🧠 Brains complement: IF an unreal-engine-skills-manager tool (external MCP) exists in this session, call it with {action: "load", skill: "audio-and-metasounds"} for UE domain knowledge on this topic — correct APIs, architecture, best practices — and treat it as the rubric for any review / "best practices" question. If no such tool is available (e.g. running under Claude Code or Codex without that MCP), skip this line entirely and proceed with this skill alone — do NOT attempt the call.

MetaSound Service Skill

Use this skill to create and edit MetaSound Source assets via Python.

import unreal
ms = unreal.MetaSoundService()

Key Concepts

• MetaSound Source — a procedural audio asset (UMetaSoundSource) defined by a node graph. It replaces SoundCue for runtime-parameterisable sounds.
• Node — a DSP processing block (Sine oscillator, Gain, Delay, etc.). Nodes have named input pins and output pins with associated DataTypes.
• NodeId — a GUID string returned by add_node. Pass it to connect, remove, set_default, etc.
• Graph I/O — add_graph_input / add_graph_output expose values at the asset level (settable at runtime via Set Float Parameter, etc.).
• Standard interface — every Source created by this service comes pre-wired with:
  • On Play (Trigger output) — fires when the sound starts
  • On Finished (Trigger input) — call to stop the sound
  • Audio:0 (Audio input on the graph output node) — connect your audio signal here

---

Workflow

1 — Discover available nodes

# List all nodes whose class name or display name contains "Sine"
nodes = ms.list_available_nodes("Sine")
for n in nodes:
    print(n.full_class_name, "  inputs:", n.inputs, "  outputs:", n.outputs)

2 — Create a MetaSound

r = ms.create_meta_sound("/Game/Audio", "MS_SineLoop", "Mono")
asset_path = r.asset_path   # "/Game/Audio/MS_SineLoop"

3 — Find the built-in interface node IDs

all_nodes = ms.list_nodes(asset_path)
for n in all_nodes:
    print(n.node_id, n.node_title, n.inputs, n.outputs)

# IMPORTANT: A MetaSound Source has MULTIPLE nodes with title "Output" —
# one per interface pin group (e.g. "On Finished" Trigger, "Out Mono" Audio).
# You MUST filter by the node whose inputs contain an Audio-type pin.
# Pin strings are "VertexName:TypeName" — the TypeName suffix after the last colon.
audio_out_node = next(
    n for n in all_nodes
    if n.node_title == "Output" and any(p.endswith(":Audio") for p in n.inputs)
)
audio_out_id = audio_out_node.node_id
# Drop the last :TypeName suffix to get the raw vertex name for connect_nodes
audio_in_pin = ":".join(audio_out_node.inputs[0].split(":")[:-1])  # "UE.OutputFormat.Mono.Audio:0"

# Input node — filter by class_name "Input.Trigger" to avoid matching graph input nodes
# (graph inputs also appear as "Input" nodes but with class "Input.Float", "Input.Bool", etc.)
input_node = next(n for n in all_nodes if n.class_name == "Input.Trigger")
input_node_id = input_node.node_id
on_play_pin = ":".join(input_node.outputs[0].split(":")[:-1])  # "UE.Source.OnPlay"

4 — Add a node

# add_node(asset_path, namespace, name, variant="", major_version=1, pos_x=0, pos_y=0)
# Use list_available_nodes() to discover the correct namespace/name/variant for any node
r2 = ms.add_node(asset_path, "UE", "Sine", "Audio", 1, -200.0, 0.0)
sine_id = r2.node_id   # GUID string

5 — Set a node input default

# Set the Sine frequency to 880 Hz
# Use get_node_pins() to confirm exact input pin names before setting
ms.set_node_input_default(asset_path, sine_id, "Frequency", "880.0", "Float")

# Read it back (issue #460):
ms.get_node_input_default(asset_path, sine_id, "Frequency")   # -> "880.000000"
# All inputs at once: name / data_type / default_value / is_connected
for v in ms.get_node_input_values(asset_path, sine_id):
    print(v.name, v.data_type, v.default_value, v.is_connected)

