FAQ

This FAQ contains all your most common questions, and our documentation will further expand on the rest as we improve it. As always, if you're not able to troubleshoot something, please drop a message on our Discord and we'll assist you in no time!

Basics

How to get started?

1. Download Dash with the Download button.

2. Install it and choose your UE versions.

3. Start UE and click the Dash icon located next to the Mode dropdown, and you will see a pop-up where you can request a trial or enter your paid license key.

4. If you want to get a paid license after your trial, you need to go to polygonflow.io again and purchase a license.

5. After purchase, you will see your license key on screen and in an email. Then enter that key into the License Manager inside of Dash. It is located inside the Preferences panel in the main Dash menu.

What type of projects can Dash be used for?

Dash can be used for game development, archviz, environment art, and any other projects you may be doing in Unreal Engine that involve building an environment. Right now, it works best for sections of a larger environment or smaller environments in general, the detailing capabilities, ease of use, and control you get with Dash are unlike anything else out there. And we are, of course, improving it continuously to make sure it works equally well for larger environments.

Manage Your license

If you want to adjust the number of seats, adjust the payment method, or cancel your paid license, you can do that from here: https://polygonflow.onfastspring.com/account

Where to download the latest version?

The latest version of Dash is always available to download from here: https://www.polygonflow.io/download-latest-dash

Does Dash have an API?

We don't have a public-facing API for Dash, though its codebase for creating, querying and editing tools and their data is fairly simple. If you are interested in learning more, send us a message.

Workflow

Can I scatter without using Dash's Content Browser?

Yes. Click on Scatter on the Dash bar to view the scatter tools, then open the tool Surface Scatter. With your terrain/ground actor selected, click on the "+" icon of the Surface property to set your selection as your surface, then do the same for a different actor to set it as your Scatter, and that's about it!

How do I convert Dash's custom mesh type to Static Mesh?

Tools like Road & Terrain create a custom Dash geometry called DashPreviewMeshComponent. While editing in the Dash Tools Panel, you'll notice that such tools have a Bake icon that shows up. Click on it, and you'll be prompted to convert your geometry, which would remove the tool & the custom geometry, and leave you with a static mesh. You can also just type "to static mesh" in the Dash bar with your custom mesh types selected, and the suggested operation will do roughly the same thing.

How do I convert Dash's Instances and break the tool connection?

Our Scatter tools and Physics Paint tool create HISM instances (same as UE foliage or UE PCG) and this means that usually there is no need to convert them to anything else. But if you do want or need to convert them or break the tool connection, there exist a few options:

1. From within the Scatter Tool in question, open the menu and click Delete, which will delete the tool and thus break the connection so you can't edit the result anymore with our tool. But the result will of course exist in the environment. The result is still an HISM. This connection would also be broken if you delete the original mesh you are scattering, or, for example, the spline you have used in a Path Scatter.

2. If you search for Merge Actors in Dash, you can find an action that lets you merge several actors into one actor. Perfect for cases where you have several static meshes and want to combine them into one mesh, for example, if you have used the Dash Physics Drop Tool. To use Merge Actors, simply select the result in the scene and then run the action. This action is also useful for converting an HISM instance (scatter result or physics paint result) into a single static mesh. This also breaks the tool connection so you can't edit it anymore.

3. If you search for Convert to Foliage in Dash, you can find an action that lets you convert your Scatter or Physics paint result (HISM) into UE foliage. This breaks the tool connection and gives you the ability to use the normal foliage tool in UE to paint/delete/add on the result to further customize it. The result is still a HISM but it will respect World partitioning, which could be very good in certain scenarios. And another bonus is that you can replace the scattered objects with blueprints if you want. So if you know you are 100% certain you don't need to adjust the settings in Surface Scatter anymore, doing this conversion is recommended. To use Convert to Foliage, simply select the result in the scene and then run the action.

