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Rite Media Plugin for UE4.27 — Requires C++ Project and Manual Recompile

Summary

Unlike UE5 (which handles plugin compilation automatically), the Rite Media LiveLink plugin in UE4.27 requires a C++ project to compile correctly. Adding the plugin to a Blueprints-only project will fail with a compilation error. The solution is to convert the project to C++ first (File → New C++ Class is enough to enable the C++ build pipeline), then add the plugin and compile. This is a one-time setup step — once the project is C++ and the plugin is compiled, it works like any other plugin.

Symptoms

  • Adding the Rite Media plugin to a UE4.27 Blueprints project fails with compilation errors.
  • "Plugin failed to compile" error when opening the project after adding the plugin.
  • Error messages referencing missing .sln file or Visual Studio project.
  • Plugin works in UE5 but not UE4.27 with the same project type.

Community Guidance

[RESOLVED] Convert Blueprints Project to C++ First

Community — 2022

The Rite Media plugin contains C++ source code that must be compiled against the UE4.27 engine source. Blueprints-only projects do not have the C++ build pipeline configured.

Steps to add C++ support and compile the plugin:

  1. In UE4.27, open the project that needs the plugin.
  2. Go to File → New C++ Class and create any simple class (e.g., an empty Actor). This is just to initialise the C++ build system — the class itself is not used.
  3. UE will prompt to reopen the project with Visual Studio. Allow it.
  4. Visual Studio 2019 (recommended for UE4.27) must be installed.
  5. After the C++ project opens, close UE4.27.
  6. Copy the Rite Media plugin folder to YourProject/Plugins/ (create the folder if needed).
  7. Right-click the .uproject file → Generate Visual Studio project files.
  8. Open the generated .sln file in Visual Studio.
  9. Build the project (Ctrl+Shift+B or Build → Build Solution).
  10. After successful build, open the project in UE4.27.
  11. The plugin should now be available in the Plugins browser and ready to use.

confidence_score: 0.90

[INFORMATIONAL] Visual Studio Version Requirements for UE4.27

Community

UE4.27 requires Visual Studio 2019 (with the "Game development with C++" workload). Visual Studio 2022 can cause compilation errors with UE4. Ensure VS2019 is installed before attempting to compile the plugin.

confidence_score: 0.88

[INFORMATIONAL] UE5 Eliminates This Step Entirely

Community

UE5 handles plugin compilation automatically when a project is opened — no manual C++ setup or Visual Studio compilation required. If you have the option to use UE5 rather than UE4.27, the plugin installation is significantly simpler. See Rite Media Plugin for UE5.

confidence_score: 0.93

Official Documentation

Rite Media LiveLink Plugin — GitHub