metaverseDubai/docs/setup/UE5_DISK_SPACE_OPTIMIZATION.md

Unreal Engine 5.4.1 Disk Space Optimization Guide

Overview

This guide explains how the installation script reduces disk space requirements from ~100GB+ to approximately ~300GB (1/3 of 926GB available).

Optimization Strategies

1. Shallow Git Clone

• Method: Using --depth=1 flag
• Savings: Reduces repository size from ~15GB to ~10GB
• Trade-off: Cannot access full git history (not needed for building)

2. Build Only Development Editor

• Method: Building only UnrealEditor target (Development configuration)
• Savings: ~50-70GB (skips Shipping builds, all platform builds, templates)
• Command: make -j4 UnrealEditor
• Trade-off: Cannot package Shipping builds without rebuilding

3. Limited CPU Cores

• Method: Using 4 cores instead of all available cores
• Benefit: Reduces memory usage, prevents system overload
• Build Time: 4-6+ hours (vs 2-4 hours with all cores)
• Command: make -j4 UnrealEditor

4. Cleanup Intermediate Files

• Method: Removing .o, .obj, .d, .pch files after build
• Savings: ~20-30GB
• Location: Engine/Intermediate/

5. Skip Optional Components

• Not Built:
  • Shipping builds
  • All platform builds (only Linux)
  • Project templates
  • Sample projects
  • Documentation builds
  • Additional tools (only Editor)

Disk Space Breakdown

Typical Installation Sizes

Component	Full Build	Optimized Build
Source code	~10GB	~10GB
Dependencies	~20GB	~20GB
Development Editor	~40GB	~40GB
Shipping builds	~30GB	0GB (skipped)
Templates/Samples	~15GB	0GB (skipped)
Intermediate files	~30GB	~10GB (cleaned)
Total	~145GB	~80GB

Additional Space Considerations

• Project files: ~5-10GB per project
• Cooked content: ~10-20GB per project
• Derived data cache: ~5-10GB
• Total with project: ~100-110GB

Configuration Options

Change CPU Cores

Edit scripts/install_ue5_5.4.1.sh:

# Find this line (around line 170):
NUM_CORES=4

# Change to desired number:
NUM_CORES=8  # Use 8 cores
NUM_CORES=2  # Use 2 cores (slower but less memory)

Build Additional Targets

If you need Shipping builds later:

cd ~/UnrealEngine
make -j4 UnrealEditor-Linux-Shipping

Build Templates (Optional)

If you need project templates:

cd ~/UnrealEngine
make -j4 UnrealEditor UnrealGame

Further Disk Space Reduction

1. Remove Source After Build (Advanced)

Warning: This prevents rebuilding from source. Only do this if you're certain you won't need to rebuild.

# After successful build, remove source files
cd ~/UnrealEngine
rm -rf Engine/Source/Editor
rm -rf Engine/Source/Developer
# Keep Engine/Source/Runtime for runtime features

Savings: ~5-10GB Risk: Cannot rebuild without re-cloning

2. Use Symbolic Links for Projects

Store projects on a different drive and use symbolic links:

# Create project on larger drive
mkdir /mnt/d/Projects/DubaiMetaverse
ln -s /mnt/d/Projects/DubaiMetaverse ~/Projects/DubaiMetaverse

3. Clean Derived Data Cache Periodically

# Remove Unreal Engine derived data cache
rm -rf ~/.config/Epic/UnrealEngine/5.4/DerivedDataCache

Savings: ~5-10GB Trade-off: Assets will need to be recompiled on next launch

4. Compress Installation Directory

# Create compressed archive (optional, for backup)
cd ~
tar -czf UnrealEngine-5.4.1-backup.tar.gz UnrealEngine/

Monitoring Disk Usage

Check Installation Size

du -sh ~/UnrealEngine

Check Disk Space

df -h ~

Find Large Files

cd ~/UnrealEngine
find . -type f -size +100M -exec ls -lh {} \; | sort -k5 -hr | head -20

Recommended Settings

For Development (Current Setup)

• CPU Cores: 4
• Build Target: Development Editor only
• Disk Space: ~80-100GB
• Build Time: 4-6 hours

For Full Build (If Space Available)

• CPU Cores: 8-16
• Build Target: Development + Shipping
• Disk Space: ~150GB+
• Build Time: 2-4 hours

Troubleshooting

Out of Disk Space During Build

1. Clean intermediate files:

   cd ~/UnrealEngine
   find Engine/Intermediate -type f -name "*.o" -delete
   

2. Reduce parallel jobs:

   # Edit script: change NUM_CORES=4 to NUM_CORES=2
   

3. Build incrementally:

   # Build one module at a time (slower but uses less space)
   make -j1 UnrealEditor
   

Build Fails Due to Memory

• Reduce CPU cores: NUM_CORES=2
• Close other applications
• Add swap space if needed

Summary

The optimized installation uses:

• ✅ ~80-100GB disk space (vs ~150GB+ full build)
• ✅ 4 CPU cores (configurable)
• ✅ Development Editor only (sufficient for development)
• ✅ Automatic cleanup of intermediate files

This provides approximately 1/3 of 926GB usage while maintaining full development capabilities.

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Version: 1.0 Last Updated: 2024