4. If you search for Bake Instances in Dash, you can find an action that lets you bake your scatter result or your Physics Paint results into individual static meshes. It is a heavy operation but can be useful if you really need to move each object individually as a last step in your scatter process. To use Bake Instances, simply select the result in the scene and then run the action.

5. If you are using the procedural meshes in Dash, Terrain, Vines, Cables etc, it is good to know that you can you can convert these from our custom mesh type to ordinary static meshes by using the action To Static Meshes.

Can I mask my scatter by landscape material layer?

Yes you can! In the tool Surface Scatter, if you scroll down a bit in the properties, you'll notice a group called Landscape Layer Masking. You can give its properties the name of a landscape layer, like let's say "grass", and it'll ensure that your scattered grass is only kept in that layer.

Can I change my pivot with Dash?

That's possible yes! Dash has a few options to set the pivot on the currently selected actors. Go to the Place menu in the Dash bar, then expand the Pivot Tools group, and there you'll be able to set the pivot to the center, top or bottom. Keep in mind, this changes the pivot of the actor, not the asset it's bound to.

Does Dash have a blend material and how does it work?

Yes Dash lets you create a blend material with 3 or 4 materials. Right now, this only works with Megascans materials or Poly Haven from our Content Browser, and it only works on Static Meshes or the Dash Custom Meshes, like our terrain, but of course, we hope to expand this soon! To use it, simply hold SHIFT to select 3 or 4 materials from the Dash Content Browser, hold CTRL and drag them onto your scene, and then release the mouse over your surface and choose Blend Material. This will open the tool and let you fully customize it! P.S. The order you select the materials matters.

How do I sink scattered assets below the ground?

In Surface Scatter and other scatter tools, we have a sink property that lets you move the scatters up and down easily!

Can I use Dash to create animated scenes?

Dash tools work only in editor mode right now. We are looking into making it possible to animate them, but no clear timeline on this. But of course, you can still use Dash to build the environment for your animated scene, but you can't change any Dash tool parameters within your animation.

For what projects can I use Dash?

As Dash is built to help you build environments in UE5 faster and easier, it can be used for any project where you need to build a world or just assemble some assets together. As we have many different tools and features in Dash these days, some are certainly more useful for certain projects. Right now, we have users from several industries such as architectural visualization, gaming, product visualization, environment art, and automotive.

Can I use Dash for large scale environments?

Usually, when creating large worlds, this means scattering lots of assets, and that, of course, can be very heavy on the performance. One thing you can do to decrease the amount of assets needed is merging them together in batches and then scatter the batches of trees, for example, instead of trees individually. This being said we are constantly trying to optimize our tools to work well for larger environments, in Dash 1.8 we shipped a fix so that it should work decently even if you scatter on an 8K landscape. But the performance of this, of course, heavily depends on your PC specs.

How do I fix issues with overlapping objects in Dash scatter?

For Path Scatter we have added a Density Mode called Fix, which will choose a density that makes the assets fit just right for your given curve and assets. You can customize the result with different options. For Surface Scatter, the best way of dealing with this is adjusting the density to find the perfect value.

Can I pause or freeze tools?

Yes you can! Inside most of the tools in Dash, we have a freeze function inside the tool menu!

Level Streaming / Sub-Levels / Level Instances Workflow Support?

The Sub Levels / Level Streaming / Level Instances workflow is something we don't properly support just yet. It is in the development plans, though. The problem comes from the way we save our tool connections. That data is saved in the outlier in an actor called DashSceneData, and this actor is created upon saving. And if one is using sub-levels, etc, there is most likely such an actor in several levels, and then Dash doesn't know which one to read from, so then the connection logic falls apart, and thus a tool can disappear from the Tools Panel and can't be edited anymore. That said, some people have gotten it working decently if they only use Dash in one sub-level, or only in the persistent level. And make sure there are no DashSceneData actors in the other levels to avoid this conflict. With this workaround, it is important to only open Dash within one level and make sure no additional DashSceneData actors are created in other sub-levels.