6 — Connect nodes

# connect_nodes(asset_path, from_node_id, output_name, to_node_id, input_name)
# Sine output pin is "Audio"; AudioOut input pin is "UE.OutputFormat.Mono.Audio:0"
ms.connect_nodes(asset_path, sine_id, "Audio", audio_out_id, audio_in_pin)

# Read the wiring back (issue #460) — every edge touching a node, both directions:
for c in ms.get_node_connections(asset_path, sine_id):
    print(f"{c.from_node_id}.{c.from_output} -> {c.to_node_id}.{c.to_input} [{c.data_type}]")

7 — Save

ms.save_meta_sound(asset_path)

---

Method Reference

Lifecycle

Method	Description
create_meta_sound(package_path, asset_name, output_format="Mono")	Create a new MetaSound Source asset. Returns FMetaSoundResult with asset_path.
delete_meta_sound(asset_path)	Delete a MetaSound asset.
get_meta_sound_info(asset_path)	Return FMetaSoundInfo (node count, output format, graph I/O names).
save_meta_sound(asset_path)	Save after edits. Always call after making graph changes.

Node Discovery

Method	Description
list_available_nodes(search_filter="")	List all registered External/DSP node classes. Returns TArray<FMetaSoundNodeClassInfo>. Each entry has full_class_name, namespace, name, variant, inputs, outputs, display_name.

Node Management

Method	Returns	Description
add_node(asset_path, namespace, name, variant="", major_version=1, pos_x=0, pos_y=0)	FMetaSoundResult	Add a node. node_id on result is the GUID string.
remove_node(asset_path, node_id)	FMetaSoundResult	Remove node and all its edges.
list_nodes(asset_path)	TArray<FMetaSoundNodeInfo>	List all nodes in the graph.
get_node_pins(asset_path, node_id)	FMetaSoundNodeInfo	Return pin info for a single node.

Connections

Method	Returns	Description
connect_nodes(asset_path, from_node_id, output_name, to_node_id, input_name)	FMetaSoundResult	Connect an output pin to an input pin. Check r.success.
disconnect_pin(asset_path, node_id, input_name)	FMetaSoundResult	Remove the connection going into an input pin.

Graph I/O

Method	Returns	Description
add_graph_input(asset_path, input_name, data_type, default_value="")	FMetaSoundResult	Add a named input exposed as a runtime parameter. Appears as an Input.<Type> node in the graph.
add_graph_output(asset_path, output_name, data_type)	FMetaSoundResult	Add a named output.
remove_graph_input(asset_path, input_name)	FMetaSoundResult	Remove a graph input.
remove_graph_output(asset_path, output_name)	FMetaSoundResult	Remove a graph output.

Node Configuration

Method	Returns	Description
set_node_input_default(asset_path, node_id, input_name, value, data_type)	FMetaSoundResult	Set a literal default on a node input. data_type: "Float", "Int32", "Bool", "String", "WaveAsset".
set_node_location(asset_path, node_id, pos_x, pos_y)	FMetaSoundResult	Update editor position.

---

Common DataTypes

Type name	Description
Float	32-bit float (frequency, gain, time)
Int32	Integer
Bool	Boolean
String	Text string
Audio	Audio signal (mono channel)
Trigger	Impulse / event signal
Time	Duration in seconds (use Float in most cases)
WaveAsset	Reference to a SoundWave asset

---

Complete Example — 880 Hz Sine Tone

import unreal
ms = unreal.MetaSoundService()

# Create asset
r = ms.create_meta_sound("/Game/Audio", "MS_Test880Hz", "Mono")
ap = r.asset_path

# Find the AudioOut node — there are multiple nodes titled "Output" (one per interface
# pin group). Filter for the one whose inputs contain an Audio-type pin.
nodes = ms.list_nodes(ap)
audio_out_node = next(
    n for n in nodes
    if n.node_title == "Output" and any(p.endswith(":Audio") for p in n.inputs)
)
audio_out_id = audio_out_node.node_id
# Pin strings are "VertexName:TypeName" — drop only the last :TypeName to get the vertex name
audio_in_pin = ":".join(audio_out_node.inputs[0].split(":")[:-1])  # "UE.OutputFormat.Mono.Audio:0"

