Asset Naming Convention

Written by: Akram Taghavi-Burris | © Copyright 2024

Animation Assets

Category	Type	Prefix	Suffix	Example	Notes
Animation	Animation	ANM_		ANM_Spinner	Animation Clips or sequences are animations attached to a model or prefab
Animation	Animation Controller	ANM_	_CNTRL	ANM_Spinner_CNTRL	Animation controllers allow for the management and arrangement of various Animation Clips and the Transitions between them using a State Machine.

Audio Assets

Category	Type	Prefix	Suffix	Example	Notes
Audio	Music	MX_		MX_IslandTheme
Audio	Music - Background/Ambience	MX_	_BKG	MX_JollyRythm_BKG	Background music, designed to loop
Audio	Music - Cinematic	MX_	_CIN	MX_CityIntro_CIN
Audio	Sound Effect	SX_		SX_ScratchingMetal
Audio	Sound Effect - Ambience	SX_	_AMB	SX_ScratchingMetal
Audio	Sound Effect - Environmental	SX_	_ENV	SX_BabblingCreek_ENV
Audio	Sound Effect - Interactable	SX_	_INT	SX_ClickMe_Int
Audio	Dialog Voice	DV_	See Notes	DV_DarkKnight_attack_01 or DV_DarkKnight_00001	Suffix should denote the sound or sequence that the dialog is played

Light Assets

In addition to the prefix and suffix rules below an additional suffix of an index number is commonly added to distinguish between multiple lights in a scene.

Category	Type	Prefix	Suffix	Example	Notes
Light	Area Light	Light_	_A	Light_Overhead_A_02	Area light emits light from a rectangular or circular area, used for even and diffuse illumination like overhead lights.
Light	Directional Light	Light_	_D	Light_MainHall_D_01	Directional light simulates sunlight or other distant light sources with parallel light rays for general illumination.
Light	IES Light	Light_	_I	Light_Corridor_I_01	IES light uses real-world photometric data for accurate light distribution. Commonly supported in Unreal Engine.
Light	Light Map	LightMap_	N/A	LightMap_Scene_Baked	Light maps store baked lighting information to enhance scene realism and improve performance for static objects.
Light	Light Probe	LightProbe_	N/A	LightProbe_ScenePoint_01	Light probes capture and store lighting data to simulate realistic lighting for dynamic objects.
Light	Point Light	Light_	_P	Light_Lamp_P_01	Point light emits light in all directions from a single point, simulating sources like lamps.
Light	Rectangular Light	Light_	_R	Light_Window_R_01	Rectangular light emits light from a rectangular shape, simulating sources such as windows or large fixtures. Commonly supported in Unreal Engine.
Light	Spot Light	Light_	_S	Light_RedGlow_S_01	Spot light emits light in a cone-shaped beam, ideal for highlighting specific areas like red glow effects.

Materials and Textures

Category	Type	Prefix	Suffix	Example	Notes
Material	Material	M_	N/A	M_BrickWall
Material	Material Decal	M_	_Decal	M_WarningSign_Decal	Decals are materials that decorate the surface of other materials, used for effects like splatters, signs, and stickers.
Material	UI Material	M_	_UI	M_ButtonBackground_UI	Materials specific to UI elements.
Material	Procedural Material	M_	_Proc	M_ProceduralBrick_Proc	Procedural materials generated by code.
Texture	Texture	T_	N/A	T_RubbyJewel	The base map texture image.
Texture	Texture - Ambient Occlusion	T_	_AO	T_RubbyJewel_AO	An ambient occlusion texture simulates subtle shading and depth cues based on light reach.
Texture	Texture - Emission Map	T_	_E	T_RubbyJewel_E	An emission map texture defines which parts of an object emit light or glow, creating emissive effects.
Texture	Texture - Height Map	T_	_H	T_RubbyJewel_H	A height map texture creates detailed terrain or landscape features by defining elevation.
Texture	Texture - Metallic Map	T_	_M	T_RubbyJewel_M	A metallic map texture controls reflectivity, simulating various materials with different levels of metal-like properties.
Texture	Texture - Normal Map	T_	_N	T_RubbyJewel_N	A normal map texture adds surface detail or "bumpiness" to a 3D model, creating the illusion of raised or depressed areas.
Texture	Texture Cube	TC_	N/A	TC_ParkDaylight	A cubemap is a collection of six square textures representing environment reflections, often used for skyboxes.

Models and Prefabs

Category	Type	Prefix	Suffix	Example	Notes
Models	Static Mesh	SM_	N/A	SM_ParkBench
Models	Skeletal Mesh	SK_	N/A	SK_VikingDwarf	Any model with a rig, typically characters.
Prefab	-	-	-	ParkBench	Prefabs are named descriptively and displayed in blue, making them easily identifiable.
Prefabs	Prefab Variant	V_	N/A	V_ParkBench	Variant of an existing prefab for different states.

Scenes

Category	Type	Prefix	Suffix	Example	Notes
Scene	Level Scene	Level_	_01, _02, etc.	Level_City_01	Use for gameplay levels, e.g., a city level in an open-world game.
Scene	UI Scene	UI_	_MainMenu, _Options, etc.	UI_MainMenu	Use for menus and user interfaces, such as the main menu or options screen.
Scene	Cutscene Scene	Cutscene_	_Level3_End, _Intro, etc.	Cutscene_Level3_End	Use for narrative moments that interrupt gameplay, like cutscenes at the end of a level.
Scene	Loading Scene	Loading_	_Level2, _GameStart, etc.	Loading_Level2	Use for load screens that appear between levels or during game loading.
Scene	Start Scene	Start_	_SplashScreen, _TitleCard, etc.	Start_SplashScreen	Use for intro/start scenes that display before the main game begins, such as a splash screen.
Scene	End Scene	End_	_Credits, _GameOver, etc.	End_Credits	Use for end screens that play after completing a level or finishing the game, like credits rolls.
Scene	Test Scene	Test_	N/A	Test_Physics, Test_Climb	Use for testing scenes and prototypes, e.g., to test physics simulations or other gameplay mechanics.

Shaders

Category	Type	Prefix	Suffix	Example	Notes
Shader	Surface Shader	SHD_	N/A	SHD_Reflective	Standard or custom shaders used for surface materials.
Shader	Post Processing	SHD_	_PP	SHD_Blur_PP	Shaders used in post-processing effects.

Special Effects

Category	Type	Prefix	Suffix	Example	Notes
Particle System	General Effect	PS_	N/A	PS_Fireball, PS_Smoke, PS_Explosion	A particle system is a framework for generating and controlling multiple small graphical elements (particles) to create complex visual effects like fire, smoke, or explosions.
Volume	Post-Processing	Vol_	_PP	Vol_Cityscape_PP, Vol_Underwater_PP	Defines areas with specific post-processing effects, such as color grading or bloom.
Volume	Trigger Zone	Vol_	_Trigger	Vol_PlayerEnter_Trigger, Vol_EnemySpawn_Trigger	Defines areas that trigger events or logic when a player or object enters them.