Unreal Engine Plugin
Movie Render Queue integration for real-time monitoring
Overview
The RenderBuddy Unreal Engine plugin integrates directly with Movie Render Queue (MRQ) to provide real-time render monitoring, live preview frames, and remote control capabilities.
MRQ Integration
Deep integration with Movie Render Queue for accurate progress tracking
Live Preview
See render frames in real-time on your mobile device
Telemetry
CPU, GPU, VRAM usage and render statistics
Remote Control
Cancel renders remotely from your phone
Supported Versions
Installation
Download the Plugin
Download the RenderBuddy plugin for your Unreal Engine version from the Downloads page.
Extract to Plugins Folder
Extract the ZIP file to your project's Plugins folder, or to the engine's
Plugins/Marketplace folder for global access.
YourProject/Plugins/RenderBuddy/
Enable the Plugin
Open Unreal Engine, go to Edit → Plugins, search for "RenderBuddy" and enable it. Restart the editor when prompted.
Verify Connection
Once enabled, the plugin will automatically connect to the RenderBuddy Agent. Look for "RenderBuddy: Connected" in the Output Log.
Using with Movie Render Queue
Add RenderBuddy Setting
In your MRQ job settings, click + Setting and add "RenderBuddy Reporter" from the list.
Configure Options
Configure preview capture interval, quality settings, and notification preferences.
Start Rendering
Queue your render job as usual. RenderBuddy will automatically start sending telemetry to your mobile device.
Features
Live Preview Frames
RenderBuddy captures preview frames directly from MRQ's preview texture and sends them to your phone in real-time. Frames are compressed to JPEG for fast transmission.
Real-time Telemetry
Monitor your workstation's performance while rendering:
- CPU and GPU usage
- VRAM consumption
- Current frame / total frames
- Estimated time remaining (ETA)
- Elapsed render time
- Render pass information
Shot Progress Tracking
For sequences with multiple camera shots, RenderBuddy tracks each shot individually:
- Current shot name and camera
- Per-shot frame progress
- Shot-level ETA calculations
- Total sequence progress
Black Frame Detection
Automatically detects when your render produces black frames - a sign of lighting issues, missing assets, or configuration problems. Get alerted immediately so you can fix issues before wasting hours of render time.
- Consecutive frame analysis
- Smart filtering to avoid false positives on dark scenes
- Push notification alerts
Push Notifications
Get notified instantly when:
- Render starts
- Render completes successfully
- Render encounters an error
- Black frames are detected
- Machine goes offline unexpectedly
Remote Control
Control your renders from anywhere in the world:
- Cancel active renders
- Request manual preview frame capture
- Start renders remotely (from saved presets)
- View output directory
Job History
Keep track of all your renders with detailed job history:
- Render duration and frame count
- Output resolution and format
- Anti-aliasing settings used
- Completion status and any errors
MRQ Settings Capture
The plugin captures and displays your MRQ job settings:
- Output resolution (width × height)
- Output directory and filename format
- Frame rate configuration
- Anti-aliasing method and sample counts
- Sequence and level information
Troubleshooting
Plugin not showing in Plugin Manager
Ensure you downloaded the correct version for your Unreal Engine. Check that the folder
structure is Plugins/RenderBuddy/RenderBuddy.uplugin.
"RenderBuddy: Agent not found" in Output Log
Make sure the RenderBuddy Agent is running on your machine. The plugin communicates with the Agent via local UDP on port 5555.
No preview frames appearing
Ensure "RenderBuddy Reporter" is added to your MRQ job settings. Preview frames are only captured during active MRQ renders.
Telemetry shows 0% progress
Progress is reported per-shot. Check that your sequence is properly configured in MRQ with defined frame ranges.