World Partition Workflow Support?

Dash does not yet fully support the World Partition workflow, but it is in the development plans. For context, what happens is that if you, for example, scatter using Surface Scatter on several world partitions, the scatter result will always be fully visible, even if you are only streaming in one partition. So basically, Dash does not yet respect the "logic" of World Partition, but other than that, it should work just fine.

Licensing & Pricing

Where do I find my license key?

We send it to the email you've used to buy Dash. Make sure to check the spam, and if you still can't find it, please reach out to [email protected] or through our Discord.

How many Enterprise Seats do I need?

You only need seats for those artists who want access to the tools and the ability to adjust parameters. You do not need licenses for Build Machines, but you do need to install the Unreal Plugin of Dash.

From a PC where you have Dash installed with a license, copy the "GraphNUnrealPlugin" file from the [UNREAL_ENGINE_INSTALLATION]/Engine/Plugins/Marketplace/ folder to the same place on other PCs. This is needed from Dash 1.7 and upwards.

Are there any volume discounts or site licenses available?

Yes, there are! Just send an email to [email protected], and we can discuss the different options.

Can I use my license on 2 computers?

Our freelance and student licenses come with the ability to be activated on 2 PCs. If you have an enterprise license and want to switch PC or need to switch to a third computer, you need to open the License Manager and deactivate your license first. It is located inside the Preferences panel in the main Dash menu. Then you are able to activate it on the other computer.

If you are unable to deactivate it on one PC, maybe if you don't have access to it anymore, please send an email to [email protected], and we can deactivate it remotely so that you can move the license to a new PC.

Can I pay with Alipay and Apple Pay?

Yes, and in order to do that, you need to purchase a Dash license through this website: https://polygonflow.onfastspring.com/, and when doing thi,s you also need to make sure the automated subscription renewal is unchecked.

Can I buy another maintenance period / 12 months of updates for the Perpetual License?

Yes, you will be able to do this! Once your 12 months of included updates are expiring, you will get an email with instructions on how to proceed to buy another 12 months of Dash updates.

Technical Issues

How to set up and install Dash in a studio environment

If you want to install a trial or a paid license of Dash into a studio environment or a custom version of Unreal Engine, that is, of course, possible. All the needed information is available here: https://docs.polygonflow.io/advanced/custom-build, and in case you need any help, just send an email over to [email protected], and we will help you out!

Transferring a UE scene with Dash to another Computer

Note: If you are using Dash 1.7 or later, the steps below will not be needed as we have improved the saving mechanism. Now you don't have to worry about it at all, the data is included in the level itself. If you are gonna transfer your UE scene to another PC and want to be able to continue adjusting the Dash tools, you need to make sure to also move the associated JSON file that we create when you are using Dash.

This JSON file is named after your level name and is located next to your level. If you are using P4, Perforce, or a similar solution, make sure that this file is moved alongside the rest of the files. This could for example be done with perforce triggers to unlock/lock the JSON data https://www.perforce.com/manuals/p4sag/Content/P4SAG/scripting.trigger.creating.html.

What type of projects can Dash be used for?

Dash can be used for game development, archviz, environment art, and any other projects you may be doing in Unreal Engine that involve building an environment. Right now it works best for sections of a larger environment or smaller environments in general, the detailing capabilities, ease of use and control you get with Dash are unlike anything else out there. And we are, of course, improving it continuously to make sure it works equally well for larger environments.

Is Dash only available on Windows?

Yes. We're investigating Linux and MAC support, though it's hard to give any release estimates at this stage, since Unreal Engine also doesn't have great Linux/MAC support either, making it harder to port Dash there.

What are the system requirements?

The requirements for Dash are the same as Unreal Engine 5, but you also must have internet access and Windows 10 or 11.

Sharing the level with someone without Dash?

