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Version: 0.7.1

Editor Development Overview

This section is for developers who want to improve or extend the Untold Editor.

The editor is a separate application built on top of Untold Engine.

What You’ll Work On​

In this section, you’ll learn how to:

  • Understand the editor architecture
  • Add or modify editor views
  • Improve workflows and tooling
  • Integrate editor features with the engine

Editor development focuses on usability and tooling, not gameplay.

Installing the Editor for Development​

Working on the editor requires installing Untold Editor via the command line and running it from source.

For editor development, clone this repository:

git clone https://github.com/untoldengine/UntoldEditor.git
cd UntoldEditor

The Editor is a Swift Package with an executable target named UntoldEditor. It declares a dependency on the Untold Engine package; Xcode/SwiftPM will resolve it automatically.

Open in Xcode​

  1. Open Xcode → File ▸ Open → select the Package.swift in this repo
  2. Xcode will create a workspace view for the package
  3. Choose the UntoldEditor scheme → Run

Build & run via CLI​

If you prefer working with the terminal, you can build and run the Editor as follows:

swift build
swift run UntoldEditor

Pinning the Engine Dependency​

By default, this repo pins Untold Engine to a released version. If you want the latest engine changes:

Option A — Xcode UI​

  • In the project navigator: Package Dependencies → UntoldEngine
  • Set Dependency Rule to Branch and type develop

Option B — Edit Package.swift​

.dependencies = [
    .package(url: "https://github.com/untoldengine/UntoldEngine.git", branch: "develop")
]

Then reload packages:

xcodebuild -resolvePackageDependencies
# or in Xcode: File ▸ Packages ▸ Resolve Package Versions

The editor can be developed independently of game projects.

🕹 Using the Editor​

  1. Create / Open a Project – Use the start screen or File menu
  2. Set Asset Folder – Choose an external directory for your project’s assets
  3. Import Assets – Drag files in or use the Asset Browser “+”
  4. Build Your Scene – Create entities, add components, use gizmos to position
  5. Play Mode – Toggle to simulate and validate behavior
  6. Save / Load – Save project and scene files; reopen later to continue

💡 Why an external asset folder?
It enables runtime importing and iteration without copying everything into the app bundle.

Editor Architecture​

The Untold Editor is structured around:

  • Independent views
  • Shared engine state
  • Explicit data flow between UI and engine
  • Minimal magic

Understanding the editor architecture is key before adding features.

You can start with:

Editor Development → Architecture

Editor Views and Interaction​

The editor is composed of views such as:

  • Scene View
  • Inspector
  • Asset Browser
  • Scene Hierarchy
  • Code Editor (note: USC scripts are authored in Xcode; the editor does not include a built-in USC script editor)

Each view is designed to be modular and replaceable.

Who This Section Is Not For​

This section is not intended for:

  • Game developers building gameplay
  • Engine developers working on core systems
  • Users looking to learn the editor UI

If you want to use the editor, see:

Game Development → Using the Editor