Free open-source UE5 content automation: JSON to DataAssets to live editor updates

A free, open-source Unreal Engine 5 editor toolchain is available for developers working on data-heavy projects. The core idea is simple: change game content as plain JSON, and the editor-side pipeline carries the update end to end — it detects the changed data, regenerates typed DataAssets, and propagates the new definition into actors already placed in the editor scene, without a C++ recompile or manual asset rebuilding. This makes content text-based, version-controlled, diffable, reviewable, and safer for scripts, CI, and AI agents to propose. The pipeline is split into four public plugins: - **ProjectDefinitionGenerator** (`Plugins/Editor/ProjectDefinitionGenerator`) — watches JSON-backed definitions, validates changes, and regenerates typed DataAssets from source data. - **ProjectPlacementEditor** (`Plugins/Editor/ProjectPlacementEditor`) — creates configured actors from generated definitions, then reapplies or replaces placed actors when definitions change. - **ProjectAssetSync** (`Plugins/Editor/ProjectAssetSync`) — keeps JSON references correct when assets are renamed or moved, and fixes redirectors. - **ProjectEditorCore** (`Plugins/Editor/ProjectEditorCore`) — a shared contract layer: the stages communicate through its events instead of hard-wiring the pipeline stage to stage, so they stay loosely coupled and each one is easy to read, fork, or extend. Useful for Unreal automation, data-driven gameplay, CI content generation, and agent-assisted content authoring. Want to test the public build, review the architecture, or contribute to ALIS? Start here: https://github.com/fallintodusk/alis/discussions/1 Practical feedback is welcome: what should be clearer, more stable, more useful, or more convincing? Source: https://github.com/fallintodusk/alis