibly easy to use, Cesium for Unreal deserves recognition on its own. This plugin brings real-world geospatial data into your projects, allowing you to create photorealistic environments based on actual locations. It's particularly valuable for architectural visualization and location scouting, though the technical setup can be challenging without tools like FlightDeck to simplify the process.
3. Volinga.ai - AI-Powered 3D Asset Creation
Volinga.ai specializes in converting photos into usable 3D models and textures, making it incredibly valuable for rapid prototyping and asset creation. It pairs beautifully with FlightDeck's workflow - you could use FlightDeck to scout a location, then use Volinga.ai to convert reference photos into 3D assets for that environment.
You can also use it to import, render, and relight 3DGS assets from other sources directly into Unreal Engine. With ACES and HDR pipeline support, Volinga is a powerhouse for productions of all sizes
4. Houdini Engine - Procedural Modeling Power
For those comfortable with more technical workflows, Houdini Engine brings procedural modeling capabilities into Unreal Engine. It's particularly useful for creating complex environments and effects that would be time-consuming to build manually. However, there's definitely a learning curve involved.
5. MetaHuman Creator - Realistic Character Creation
Creating believable human characters used to require specialized skills and expensive software. MetaHuman Creator makes it easy by providing a library of high-quality, customizable human characters that work seamlessly in Unreal Engine. You can adjust facial features, hair, clothing, and expressions through an intuitive web interface, then import directly into your project. It's perfect for filmmakers and creators who need realistic characters without the traditional character modeling pipeline.
6. Ultra Dynamic Sky - Realistic Lighting Systems
Creating convincing outdoor lighting can make or break a scene. Ultra Dynamic Sky provides a comprehensive weather and lighting system with realistic sun positioning, cloud formations, and atmospheric effects. It's user-friendly enough for beginners but powerful enough for professional use.
Making the Right Choice
The plugins you choose should match your workflow and experience level. If you're new to Unreal Engine or coming from a creative rather than technical background, starting with FlightDeck can help you learn about and get comfortable with the engine before diving into more complex tools. For established UE users, using FlightDeck's conversational interface in combination with other plugins can help streamline processes and workflows.
The beauty of Unreal Engine's plugin ecosystem is that you don't have to choose just one approach. Experiment with different combinations and find the workflow that feels most natural for your projects.
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