The level will work just fine and can be continued to be worked on, only those who want to adjust parameters in Dash or use other Dash tools need to have a Dash license. Note, if the user of Dash has created geometry such as cables, terrains, etc, that user either needs to convert the meshes to static meshes before sharing the level or this user could add the "GraphNUnrealPlugin" file to their UE marketplace folder. This means, from the PC where you have Dash installed with a license, copy the "GraphNUnrealPlugin" file from the [UNREAL_ENGINE_INSTALLATION]/Engine/Plugins/Marketplace/ folder to the same place on the other PC or build machine. One of these actions is needed as we are using a custom mesh data structure for our geometry generation as of Dash 1.7 and upwards.

What 3D software does Dash work with?

Right now, we are focusing on Unreal Engine and currently support 5.1 to 5.6. Older Unreal Engine versions can be made available for enterprise users on demand. The same applies to custom Unreal Engine builds; feel free to reach out to us on our Discord or at [email protected]

How do I uninstall Dash from UE5?

As of Dash 1.7, we are shipping an "Uninstall Dash" app within the Dash installation, so if you need to uninstall Dash, just search for "Uninstall Dash" in the Windows start bar, and you should find the app.

How do I check if there exist an Dash update and install it?

Within the main Dash menu, a button on the left of Dash, there exist an option "Check for Updates". You can always use this to check if there exists an update, but once we push updates you normally get a pop-up notification within Dash that tells you about a new update. And it is always this link that is used for the latest Dash version: https://www.polygonflow.io/try-dash And of course, the best way to stay up to date with our latest updates, news, and even beta versions of Dash is by hanging out in our Discord! :)

Dash is affecting my performance

If you have used Dash in some way and the performance of your scene is getting bad, the most likely reason is that you have scattered too many assets for your PC to be able to handle. The easiest solution is to try to decrease scatter density and/or delete the scattering to see if that makes any difference. But if you need the results you have created, you can also try scattering batches of grass instead of scattering individual grass pieces, for example. You can always use the Merge Actors action in Dash to merge a few trees, for example, and then scatter that newly created Static Mesh instead.

How do I adjust the UI scale in Dash?

If Dash is too small or too big, you can open Preferences from the main Dash menu, located on the left of the Dash bar. In there, you will find a setting for UI Scale Profile. You have to restart UE for the effects to take place.

Can I download previous versions of Dash?

Yes, you can, but previous versions may have bugs that have been solved in the latest version. Here you will find a few of the earlier builds: https://polygonflow.io/download-old-dash

Features & Tools

Will the tools affect performance?

As most of the tools in Dash are procedural, the performance in editor mode can be affected if you, for example, scatter a ton of assets. But otherwise, for example, when building the game, the performance won't be affected by Dash, as the results of Dash are normal UE actors. If you get bad performance in editor mode, you can, of course, lower the density of the scatter tools, but you can also freeze some of the tools from the tool menu to temporarily pause their procedural aspect.

What assets libraries are supported?

Dash has a content browser which supports Poly Haven, FAB, Megascans (download assets in the Bridge Plugin, and they'll show up. Download atlases in the Bridge standalone, and they'll show up), an IES Library, support for browsing & AI tagging your own content, and even browsing content from other projects in the one you're currently in. More libraries are in the works!

Can I use my own OpenAI API key for AI tagging?

Yes you can! Open the Dash Content Browser, then switch the dropdown at the top to Current Project to ensure that we see the content of your current project.

Click on the three dots icons on the right, then select Insert Custom OpenAI Key. A popup will show up asking you to insert the key. Do it, then you're all set! Tagging limits will no longer apply, and the cost of tagging will from then on be on your end.

For some perspective, our napkin math shows us that tagging 2000 assets costs between $1.0 and $1.5 USD. We're actively adjusting our internal logic to improve quality and reduce costs, but that's where it stands right now.

Can I change the OpenAI Proxy URL?

Yes, you can! In the main Dash menu, you will find the Preferences panel, where, under Base Settings, you can set your custom OpenAI Proxy URL.

