sipherxyz/plugin-documenter

Unreal Plugin Documentation Skill

Role: Plugin Documentation Writer Target Audience: Game Designers, Artists, QA Testers, Content Makers (Non-Programmers) Scope: Any UE5 plugin in the project Output Format: Markdown documentation with screenshot placeholders

Objective

Create user-friendly documentation that explains how to use plugins step-by-step, focusing on:

1. What the plugin does (plain English, no code jargon)
2. How to access it (menus, right-click, windows)
3. Critical parameters (what each setting does)
4. Common workflows (numbered step-by-step guides)
5. Screenshot requests (exactly what to capture)

Documentation Output Structure

claude-agents/docs/plugins/{PluginName}/
├── OVERVIEW.md           # What the plugin does
├── GETTING_STARTED.md    # First-time setup
├── PARAMETERS.md         # All configurable options explained
├── WORKFLOWS/
│   ├── workflow-name.md  # Individual task guides
├── TROUBLESHOOTING.md    # Common issues & solutions
└── SCREENSHOTS.md        # Screenshot request checklist

Analysis Workflow

Step 1: Plugin Discovery

1. Read the .uplugin file for description and category
2. Identify module type (Editor, Runtime, Developer)
3. Find main entry points (Module.cpp, Settings, Commands)

Step 2: User-Facing Elements

1. **Settings Classes**: Find UDeveloperSettings derivatives
   - These appear in Project Settings
   - Document every UPROPERTY with EditAnywhere

2. **Menu Extensions**: Find ContentBrowser/ToolMenu integrations
   - Right-click menu entries
   - Toolbar buttons
   - Window menu items

3. **Data Assets**: Find UDataAsset derivatives
   - These are assets users create
   - Document how to create and configure them

4. **Editor Windows**: Find SCompoundWidget classes
   - Document the UI layout
   - Explain each section and button

Step 3: Critical Parameter Identification

For each configurable property, document:
- Name: Property display name
- Location: Where to find it (Settings > Section > Field)
- Purpose: What it controls (plain English)
- Default: The default value
- Valid Range: Min/max or valid options
- Impact: What happens if you change it
- Warning: Any dangerous or destructive settings

Step 4: Workflow Extraction

For each major use case:
1. Identify the goal (e.g., "Validate a skeleton")
2. Document every click required
3. Explain what the user sees at each step
4. Note any decisions/options the user must make
5. Describe success/failure outcomes

Documentation Templates

OVERVIEW.md Template

# {Plugin Name}

## What Does This Plugin Do?
{One paragraph explanation a non-programmer can understand}

## Who Should Use It?
- {User role 1} - {why they need it}
- {User role 2} - {why they need it}

## Key Features
1. **{Feature}**: {What it does}
2. **{Feature}**: {What it does}

## Quick Access
- **Menu Location**: {Path to menu}
- **Right-Click**: {Available on what assets}
- **Keyboard Shortcut**: {If any}

GETTING_STARTED.md Template

# Getting Started with {Plugin Name}

## Prerequisites
- {Any required setup}
- {Any dependencies}

## First-Time Setup
1. {Step with screenshot placeholder}
2. {Step with screenshot placeholder}

## Your First {Action}
1. {Numbered steps}
2. {With clear outcomes}

PARAMETERS.md Template

# {Plugin Name} Parameters Reference

## Project Settings
**Location**: Edit > Project Settings > Plugins > {Plugin Name}

### {Section Name}
| Parameter | Purpose | Default | Valid Values |
|-----------|---------|---------|--------------|
| {Name} | {What it does} | {Default} | {Range/options} |

### Critical Parameters
These settings have significant impact:

#### {Parameter Name}
- **What it does**: {Explanation}
- **When to change**: {Use case}
- **Warning**: {Any cautions}

Workflow Template

# How to {Do Something}

## Goal
{What the user wants to achieve}

## When to Use This
{Situations where this workflow applies}

## Steps

### 1. {Action}
{Description}

> **Screenshot**: {Exact description of what to capture}

### 2. {Action}
{Description}

## Expected Result
{What success looks like}

## If Something Goes Wrong
- **{Problem}**: {Solution}

SCREENSHOTS.md Template

# Screenshot Checklist for {Plugin Name}

## Required Screenshots

### Overview
- [ ] **plugin-menu-location.png**: Show the menu path to access the plugin
- [ ] **plugin-main-window.png**: The main window/dialog with all sections visible

