Preparation&&Migration | Unreal Engine - Generic Inventory System

Overview

Before using the Generic Inventory System (GIS), complete the following preparation steps to ensure smooth integration and usage. This section covers enabling plugins, obtaining the companion project, understanding project contents, and migrating to existing projects.

Enabling Plugins

Install and enable GenericInventorySystem. Its descriptor explicitly depends on ModularGameplay. Companion UI or interaction examples may also require GenericGameSystem, CommonUI, GameplayAbilities, Smart Objects, and other referenced dependencies.

Obtaining the Companion Project

Complete purchase verification through Discord to access the companion project, which includes:

Core asset files
Additional assets
Demo content

Note

Please refer to the companion project for learning and usage; its contents are sufficient to understand how GIS operates, so the documentation cannot fully replicate every aspect of GIS functionality.

It’s strongly recommended to study this document alongside the companion project for quick learning.

Understanding Project Contents

The companion project includes the following folder structure:

Folder	Description
GenericGame/Shared	Contains UE5/4 Mannequins assets, simple reusable Blueprints, and free Epic content (subject to Epic’s licensing terms).
GenericGame/CommonSystem	Part of GenericGameSystem, including interaction, camera, effects, and other assets.
GenericGame/InventorySystem/Core	Core GIS assets, which should not be modified as they may be overwritten during updates.
GenericGame/InventorySystem/Extras	GIS UI assets, including reusable Widget Blueprints.
GenericDemo/GIS	Demo Blueprints, characters, and levels for GIS, designed for learning and can be removed during migration.

note

Try to avoid modifying the contents of the GenericDemo folder, as it is intended solely for reference to help you learn and understand usage. If you find the demo content meets your needs, you can copy the entire folder elsewhere and start modifying it.

API Overview

The APIGraph in GIS_Demo illustrates some Blueprint nodes; consult the current plugin's Blueprint nodes and Public headers for the complete API.

The BP_GIS_UnitTester Blueprint includes test cases for various APIs, helping you understand their usage clearly.

Migrating to Your Project

Familiarize yourself with the GIS_Demo project before migrating to an existing project to better select needed components and exclude unnecessary ones. For new projects, you can start directly with GIS_Demo as a foundation.

Migrating Contents

Inspect the selected assets' references and plugin dependencies, then use Unreal's migration tool for the content you need. Shared or demo content may also be required depending on those references; copying a folder alone does not establish that dependencies are complete.

Migrating Tags

Inspect and merge the Gameplay Tag configuration needed by the migrated assets, and check your project's tag import settings. Do not overwrite the destination configuration.

Migrating Settings

Compare companion and destination configurations; merge the settings, input, and tags you need and check the project descriptor for required plugins.

Update Considerations

GIS will receive ongoing updates, with the companion project updated alongside new code releases. The simplest update method is to repeat the migration steps above. However, as GIS evolves, file paths may change, new features may be added, and old ones may be removed. To ease updates, consider:

Treating GenericGame and GenericDemo contents as reference resources, avoiding direct modifications.
GIS Widgets are designed for high reusability; copy them and modify styles as needed.
After an update, check any provided redirects, asset references, and configuration differences and verify the migrated result.

See Companion Project and Example Assets for paths and example entry points.