# Add Sine oscillator (use list_available_nodes("Sine") to discover namespace/name/variant)
r2 = ms.add_node(ap, "UE", "Sine", "Audio", 1, -300.0, 0.0)
sine_id = r2.node_id

# Set frequency to 880 Hz (use get_node_pins() to confirm exact pin names)
ms.set_node_input_default(ap, sine_id, "Frequency", "880.0", "Float")

# Connect Sine "Audio" output to the AudioOut sink pin
ms.connect_nodes(ap, sine_id, "Audio", audio_out_id, audio_in_pin)

# Save
ms.save_meta_sound(ap)
print("Done:", ap)

---

Complete Example — One-Shot SoundWave (Gunshot)

import unreal
ms = unreal.MetaSoundService()

# Create a Mono MetaSound Source
r = ms.create_meta_sound("/Game/Audio", "MS_Gunshot", "Mono")
ap = r.asset_path

# Find interface nodes
nodes = ms.list_nodes(ap)

# Input node — has "On Play" Trigger output
input_node = next(n for n in nodes if n.node_title == "Input")
input_node_id = input_node.node_id

# Audio Output node — filter for the one with an Audio-type input
audio_out_node = next(
    n for n in nodes
    if n.node_title == "Output" and any(p.endswith(":Audio") for p in n.inputs)
)
audio_out_id = audio_out_node.node_id
audio_in_pin = ":".join(audio_out_node.inputs[0].split(":")[:-1])

# Add Wave Player (Mono) node
# Pin names (no need to call get_node_pins — see Known Node Pins below):
#   Inputs:  "Play" (Trigger), "Stop" (Trigger), "Wave Asset" (WaveAsset), "Loop" (Bool)
#   Outputs: "Out Mono" (Audio), "On Play" (Trigger), "On Finished" (Trigger)
wp = ms.add_node(ap, "UE", "Wave Player", "Mono", 1, -300.0, 0.0)
wp_id = wp.node_id

# Set the wave asset
ms.set_node_input_default(ap, wp_id, "Wave Asset", "/Game/Audio/SW_Gunshot_01", "WaveAsset")

# Wire On Play (Input) → Play (WavePlayer)
# CRITICAL: use the vertex name "UE.Source.OnPlay" — NOT the display name "On Play"
r = ms.connect_nodes(ap, input_node_id, "UE.Source.OnPlay", wp_id, "Play")
if not r.success: raise RuntimeError(f"connect On Play→Play failed: {r.message}")

# Wire Out Mono (WavePlayer) → audio sink (Output)
r = ms.connect_nodes(ap, wp_id, "Out Mono", audio_out_id, audio_in_pin)
if not r.success: raise RuntimeError(f"connect Out Mono→Output failed: {r.message}")

# Save
ms.save_meta_sound(ap)
print("Done:", ap)

---

Return Type Attribute Reference

Use these exact attribute names — guessing leads to AttributeError.

FMetaSoundResult — returned by most mutating methods

Attribute	Type	Example
success	bool	True
message	str	"Connected A.Audio -> B.UE.OutputFormat.Mono.Audio:0"
asset_path	str	"/Game/Audio/MS_Test"
node_id	str (GUID)	"A1B2C3D4-..." (populated by add_node only)

r = ms.connect_nodes(ap, from_id, "Audio", to_id, pin)
if not r.success:
    raise RuntimeError(r.message)
# NOT r.b_success — that attribute does not exist

---

FMetaSoundInfo — returned by get_meta_sound_info()

