libprotobuf for Unreal Engine 4

Link the google's protocol bufffers library as the third party in Unreal Engine 4.

Version

• Protobuf: 3.19.0
• Unreal Engine 4: 4.27.1

Usage

1. Import or copy the folder libprotobuf into <your project>/Source/ThirdParty/libprotobuf.
2. Add the libprotobuf as a module into <your project>.Build.cs

PrivateDependencyModuleNames.AddRange(new string[] { "libprotobuf" });

Compile proto file(s)

1. Compile the proto files for Unreal Engine 4 by generate_for_ue4.py.
   • python generate_for_ue4.py --proto_input <proto_file_or_path> --cpp_out <output_path>
   • ex: python generate_for_ue4.py --proto_input Message.proto --cpp_out d:\Prject\Source\ProtoFiles
2. Include and use the header file(ex: Message.pb.h) in your .cpp file.

Build Library

Apply the patch first

cd <prj_root>\protobuf-source
git apply ..\build\patch\diff-base-on-3.19.0.diff

1. Windows

Visual Studio 2019 and CMake are required

cd <prj_root>/build
mkdir _win64 & cd _win64
cmake -G "Visual Studio 16 2019" -A x64 ..\..\protobuf-source\cmake ^
 -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=_install ^
 -DCMAKE_MSVC_RUNTIME_LIBRARY="MultiThreaded$<$<CONFIG:Debug>:Debug>DLL" ^
 -Dprotobuf_BUILD_TESTS=false -Dprotobuf_WITH_ZLIB=false ^
 -Dprotobuf_MSVC_STATIC_RUNTIME=false
 
cmake --build . --target install --config Release

2. Linux(Cross Compiling)

Clang cross-compile toolchain, Ninja and Unreal Engine Source Code are required

cd <prj_root>/build
mkdir _linux & cd _linux
cmake -G "Ninja" ..\..\protobuf-source\cmake ^
 -DCMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM=<ninja_install_path>\ninja.exe ^
 -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE="..\linux\ue4-linux-cross-compile.cmake" ^
 -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=_install ^
 -DUE4_ENGINE_PATH=<ue4_source_path>\Engine ^
 -Dprotobuf_BUILD_TESTS=false -Dprotobuf_WITH_ZLIB=false ^
 -Dprotobuf_BUILD_EXAMPLES=false ^
 -Dprotobuf_BUILD_PROTOC_BINARIES=false -Dprotobuf_BUILD_LIBPROTOC=false

cmake --build . --target install --config Release

3. Android

Android Studio is required. And you need install other additional sdk and tools through SDK Manager.

• Android NDK: r21b(21.4.7075529)
• Android SDK Build-Tools: 28.0.3
• Android SDK Command-line Tools
• CMake

Obtaining the correct component version is important. you can get the version info from this file: Engine\Extras\Android\SetupAndroid.bat

cd <prj_root>/build
mkdir _android & cd _android
"%ANDROID_HOME%\cmake\X.XX.X\bin\cmake.exe" -G "Ninja" ..\..\protobuf-source\cmake ^
 -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=_install ^
 -DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE="%NDK_ROOT%\build\cmake\android.toolchain.cmake" ^
 -DCMAKE_MAKE_PROGRAM=%ANDROID_HOME%\cmake\X.XX.X\bin\ninja.exe ^
 -Dprotobuf_BUILD_TESTS=false -Dprotobuf_WITH_ZLIB=false ^
 -Dprotobuf_BUILD_EXAMPLES=false ^
 -Dprotobuf_BUILD_PROTOC_BINARIES=false -Dprotobuf_BUILD_LIBPROTOC=false

"%ANDROID_HOME%\cmake\X.XX.X\bin\cmake.exe" --build . --target install --config Release

4. PlayStation 4

PS4 SDK(Orbis) is required.

cd <prj_root>/build
mkdir _ps4 & cd _ps4
"%SCE_ROOT_DIR%\ORBIS\Tools\CMake\PS4CMake.bat" ..\..\protobuf-source\cmake ^
 -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=_install ^
 -Dprotobuf_BUILD_TESTS=false -Dprotobuf_WITH_ZLIB=false ^
 -Dprotobuf_BUILD_EXAMPLES=false ^
 -Dprotobuf_BUILD_PROTOC_BINARIES=false -Dprotobuf_BUILD_LIBPROTOC=false ^
 -Dprotobuf_DISABLE_RTTI=true

cmake --build . --target install --config Release

5. PlayStation 5

PS5 SDK(Prospero) is required.

cd <prj_root>/build
mkdir _ps5 & cd _ps5
"%SCE_ROOT_DIR%\Prospero\Tools\CMake\PS5CMake.bat" ..\..\protobuf-source\cmake ^
 -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=_install ^
 -Dprotobuf_BUILD_TESTS=false -Dprotobuf_WITH_ZLIB=false ^
 -Dprotobuf_BUILD_EXAMPLES=false ^
 -Dprotobuf_BUILD_PROTOC_BINARIES=false -Dprotobuf_BUILD_LIBPROTOC=false ^
 -Dprotobuf_DISABLE_RTTI=true

cmake --build . --target install --config Release

6. Mac

Xcode and CMake are required.

cd <prj_root>/build
mkdir _mac && cd _mac
cmake -G "Unix Makefiles" ../../protobuf-source/cmake \
 -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=./_install \
 -Dprotobuf_BUILD_TESTS=false -Dprotobuf_WITH_ZLIB=false \
 -Dprotobuf_BUILD_EXAMPLES=false \
 -Dprotobuf_BUILD_PROTOC_BINARIES=false -Dprotobuf_BUILD_LIBPROTOC=false \
 -DCMAKE_OSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET=10.14 
 
cmake --build . --target install --config Release

7. iOS

Xcode and CMake are required.

cd <prj_root>/build
mkdir _ios && cd _ios
cmake -G "Unix Makefiles" ../../protobuf-source/cmake \
-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=./_install \
-DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=../ios/ios.toolchain.cmake -DPLATFORM=OS64 \
 -Dprotobuf_BUILD_TESTS=false -Dprotobuf_WITH_ZLIB=false \
 -Dprotobuf_BUILD_EXAMPLES=false \
 -Dprotobuf_BUILD_PROTOC_BINARIES=false -Dprotobuf_BUILD_LIBPROTOC=false 

cmake --build . --target install --config Release

License

Use The MIT License.

Reference

1. https://github.com/code4game/libprotobuf
2. https://unrealcommunity.wiki/standalone-dedicated-server-i5qjfc27
3. https://unrealcommunity.wiki/linking-static-libraries-using-the-build-system-1ahhe4vt
4. https://unrealcommunity.wiki/compiling-for-linux-nutp04d0
5. https://docs.unrealengine.com/4.27/en-US/SharingAndReleasing/Linux/