UltraWire
UltraWire
All-in-one graph editor visual overhaul plugin for Unreal Engine 5. Wire routing, node theming, minimap, heatmaps, and team presets.
UltraWire is an editor-only plugin for Unreal Engine 5 that completely overhauls how graph editors look and feel. Built by StraySpark for UE 5.5, 5.6, and 5.7.
Feature Overview
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Wire Routing | 4 styles: Default (Bezier), Manhattan (90°), Subway (45°), Freeform (custom angle) |
| Corner Styles | Sharp, Rounded (configurable arc), Chamfered (diagonal cut) |
| Smart Routing | A* pathfinding around node bodies with route caching and 50ms timeout |
| Wire Effects | Glow with pulse, animated bubbles, crossing symbols (Gap/Arc/Circle) |
| Wire Labels | Inline text annotations with auto-labels for Get/Set variables |
| Wire Ribbons | Parallel stacking for multiple connections between nodes |
| Node Theming | Header tint, body opacity, corner radius, pin shapes, comment box styling |
| Graph Minimap | Picture-in-picture overlay with click-to-navigate at ~10fps |
| Execution Heatmap | Real-time wire color gradient via Blueprint Profiler (zero overhead when inactive) |
| Graph Profiles | Independent settings for 12+ graph types (Blueprint, Material, Niagara, etc.) |
| Presets | 5 built-in presets, save/export/import .ultrawire JSON files |
| Team Sharing | Project-level DefaultUltraWire.ini for team-wide visual standards |
| Architecture | 6 editor-only modules, 20+ C++ classes, zero runtime overhead |
| Hot Reload | All changes apply instantly without editor restart |
How It Works
UltraWire registers custom wire drawing factories for each graph editor type. When wires are drawn:
- Route Computation -- Geometry engine or A* router computes the wire path
- Geometry Generation -- Path points are converted to drawable segments with corner rounding and ribbon offsets
- Style Application -- Wire colors, thickness, and heatmap modulation are applied
- Effects Pass -- Glow, bubbles, labels, and crossing symbols are rendered
The node theming engine modifies Slate styles to customize node appearance. All original styles are snapshotted and restored when theming is disabled.
Quick Start
- Install the plugin via Fab or copy to your
Plugins/directory - Open Edit > Editor Preferences > Plugins > UltraWire
- Select a Built-in Preset (try "Neon Cyberpunk" for a dramatic demo)
- Open any Blueprint graph -- your wires will immediately render with the new style
Modules
| Module | Purpose |
|---|---|
| UltraWireCore | Shared types, settings system, preset I/O, JSON serialization |
| UltraWireRenderer | Drawing policies, geometry engine, A* routing, effects renderers |
| UltraWireTheme | Node theming engine, Slate style overrides, preset definitions |
| UltraWireMinimap | Minimap Slate widget, topology caching, click-to-navigate |
| UltraWireProfiler | Blueprint profiler heatmap bridge, execution data normalization |
| UltraWireSettings | Editor Preferences UI, detail customization, preset browser |
Next Steps
- Getting Started -- Install the plugin and apply your first preset
- Wire Routing -- Routing styles, corners, ribbons, and smart A* routing
- Wire Effects -- Glow, bubbles, crossings, and labels
- Node Theming -- Customize node appearance and pin shapes
- Minimap & Heatmap -- Graph navigation and performance visualization
- Presets -- Built-in presets, custom presets, and team collaboration
- Settings Reference -- Complete reference for all settings