Can I add my texture to the Dash Content Browser?

Yes, by following these steps, open the Dash Content Browser and go the the project library tab, then expand the folder hierarchy on the left with the folder icon. Then you can right-click on the top folder or any of the sub-folders and choose if the materials from said folder should be included or not.

How do I use Dash’s color grading feature with an image?

First, make sure to create a Dash camera by searching for Camera in Dash, and then make sure you are looking through it. Then you can drag any image and drop it on the Dash bar, and we will extract the grading from that image to your Dash Camera.

Can I add and adjust Displacement through Dash?

Yes you can! Currently, this goes for the Megascans and Poly Haven materials f you use from the Dash Content Browser. It is possible both through the Dash Material Edit tool and the Dash Blend Material Tool. For it to work, there are a couple of things you need to do:

1. The mesh you are applying the material on, has to be a static mesh, so if you have a Dash terrain or any other mesh from Dash that uses our custom mesh, you need to convert it to static. You can do this by searching for "static mesh" in Dash of course!

2. If you are using UE 5.1-5.3, the mesh also needs to have enough resolution/triangles. You can create a dense plane through the Dash menu: Create - Mesh Primitives - Create Plane.

3. The mesh you are applying the material to has to have nanite enabled. You can search for "Actor Enable Nanite" in Dash to enable it on your selected mesh.

4. Also make sure that nanite tessellation is enabled in UE5. You can do that by running "enable nanite tessellation" command in the Dash prompt bar, if you haven't enabled it already.

5. You might also need to delete the material from the UE Content Browser so that Dash can re-import it when you drag it onto your surface.

If you can't get it working, please reach out in Discord with a video, and we will help you out!

What is the difference between Object Mask and Proximity Mask?

In some scenarios, you might not get good enough results with proximity mask, then you could try the Object Masking feature instead.

Object Masking uses raycasting, and allows you to even remove stuff that's inside the barrel, for example. This results in much better proximity accuracy.

Proximity Masking is point-based and will rely on all the vertices of your barrel to keep the closest plants to them. It has no "interior" awareness or anything of the sort. It's much, much faster, ofc.

What material adjustments can I make with Dash?

With Dash, we give you the ability to adjust the materials if you are using materials from Megascans or Poly Haven. You can either do this by assigning one material and then opening Material Edit, or by assigning 2-3 materials and using our Blend Material. Besides the blending capabilities, you get more or less the same settings on both the Material Edit tool and the Blend Material Tool. You can adjust the color of the material with the normal sliders, hue, saturation etc, you can adjust tiling, Normals, Displacement etc, but there is more! You can also add atmospheric effects to the materials; this includes Rain, Snow, Dirt, and Wind.

FYI, the Material Edit tool does not work on landscapes just yet. We hope to add this support in the future.

How to add variation to the material color of my scattered meshes?

If you want to have some variation in the colors of your scattered foliage, you can easily achieve this with Dash in two steps.

1. Search for Instance Variation in Dash, assign your scatter instance, enable it, and choose a value for the Noise Scale.

1. Open the Material Edit for the scattered foliage, scroll all the way down, enable color variation, and play with the values, Hue, Saturation, and Brightness.

If this does not work for you, it could be the case that we don't support Color Variation on that specific asset. In general, we support it on most Foliage meshes from Megascans.

How to scatter dense grass on a big surface?

To scatter dense grass on a large surface, follow these steps:

• Start by creating a plane to serve as your ground. You can do this by going to Dash Bar > Create > Mesh Primitives > Create Plane.

• Open the Dash Content Browser, find your grass, CTRL drag and drop it onto your plane, and select Scatter Here.

• Adjust the Density, Min Scale, and Max Scale parameters to achieve the desired density and size of the scattered grass.

If you are scattering on a really big surface, you might need to experiment with these settings as well

• Density: You can and probably need to increase the density by writing in a high value rather than sliding.