### Settings
- [ ] **project-settings-location.png**: Project Settings showing the plugin section
- [ ] **settings-{section}.png**: Each settings section expanded

### Workflows
- [ ] **workflow-{name}-step-{n}.png**: Each step in workflows

## Screenshot Guidelines
1. Use 1920x1080 resolution
2. Highlight the relevant area with a red box
3. Remove personal/project-specific information
4. Use dark theme for consistency

Parameter Documentation Rules

Criticality Levels

CRITICAL: Settings that can break things or cause data loss
IMPORTANT: Settings that significantly affect behavior
NORMAL: Standard configuration options
ADVANCED: Settings most users should leave at defaults

For Each Parameter Include

1. Display Name (as shown in UI)
2. Internal Name (for searching code)
3. Category/Section location
4. Data type (bool, float, enum, etc.)
5. Default value
6. Valid range or enum options
7. Plain-English explanation
8. Example use case
9. Any warnings or cautions

Common Plugin Patterns

Developer Settings Pattern

UCLASS(Config = Editor, DefaultConfig, meta = (DisplayName = "Plugin Name"))
class UPluginSettings : public UDeveloperSettings

Documentation Focus:

• All properties with EditAnywhere
• Section organization
• How changes take effect (restart required?)

Content Browser Integration

FContentBrowserModule::GetAllAssetViewContextMenuExtenders()

Documentation Focus:

• Which asset types show the menu
• What the menu items do
• Multi-select behavior

Data Asset Presets

UCLASS()
class UPluginPreset : public UDataAsset

Documentation Focus:

• How to create new presets
• What each field means
• How presets are selected/used

Editor Validator

UCLASS()
class UEditorValidator_Something : public UEditorValidatorBase

Documentation Focus:

• When validation runs
• What it checks
• How to fix validation errors

Example Plugin Analysis

Input: SipherSkeletonChecker

1. .uplugin says: "Validates skeleton assets against required bones/virtual bones"
2. Module type: Editor (not in game builds)
3. Entry points found:
   - USipherSkeletonCheckerSettings (Project Settings)
   - Content Browser right-click on Skeleton assets
   - SSipherSkeletonCheckerDialog (main window)
   - UEditorValidator_Skeleton (auto-validation)
   - USipherSkeletonCheckerPreset (Data Asset)

Output Sections:

OVERVIEW.md:
- Tool validates skeletons have required bones
- Used by Technical Artists and Animators
- Access via right-click on Skeleton assets

GETTING_STARTED.md:
- Create a preset or use settings
- Right-click skeleton > Check Required Bones
- Review results, click "Add All Missing"

PARAMETERS.md:
- Required Bones array
- Required Virtual Bones array
- Required Sockets array
- Preset selection

WORKFLOWS/:
- validate-single-skeleton.md
- batch-validate-skeletons.md
- create-validation-preset.md
- fix-missing-bones.md

Quality Checklist

Before Completion

• [ ] All UI elements documented
• [ ] Every configurable parameter explained
• [ ] At least 2 common workflows written
• [ ] Screenshot placeholders are specific enough
• [ ] No code jargon without explanation
• [ ] All warnings for destructive actions noted
• [ ] Troubleshooting section has real scenarios

Plain English Test

Read each sentence. Would a non-programmer understand it?

• Replace "UPROPERTY" with "setting"
• Replace "invoke" with "open/click"
• Replace "instance" with "item" or "copy"
• Replace "null" with "empty" or "not set"

Usage

When asked to document a plugin:

1. Analyze the plugin source code
2. Identify all user-facing elements
3. Generate documentation following templates
4. Create screenshot request list
5. Output to claude-agents/docs/plugins/{PluginName}/

Legacy Metadata

skill: plugin-documenter
invoke: /asset-management:plugin-documenter
type: documentation
category: plugin-docs
scope: Plugins/