Dependency Explorer

Module: Tech · Category: Workflow · Tool ID: DependencyExplorer

Builds a project-wide reverse-dependency index, then reports for any target asset: direct dependencies (what it references), direct dependents (what references it), transitive dependents (what references it indirectly), type breakdown, circular dependency detection, and a blast-radius risk score for deletion impact assessment.

Explorer with target asset analyzed, three lists visible (Dependencies / Direct Dependents / Transitive), risk level callout.

When to use it

• “Can I delete this asset safely?”: see who references it before committing
• Refactoring shared assets: knowing the blast radius of a rename or move
• Finding circular dependency chains that prevent cooking
• Auditing how widely a master material or shared Blueprint is used

What it isn’t for

• Don’t expect runtime reference tracking. It’s asset-registry-based.
• Don’t use this for code-level analysis. Only UObject references.

Opening the tool

1. Open the EQLabs Hub and search for Dependency (or browse to Tech → Workflow).
2. Click the tool card.
3. Click Build Index (one-time, takes a moment on large projects).
4. Drop a target asset, click Analyze.

Interface tour

Section	What it does
Build Index	Walks every asset to build the reverse index
Indexed Asset / Edge Counts	Stats about the built index
Target Asset picker	Asset to analyze
Use Selected	Picks the currently-selected Content Browser asset
Analyze	Computes deps + dependents + risk
Risk Level	Low / Medium / High / Critical based on blast radius
Direct Dependencies list	What the target references
Direct Dependents list	What references the target
Transitive Dependents list	Full transitive closure (what would be affected by deletion)
Type Breakdown	Per-asset-type counts of dependents
Circular Chains	Detected circular dependency loops
Copy Results / Export Manifest	Output

Risk levels

Level	Meaning
Low	0–5 dependents — usually safe to delete
Medium	6–25 — review before deletion
High	26–100 — significant rework if deleted
Critical	100+ — shared infrastructure, deletion breaks the project

Analysis complete, "Critical" risk level visible with 200+ transitive dependents listed.

Workflow

Pre-deletion safety check

1. Build the index (once per session).
2. Drop the asset you want to delete into the picker.
3. Click Analyze.
4. Read the Risk Level + dependents list.
5. Decide: safe to delete / needs rework / leave alone.

Find circular deps

1. Build index.
2. Run analyze on suspected asset.
3. Circular Chains list populates if any are found.

Settings reference

Field	Default
Target Asset	empty

Settings file: [Project]/Saved/EQLabs/Settings/DependencyExplorer.json

Output

• In-panel results. Three lists, type breakdown, circular chains.
• Clipboard. Copy Results.
• JSON manifest. Export Manifest writes a full dependency report.
• No edits. Read-only.

Tips and gotchas

• Build Index can take 30s+ on large projects. Only needs to run once per session.
• Circular dependencies often block cooking. Fix them before shipping.
• Risk level is heuristic. A Low-risk asset can still break the project if it’s a critical Blueprint base class.

Related tools

• Material & Asset Browser — for asset browsing
• Plugin Dependency Viewer — plugin-level dependency analysis