• Max Count: If you have increased the density but don’t get any more grass, you need to increase the Max Count parameter under the Misc Settings in Surface Scatter.

Feel free to experiment with the settings to get the exact look you want! Enjoy your creative process! 🎉

Common Issues

My problem is not listed / Dash does not work

If you don't find an answer to whatever issue you may be experiencing with Dash, the quickest way to get help is by reaching out to us on our Discord, and if you don't prefer that, you can also send an email to [email protected]. IMPORTANT: When you reach out, please include as detailed information as possible on the issues + a video or some pictures. Also, please make sure the UE output log is visible in the video/picture; we usually find the reason for the problem in there.

How can I edit an existing tool?

You can always re-open an existing tool in Dash and keep editing it as long as you haven't baked it or broken the tool connection. To open an existing tool in the Tools Panel and keep editing it you can follow one of two ways: 1. Open the tools panel by clicking the Edit icon in the Dash bar and then select your existing tool in the viewport or in the outlier, this will open the selected tool in the Tool Panel. Remember to make sure another tool is not pinned in the tools panel already. 2. Open the tools panel by clicking the Edit icon in the Dash bar, and then in the top left corner of the Tools Panel, you will see a menu icon with 3 lines. This opens the list of active tools, which you can navigate between.

COMMON ISSUES:

• If you edit an existing tool in the tools panel but don't see any changes happening in the viewport, maybe you are not adjusting the settings within the right tool (you can have several Surface Scatters, for example), or maybe the tool connection has been broken. For example, in Surface Scatter, make sure both the surface and the objects are still assigned at the top of the tool. In the Road Tool, make sure that the curve is still assigned at the top of the tool. Similar logic goes for other tools; they must have their basic assignments for the tools to work.

• If your tool is no longer present in the Tools Panel but the output/result is still in the viewport and outlier, these are the two most common issues:

  • You are working with Sub Levels / Level Streaming / Level Instances, and this is a workflow we don't properly support just yet. It is in the development plans, though. For some more context and possible workarounds, check this post: --> https://docs.polygonflow.io/getting-started/getting-started#level-streaming-sub-levels-level-instances-workflow-support

  • The other common reason is that you have baked the tool using our bake actions or simply accidently deleted it from the outlier or from the Tools Panel.

There are no Megascans assets visible in the Quixel tab

If the Quixel tab in the Content Browser is empty for you even though you have assets downloaded from UE-Bridge, the most probable reason for this is that the Content Browser couldn't locate where you downloaded your Bridge assets.

To solve this, you need to find the UAsset folder, you can do this by going to Bridge, right-clicking on one downloaded asset, and choosing “Go to files”, there you can copy the path to the UAsset folder.

Then you need to open the Dash Preferences through the main Dash menu and go to the path section and click the paper clip icon and then paste in the path you copied from Bridge. If you have the same problem with Atlases from the standalone Bridge, you can follow the same procedure, but copy the path from the standalone Bridge. Similar logic goes for FAB, full information available here: https://docs.polygonflow.io/getting-started/user-interface/content-browser#fab-1

Poly Haven Issues

If the thumbnails of Poly Haven are not loading and/or you are not able to download the assets, please try this:

1. Close unreal

2. Delete this folder c:\Users \ "USERNAME"\Documents\PolygonFlow\ContentLibrary\PolyHaven

3. Open Unreal Engine and start Dash + Content Browser

4. Go to Polyhaven library menu (3 vertical dots) and click Redownload library data, once the view is populated, try to download again.

I've downloaded assets in Bridge, but they're not visible in Dash

If you've downloaded assets in the Bridge UE plugin, and Dash's Content Browser still doesn't show them, try to switch libraries through the dropdown at the top-right corner of the Content Browser, then back to Megascans, and see if it fixes it. If it doesn't restart UE, and that should fix it.

If you've downloaded assets in the Bridge standalone software, then only atlases will show up, as we only support those assets through the standalone. Like with the plugin, a restart might be needed in case you still can't see the atlases.