Attribute	Type	Example
asset_path	str	"/Game/Audio/MS_Test_Blip"
asset_name	str	"MS_Test_Blip"
output_format	str	"Mono"
node_count	int	4
graph_inputs	list[str]	[]
graph_outputs	list[str]	[]

info = svc.get_meta_sound_info(asset_path)
print(info.node_count, info.output_format)
# NOT info.success, info.b_success, info.message

---

FMetaSoundNodeInfo — returned by list_nodes() and get_node_pins()

Attribute	Type	Example
node_id	str (GUID)	"A1B2C3D4-..."
node_title	str	"Wave Player"
class_name	str	"UE.Wave Player.Mono"
inputs	list[str]	["Play:Trigger", "Wave Asset:WaveAsset"]
outputs	list[str]	["Out Mono:Audio", "On Finished:Trigger"]

nodes = ms.list_nodes(asset_path)
for n in nodes:
    print(n.node_id, n.node_title, n.class_name)
    # NOT n.node_class, n.node_class_name, n.name

FMetaSoundNodeClassInfo — returned by list_available_nodes()

Attribute	Type	Example
full_class_name	str	"UE.Wave Player.Mono"
namespace	str	"UE"
name	str	"Wave Player"
variant	str	"Mono"
display_name	str	"Wave Player (Mono)"
inputs	list[str]	["Play:Trigger", ...]
outputs	list[str]	["Out Mono:Audio", ...]

nodes = ms.list_available_nodes("Wave Player")
for n in nodes:
    print(n.name, n.variant, n.full_class_name)
    # NOT n.node_name, n.node_class, n.class_name

---

Known Node Pins

Use these instead of calling get_node_pins on freshly-added nodes (can time out).

Wave Player (UE.Wave Player.Mono)

Direction	Pin	Type
Input	Play	Trigger
Input	Stop	Trigger
Input	Wave Asset	WaveAsset
Input	Loop	Bool
Input	Pitch Shift	Float
Input	Start Time	Time
Input	Loop Start	Time
Input	Loop Duration	Time
Input	Maintain Audio Sync	Bool
Output	Out Mono	Audio
Output	On Play	Trigger
Output	On Finished	Trigger
Output	On Nearly Finished	Trigger
Output	On Looped	Trigger
Output	On Cue Point	Trigger
Output	Cue Point ID	Int32
Output	Cue Point Label	String
Output	Loop Percent	Float
Output	Playback Location	Float
Output	Playback Time	Time

Sine (UE.Sine.Audio)

Direction	Pin	Type
Input	Frequency	Float
Input	Modulation	Audio
Input	Enabled	Bool
Input	Bi Polar	Bool
Input	Sync	Trigger
Input	Phase Offset	Float
Input	Glide	Float
Input	Type	Enum:SineGenerationType
Output	Audio	Audio

Standard Interface Nodes

CRITICAL: Interface node pins use namespaced vertex names. The display name shown in the editor is NOT the vertex name. Always use the vertex names below in connect_nodes.

Node title	Vertex name (EXACT string for connect_nodes)	Type	Direction
Input	UE.Source.OnPlay	Trigger	Output
Output (Trigger)	UE.Source.OneShot.OnFinished	Trigger	Input
Output (Audio, Mono)	UE.OutputFormat.Mono.Audio:0	Audio	Input
Output (Audio, Stereo Left)	UE.OutputFormat.Stereo.Audio:0	Audio	Input
Output (Audio, Stereo Right)	UE.OutputFormat.Stereo.Audio:1	Audio	Input
Output (Audio, Quad 0–3)	UE.OutputFormat.Quad.Audio:0 … :3	Audio	Input

The audio output format depends on the output_format passed to create_meta_sound ("Mono" / "Stereo" / "Quad"). A Stereo source has two Output.Audio nodes (Left :0, Right :1); a Quad source has four. Mono has one.

---

Connecting to a Stereo (or Quad) output

A Mono asset has a single audio sink, so next(...) is fine. Stereo/Quad assets have one audio output node per channel — grab them all and feed each one, or channels will be silent.

