This page introduces common parts of the Unreal Engine 5 interface and explains their functions, with links to further reading. Panels, menu bars, and similar elements generally behave consistently across the engine. Learn their purpose, especially if you are new to developing games or applications with Unreal Engine.
When Unreal Engine 5 first opens, it opens the Level Editor . You will see this window:
The default Unreal Editor interface in Unreal Engine 5. Click for full size.
| Number | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Menu Bar | Access editor-specific commands and functions. |
| 2 | Main Toolbar | Shortcuts to common tools and editors, along with Play mode for running the game inside Unreal Editor and deployment to other platforms. |
| 3 | Level Viewport | Displays the level's cameras, Actors, Static Meshes, and other content. |
| 4 | Button: Content Drawer | Opens the “ Content Drawer ” to access project assets. |
| 5 | Bottom Toolbar | Shortcuts to the Command Console, Output Log, and Derived Data, plus source-control status. |
| 6 | Outliner | A hierarchical tree of the level's contents. |
| 7 | Panel: Details | Appears when an Actor is selected, showing properties such as transform (position in the level), Static Mesh, materials, and physics. Available settings depend on the selected item. |
Menu Bar #
Each Unreal Engine editor has a menu bar at the upper-right of its window on Windows or the top of the screen on macOS. Menus such as File , Window , and Help appear in every editor , not only the Level Editor. Other menus are editor-specific.
Main Toolbar #
The Main Toolbar contains shortcuts to common tools and commands, divided into:
1. Save Button #
Saves the open level.
2. Mode Selection #
Switches between content-editing modes:
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Select Editing
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Landscape Editing
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Foliage Editing
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Mesh Paint
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Fracture Editing
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Brush Editing
3. Content Shortcuts #
Adds and opens common content in the Level Editor.
| Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|
| Create | Choose common assets to add to the level. This menu also opens Place Actors panels. |
| Blueprints | Create and access Blueprints. |
| Cinematics | Create a Level Sequence or cinematic Master Sequence. |
4. Play Mode Controls #
Play, Skip, Stop, and Eject shortcuts for running the game in the editor.
5. Platforms Menu #
Configure, prepare, and deploy projects to desktop, mobile, consoles, and other platforms.
6. Settings #
Settings for Unreal Editor, the Level Editor Viewport, and game behavior.
Level Viewport #
The Level Viewport shows the open level. When a project opens, its default level appears here. View and edit your active level, whether it is a game environment, product visualization, or another experience.
The Level Viewport generally has two view types:
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Perspective , a navigable 3D view for inspecting content from different angles.
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Ortographic , a 2D view looking along a principal axis (X, Y, or Z).
Level Viewport views in UE5. Top: perspective. Bottom: top-down orthographic. Click for full size.
See the pages below for more about the Level Viewport.
Content Drawer / Content Browser #
Content Browser is a file-explorer-style window for assets, Blueprints, and other project files. Browse content, drag assets into levels, migrate assets between projects, and more.
The Content Browser in Unreal Engine 5.
The Content Drawer button at the lower-left opens a special Content Browser instance that minimizes when it loses focus. To keep it open, click Dock in Layout in its upper-right corner. This creates another Content Browser instance while leaving the Content Drawer available.
Bottom Toolbar #
The Bottom Toolbar provides Command Console, Output Log, Derived Data, and source-control status:
| Number | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Output Log | A debugging tool that prints useful information while the application runs. |
| 2 | Command Console | A command-line interface for triggering editor behavior with console commands.
Type |
| 3 | Derived Data | Provides Derived Data functionality. |
| 4 | Source-Control Status | Shows status when the project uses source control, such as GitHub or Perforce. Otherwise, it displays Source Control Off . |
Outliner #
The Outliner panel, formerly World Outliner, displays level content in a hierarchy. It is in the upper-right by default.
Use the Outliner to:
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Hide or reveal Actors using their eye buttons.
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Open an Actor's context menu by right-clicking it, then perform Actor-specific operations.
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Create, move, and delete folders.
Details Panel #
Selecting an Actor in the Level Viewport displays its settings and properties in Details. By default, the panel is on the right below World Outliner .
This example shows the Details panel for a cube Static Mesh Actor. With the cube selected, Details is docked on the right. Click for full size.
Source: https://docs.unrealengine.com/5.0/en-US/unreal-editor-interface/
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