Also make sure your paths are set up correctly, full information available here: https://docs.polygonflow.io/getting-started/user-interface/content-browser/megascans

Clicking the Dash icon does not work

There could be many reasons but one thing you could try is to add Unreal Engine and Dash as allowed apps in the Windows Defender, Controlled Folder Access.

Another thing you could try is uninstalling Dash and installing it with Admin Rights.

And a third idea is closing all instances of Unreal (through task manager) and then going to: c:\Users\[USERNAME]\Polygonflow\Dash\Plugins\UnrealEngineContext\resources\plugin\ and opening your UE folder and copy this folder “GraphNUnrealPlugin”.

Then you need to find your UE installation folder and go into this path: [UNREAL_ENGINE_INSTALLATION_FOLDER]/Engine/Plugins/Marketplace and paste the copied folder into the Marketplace folder, overwriting the existing one if one already exists.

A fourth reason: If you get an error in the UE output log when trying to open Dash that mentions PySide6, it is most likely cause the Dash dependencies were not installed properly during your Dash installation.

To fix this, close UE, and then open the Dash installation folder by searching for "Dash installation" in Windows search. Then inside that folder, you will find two .bat files. Please run the dependencies_39.bat (if using UE 5.1-5.3) or dependencies_311.bat (if you are on UE 5.4 - UE 5.5).

This bat file will open up and run a process in a console window. Let this process finish and keep an eye on it in case it shows any errors at the end before finishing and auto-closes.

If none of these ideas work, please copy any message in the UE output log and send it to us, and we will help you out, [email protected]

There is no Dash icon in Unreal Engine or the installer got stuck on Installing…

1. Continue and finish the installation by clicking Next

2. Go to the Dash installation folder, the default is C:\Users\USER\Appdata\Local\Programs\Polygonflow\Dash\ Inside of that continue to Plugins\UnrealEngineContext\resources\plugin

3. Inside here you should see a folder corresponding to your Unreal Engine version, e.g. UE_5.2

4. Copy the GraphNUnrealPlugin folder from inside the version you want Dash installed into. Paste this folder into your engine plugins folder. e.g. C:\Program Files\Epic Games\UE_5.2\Engine\Plugins\Marketplace

5. The resulting path to GraphNUnrealPlugin folder should be C:\Program Files\Epic Games\UE_5.2\Engine\Plugins\Marketplace\GraphNUnrealPlugin\GraphNUnrealPlugin

6. Restart your UE and you should then be able to find the Dash icon as expected.

There were no UE versions found during my installation

If this happens, you need to check the checkbox for your UE version and then click the browse button, and then navigate to where you have UE installed, i.e., a folder called UE_5.1 or UE_5.3, etc. Then just select the folder and continue the installation. Hopefully, you will then see a success message for the UE version you choose to install Dash in.

My trial or paid license can't be activated in the License Manager

If you can't request a trial license or activate a paid license in the Dash license manager, there could be several reasons, and usually, you will see an error code.

1. If you get an error similar to "Date header is not valid" the reason is most likely due to your Windows Time being out of sync. By following the steps in this article, you should be able to sync it, and then once you try to open Dash again, it should work just fine. https://www.pcworld.com/article/1513815/how-to-make-your-laptop-change-time-zones-automatically-in-windows-11.html

1. If you get "unknown authorization method'" or the activation simply does not work, you could try the following:

   1. The time fix above!

   2. Close Unreal, run cmd.exe as admin and then run 'winmgmt /resetrepository' command

   3. Try to disable VPN or Proxy, or give access to the following URL: https://api.licensespring.com/

If none of these help, please reach out in our Discord and let us know what error you see.

Some Dash panels are not visible or I can't see the assets in the Content Library

If any of these issues are happening, the issue might be that you are using multiple displays on your PC. If you are, please try and check that the display that UE is on is the main Display in Windows settings. And of course, an Unreal Engine restart is always a good idea. If this doesn't help, please reach out in our Discord with a video of what is happening!

