FAQ
Short answers to the questions we get most. Missing one? Ask us.
General
What is OPAL?
OPAL — O3DE Project Asset Launcher — is a third-party desktop launcher for the Open 3D Engine. It manages engine installations, projects, gems, downloads, and builds in a single app, with a much richer workflow and UX than the stock O3DE Project Manager.
Is OPAL affiliated with the O3DE Foundation?
No. OPAL is an independent project by Genome Studios. It’s built for O3DE, and O3DE users, but it’s not an official O3DE Foundation product.
What does OPAL cost?
OPAL is free to download and use. See the Licence Notice page for terms.
What platforms does OPAL run on?
Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Getting help
Something’s broken — what do I do?
- Check Troubleshooting
- Ask on Discord
- Contact us directly
How do I request a feature?
Bring it up on Discord or via the contact form. Most features start as conversations.
Install & setup
Do I need to install O3DE before OPAL?
No — that’s the whole point. OPAL installs O3DE for you. Download OPAL, open it, pick an engine version, and OPAL handles the download, install, and registration.
What does the first-run wizard do?
It detects your build tools (CMake, a build system, compilers) and offers the exact install command for anything missing, tailored to your platform. If you’re not compiling C++, you can enable Script-Only mode and skip source-build tooling. You can re-run the wizard any time from Settings.
Can OPAL coexist with the stock O3DE Project Manager?
Yes. They share the same project.json format and the same O3DE manifest. Projects and engines registered by one are visible to the other.
However, some granular data, and special settings and features like Watch Folders, do not work in original Project Manager. It is suggested to use Opal in place of the original Project Manager to ensure consistent and feature rich usage. Opal can do everything Project Manager does and more.
Can I import projects I already have?
Yes. Projects → Import → point at the project folder. OPAL reads the existing project.json and adds it without modifying anything.
Engines
Can I install multiple O3DE versions?
Yes. Every engine lives in its own folder and is registered independently. Projects pin to specific versions, and you can keep as many installed side by side as you want.
Can I install older versions and pre-releases?
Yes. The Engine Downloads list includes prior releases, and a Show pre-releases option surfaces development and stabilization branch builds.
Can I add my own engine download source?
Yes. Add a custom engine source by pointing OPAL at a JSON release manifest and mapping its fields. Your builds then appear alongside the official releases. See Install engines.
Can I build O3DE from source?
Yes. Install an engine as source and OPAL runs the build through the Builds queue. Prebuilt engines don’t offer a build action (there’s nothing to compile). See Source builds.
What happens if I delete an engine folder manually?
OPAL detects the mismatch and flags affected projects with a missing-engine state, offering to add, register, or pin an engine. Removing engines through OPAL sends them to the recycle bin instead, so it’s recoverable.
Projects
Do projects created with OPAL work with other O3DE tools?
Yes. OPAL writes standard project.json manifests. The O3DE Editor, the o3de CLI, and the stock Project Manager all treat OPAL projects as normal O3DE projects.
Can I use different build settings per project?
Yes. A project can set its own build type (Debug / Profile / Release), its own build targets, a build tool override, and its own launch arguments — anything left alone follows the global setting. See Project settings. CMake flags and build thread count are global, in Build Tools settings.
Can I build without compiling everything?
Yes. The build button is a split button: Configure runs only the CMake configure step, and Clean Build deletes the build folder and starts from scratch. You can also narrow a build to specific targets in Project settings. See Build modes.
Can I export a finished project?
Yes. Export Project on a project’s action menu packages a standalone release build — launcher targets, bundled level assets, and an optional archive — using O3DE’s own export pipeline. See Export.
Gems & assets
Where do gems come from?
From any repositories you add (by URL), local gem folders, watch folders, and the gems bundled with your engines. See Repositories & sources.
How do I enable a gem for a project?
Open the project’s gem configuration and toggle gems on or off. OPAL keeps project.json and the CMake gem list in sync, and won’t let you disable a gem another active gem requires. See Project gems.
How do I search for a gem?
Free-text search plus filter prefixes: author:, tag:, gemType:, compatibleEngines:, downloaded:, hasUpdate:, and updatedBefore: / updatedAfter:. See Asset Library.
Downloads & builds
My download was interrupted — did I lose progress?
No. Downloads are resume-safe. On reconnect or next launch, a download picks up rather than restarting.
Can I pause a build?
Yes, up to a point. The pause checkpoint sits between the configure and compile stages, so a build stops being pausable once CMake has finished configuring and the compiler is running. Cancelling works at any time and also stops the child processes it spawned. See Builds.
How many builds can I run at once?
Configurable (default 1) — O3DE builds are memory-hungry, so 1 is a good default on a laptop. Project exports share that same limit, since they compile launchers through the same toolchain. Downloads have their own independent concurrency and connection limits.
Can I schedule downloads to run overnight?
Yes. Set a download schedule window in Settings. OPAL pauses at the window’s close and resumes at its open; overnight windows are handled correctly.
Privacy
Does OPAL collect telemetry?
Only anonymous usage data, and only if you opt in. The setting ships off — OPAL asks once during first-run onboarding, and you can change your answer any time in Settings -> Analytics. While it’s off, nothing is loaded and nothing is sent.
There is no crash-reporting service, no third-party analytics vendor, and no tracking cookie. What’s collected can’t be traced back to you, is never sold or shared, and your projects and settings never leave your machine. See the Privacy page for the full picture.
Does the website track usage?
Yes, separately from the app. The website counts page views and which downloads and links get used, such as which platform’s installer was picked, so we can see what’s useful. Turning off the app’s telemetry doesn’t change this.
That data is anonymous and collected without cookies: no account, no sign-in, no persistent identifier. It’s gathered by analytics software Genome runs on its own servers, so no third-party analytics provider is involved, and it’s never sold. The Privacy page has the full picture.