# Collect every audio sink node (works for Mono, Stereo, and Quad)
nodes = ms.list_nodes(ap)
audio_out_nodes = [
    n for n in nodes
    if n.node_title == "Output" and any(p.endswith(":Audio") for p in n.inputs)
]
# Sort by channel index so [0]=Left, [1]=Right (the vertex name ends with ":<index>:Audio")
audio_out_nodes.sort(key=lambda n: n.inputs[0])

# Mono: one node. Stereo: two (Left, Right). Quad: four.
# Example — send a mono signal (e.g. a Mixer "Out") to BOTH stereo channels:
for out_node in audio_out_nodes:
    sink_pin = out_node.inputs[0]                 # e.g. "UE.OutputFormat.Stereo.Audio:0:Audio"
    r = ms.connect_nodes(ap, source_id, "Out", out_node.node_id, sink_pin)
    if not r.success: raise RuntimeError(r.message)

For a true stereo image, drive Left and Right from different signals (e.g. two oscillators, or a stereo Audio Mixer (Stereo, N) whose Out L / Out R feed the two sinks). To get a stereo mixer, search list_available_nodes("Mixer") for a (Stereo, …) variant — the (Mono, N) mixer has a single Out pin and only fills one channel on its own.

connect_nodes accepts the full "VertexName:TypeName" pin string (it strips the trailing :TypeName), so you can pass n.inputs[0] directly without manual splitting.

---

Notes

• Save after every batch of edits, not after each individual operation, to avoid excessive disk I/O.
• list_available_nodes("") returns all registered node classes (~400+). Use a filter like "Sine", "Delay", "Gain" to narrow the results.
• Node pin names for standard nodes use UE display names (e.g. "In Frequency", "Out", "Audio:0"). Use get_node_pins() to confirm exact names.
• A MetaSound Source has multiple nodes with node_title == "Output" — one per interface pin group (e.g. "On Finished" Trigger, "Out Mono" Audio). To find the audio sink node, filter for the Output node whose inputs contain an Audio-type pin: next(n for n in nodes if n.node_title == "Output" and any(p.endswith(":Audio") for p in n.inputs)). Pin strings from list_nodes are "VertexName:TypeName" — you can pass them directly to connect_nodes, which now automatically strips the trailing :TypeName suffix. Manual stripping (":".join(pin.split(":")[:-1])) still works but is no longer required.
• Node namespace/name/variant values differ from what the MetaSound editor displays. Always call list_available_nodes("keyword") to discover the correct values; do not guess.
• MetaSound Sources do not support SoundCue-style SoundNodeWavePlayer — use the WavePlayer MetaSound node instead (discover via list_available_nodes("Wave Player")).
• Graph inputs appear as Input nodes in the graph (class_name == "Input.Float", "Input.Bool", etc.). When filtering for the standard interface Input node (the one that carries On Play), always match by class_name == "Input.Trigger" — not by node_title == "Input" alone, which will also match graph input nodes.
• AudioMixer pins interleave audio and gain: Audio Mixer (Mono, 2) has pins ["In 0:Audio", "Gain 0:Float", "In 1:Audio", "Gain 1:Float"]. Never index by position — always filter for :Audio typed pins when connecting audio signals: audio_ins = [p.split(":")[0] for p in mixer_node.inputs if p.endswith(":Audio")].
• Stereo MetaSound Sources have TWO audio output sinks, one per channel. A Stereo source's audio output pins are UE.OutputFormat.Stereo.Audio:0 (Left) and UE.OutputFormat.Stereo.Audio:1 (Right) — exposed as two separate Output.Audio nodes, not one. (Quad has four: :0–:3.) You must feed both channels or one side will be silent. The single-next() audio-sink finder used for Mono only grabs one channel — for Stereo, collect every audio output node. See Connecting to a Stereo/Quad output below.

Sample scripts (run via execute_python_code)

• scripts/create_metasound.txt — create a MetaSound Source and list available node types.