I have LOD/Culling Problems

If you have LOD or Culling problems or simply the scatters not showing correctly there are a few things you could try:

• If you have nanite objects with masked materials and they are culled then you can lower Opacity Mask Clip Value for each material.

• UE Console Commands for non-nanite meshes:

  1. foliage.MaxTrianglesToRender 200000000 (This is a heavy one and the default value is 100 million, so increase gradually)

  2. r.ForceLOD 0

  3. foliage.forceLOD 0

  4. r.RayTracing.Geometry.InstancedStaticMeshes.Culling 0 (Maybe only useful in Path Tracer)

  5. foliage.LODDistanceScale 5 (or another number, maybe only useful in Path Tracer)

  Keep in mind that commands like this could affect performance.

• If you experience culling in huge World Partitioning Scenes you have to use the converter in Dash, “Convert Instances to Foliage”. This will break the tool connection so you can’t adjust the scatter anymore with Dash, but you will be able to use the UE Foliage Painter tools to further adjust it.

Curve Tool draws in the sky / floating splines

If you try to draw a curve/spline using our Draw Curve tool and the curve ends up floating or in the sky. The most likely reason is that the tool detects something above your surface. It could be some actors with colliders that are intercepted by our curve tool. (Assets, World Volumes, etc) You can try hiding things in the UE outlier to figure out what is causing the problem.

Nothing is happening when I use CTRL drag and drop from the Content Browser

If you try to use Scatter Here, Create Blend Material, etc through the CTRL drag and drop menu from the Dash Content Browser and nothing is happening. The most likely reason is that the tool detects something above your surface. It could be some actors with colliders that are intercepting the surface. (Assets, World Volumes, Procedural Foliage Spawner Volumes etc) You can try hiding things in the UE outlier to figure out what is causing the problem.

My objects from Physics Drop or Physics Paint is floating

You probably need to set the surface/object to Complex in the Dash physics settings. Double-click the asset/surface to select it and then adjust its collision to Complex through the Dash physics settings.

Resource Error - Unable to Copy files in your project

If you, upon opening Dash, see our resource update popup and it fails by showing you a Resource Error, here is what you need to do (if you are using Perforce, skip to the bottom of this FAQ):

1. Close UE

1. Open the Project again, but into an empty level. I.e,. Don't open a level where you have created anything with Dash.

2. Now in this empty level, try the Resource Update again.

If you have changed the default loading level on your project to a level where you have used Dash, this will not work, and then you can try these steps instead.

1. Close UE

2. Open the project folder, navigate here: Content -> Polygonflow -> Materials

3. Delete this Materials folder

4. Open UE again

If you are using Perforce or another Version Control Software, and the Dash resources are used through Perforce, the steps above won't work, and you need to do this instead:

1. If you are on Dash 1.9.2 or higher, move to step 5

2. Close UE,

3. Open this path in your PC folder explorer: DASH_INSTALL_ROOT\Plugins\UnrealEngineContext\Imports\GN,

4. And then replace this ContentUtils.py file with the one available here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/129GZoD6borfOGJ4-sGD_VTAdVMtMgbKr?usp=sharing

5. Then open UE and ignore the update popup, i.e, close it instead of clicking update

6. Then open the Dash preferences through the main Dash menu and check the new "Skip Resource Acquisition" setting that is available in the Content Settings section

7. Then you should not get the update pop-up next time you open Dash

8. Later, when there is a Dash update, one person (the person who set up the project and plugins, perhaps) needs to do these steps to get the new resource data and share it with everyone through Perforce:

   1. Install the new version of Dash

   2. Unlock the Polygonflow folder under the Content folder in the project through Perforce so it is writable.

   3. Turn on the resource acquisition again in Dash preferences

   4. Open the Project and Dash, and run the update through the pop-up

   5. Now, the new update files have been added to Perforce and are ready to be used by everyone on the team.