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name: ue-mcp-niagara description: Use when authoring Niagara VFX systems via ue-mcp - creating systems and emitters, adding renderers, setting module inputs and static switches, building HLSL modules, and batching operations. Pulls in any time the user asks for a particle system, VFX, Niagara emitter, or motion matching cost visualization.

ue-mcp Niagara authoring

The niagara tool covers systems, emitters, modules, renderers, and HLSL authoring.

Create and inspect

• niagara(action="create", name, packagePath?) - stand up a blank UNiagaraSystem.
• niagara(action="create_system_from_spec", name, packagePath?, emitters=[{path}]) - declaratively create a system with emitters in one call.
• niagara(action="list_emitters", systemPath) / niagara(action="get_info", assetPath) - inspect shape.
• niagara(action="inspect_data_interfaces", systemPath) - enumerate user-scope data interfaces.
• niagara(action="list_system_parameters", systemPath) - user-exposed parameters (with isDataInterface flag).

Renderers

• niagara(action="list_renderers", systemPath, emitterName?) - current renderer stack.
• niagara(action="add_renderer", systemPath, rendererType="sprite"|"mesh"|"ribbon", emitterName?) - or pass a full class name.
• niagara(action="set_renderer_property", systemPath, rendererIndex, propertyName, value, emitterName?) - bool / numeric / string properties via reflection.
• niagara(action="remove_renderer", systemPath, rendererIndex, emitterName?).

Module inputs + static switches (v0.7.14)

• niagara(action="list_module_inputs", systemPath, emitterName?, stackContext?) - walks every module in the ParticleSpawn / ParticleUpdate / EmitterSpawn / EmitterUpdate script stacks, reports input + output pins (name, type, default, linked-state).
• niagara(action="set_module_input", systemPath, moduleName, inputName, value, emitterName?, stackContext?) - writes a literal default on the module's function-call input pin. Limitation: inputs already overridden via the stack editor's override-map node aren't touched by this path. Clear the override in-editor if the write doesn't take effect.
• niagara(action="list_static_switches", systemPath, moduleName?, emitterName?, stackContext?) - uses UNiagaraGraph::FindStaticSwitchInputs on each module's function script, cross-referenced against pins on the calling node.
• niagara(action="set_static_switch", systemPath, moduleName, switchName, value, emitterName?, stackContext?) - format the value per the switch type: "true"/"false" for bool, integer literal for int/byte/enum.

HLSL module authoring (v0.7.14)

• niagara(action="create_module_from_hlsl", name, hlsl, packagePath?) - creates a UNiagaraScript module and injects a UNiagaraNodeCustomHlsl carrying the supplied HLSL body. Pin signatures are re-parsed from the HLSL body the first time the asset is opened.
• niagara(action="get_compiled_hlsl", systemPath, emitterName?) - introspect the GPU compute script for a system's emitter.

Batching (v0.7.14)

• niagara(action="batch", ops=[{action, params}]) - run a sequence of niagara sub-actions fail-fast in order. Returns per-step results plus stoppedAt (null on full success, index of the first failure otherwise). Nested batches are rejected.

Typical authoring flow

1. Create the system + emitters (create_system_from_spec or step-by-step).
2. Inspect the stack: list_module_inputs to see what you're working with.
3. Tune: set_module_input / set_static_switch for literal values; set_renderer_property for visual output.
4. For custom HLSL behavior: create_module_from_hlsl to produce a reusable module, then add_emitter / reference it from your stack.
5. Optional: wrap a long sequence in batch so a mid-sequence failure gets reported as a single result.

Pitfalls

• Emitter references are version-pinned. When using create_system_from_spec, the handler uses the source emitter's current exposed version - save the emitter first if you've been editing it.
• set_emitter_property uses reflection on FVersionedNiagaraEmitterData. Not all properties are writable this way (some require the stack editor's validators). If success: false, the response lists available properties so you can pick the right one.
• GPU emitters expose get_compiled_hlsl results only when simTarget == GPU. CPU emitters return a note explaining no HLSL is available.