Tools and plugins
Lists the standalone authoring tools and Unreal editor plugins in the Dousen family, whether each one is free or paid, and how to use them with the Dousen platform.
Each tool does one authoring job and works on its own. Use it with the Dousen platform when you also want naming conventions, Jira tasks, Perforce changelists, and Publish history. For the DCC panels and Unreal plugin that DousenDesktop bundles, see DCC addons and Unreal Engine.
Choose and try a standalone tool
- Find your authoring task and host in the tables below.
- Install the build for your host or engine version in a test environment, following the tool’s install instructions.
- On a copy of a test file, run the tool’s authoring and export workflow before you connect it to Dousen.
Free authoring tools
These tools are free and work without a Dousen account, because their core authoring functions don’t need the studio server. You can still publish what they produce through Dousen.
| Tool | Use it for | Initial host |
|---|---|---|
| DousenClips | Authoring and exporting game-animation clips. | Maya |
| DousenBakeSet | Preparing repeatable high/low bake sets. | Maya |
| DousenSockets | Authoring Unreal sockets and collision. | Maya |
| DousenMorphs | Inspecting and managing morph targets. | Maya |
| DousenTexel | Measuring and normalizing texel density. | Maya |
| DousenMaterials | Aligning Substance outputs with Unreal. | Substance Painter |
| DousenRetarget | Diagnosing and preparing animation retargeting. | Maya |
Using authoring tools with the platform
- Configure the project naming conventions for the asset.
- Launch the host through DousenDesktop with the right project and task.
- Author the asset and check it with the tool’s own workflow.
- In the Publish tab, check the instances you want to publish, and check each one’s type and destination.
- Validate and publish, then confirm the result in DousenDesktop’s Publish history. See Publishing assets.
For example, in Maya the Publish tab lists each DousenClips clip as an instance next to the scene’s other instances. Check only the clips you want to export. See What becomes an instance?
Standalone Unreal plugins
| Plugin | Purpose | Model |
|---|---|---|
| DousenGraphKit | Procedural generators and filters for Texture Graph. | Free |
| DousenActorProfiles | Stores default actor settings in any placeable asset and applies them to placed actors without overwriting per-actor overrides. | Paid |
| DousenWorldDiff | Shows what changed in a World Partition or One File Per Actor world, property by property. | Paid |
| DousenMaterialMigrator | Migrates Material Instance hierarchies to a changed master material and keeps intentional overrides. | Paid |
| DousenCookLens | Explains what went into a cooked build, what it costs, and what changed between builds. | Paid |
Each plugin has its own licensing. DousenActorProfiles has no restricted free edition. These plugins are separate from DousenUE, the platform integration plugin, and enabling DousenUE doesn’t install any of them.
Get the right build
Each tool and plugin has its own releases and compatibility. The Desktop download installs only the platform client, without them. During the studio beta, to get a build or compatibility details, contact the Dousen team with the product name and your host or engine version.