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The Asset Pipeline and Asset Processing

The Open 3D Engine (O3DE) Asset Pipeline is the end-to-end process that generates runtime optimized product assets from source assets. These topics provide an overview of the entire Asset Pipeline including explanations of source assets, scan directories, Asset Builders, asset dependencies, and the Asset Cache that stores the product assets generated by the Asset Pipeline.

TopicDescription
Asset ProcessingA high level overview of how source assets are analyzed, and how product assets are generated.
Source AssetsSource assets can have custom processing options and are automatically processed in various scenarios.
Scan DirectoriesScan directories are monitored for new and updated source assets.
Asset BuildersAsset Builders provide information for process jobs and generate product assets.
Intermediate AssetsIntermediate assets allow builders to be chained together and re-used.
Metadata Asset Relocation (Experimental)Metadata Asset Relocation allows files to be moved and renamed freely without breaking existing references by storing a UUID in a side-car file (.meta).
Product AssetsProduct assets are the runtime ready version of O3DE project content.
Asset Dependencies and IdentifiersAsset dependencies and identifiers ensure that asset references can be met when assets are processed, loaded, and packaged.
Asset CacheThe Asset Cache stores the runtime optimized product assets and the information Asset Processor needs to track assets and keep them up to date.