# texLab

**Editor plugin for Unreal Engine 5.8** — pack PBR texture channels, preview before save, batch entire folders, and wire materials without leaving the editor.

These pages are **exported** from the private texLab repo (`doc/operation-manual.md`, `doc/quick-start-5min.md`, plugin Help glossary, `Resources/Demo/README.md`). After a Help change, re-export and **git push** `armasonix/texLabDocs` or the live site stays stale.

## What texLab does

- **Pack** separate maps (Base Color, Normal, AO, Roughness, Metallic, …) into Unreal-friendly outputs (ORM, Masks, BC5 Normal, …)
- **Repack** existing packed files when channel order must change
- **Preview** live — Working, Encoded, and Delta modes match **Create Outputs**
- **Batch** folders with **Validate** first (zero writes) then **Execute**
- **Trace provenance** on every generated texture

texLab is **editor-only** (Win64). It is not a runtime game plugin.

## Quick links

| Page | Use when |
|------|----------|
| [Quick Start (5 min)](quick-start) | First successful Manual pack on shipped demo `/texLab/texLabDemo/` |
| [Operation Manual](operation-manual) | Full workflows — Manual, Batch, Library, Semantics, Materials |
| [Glossary](glossary) | ORM, RMA, MaterialBase, provenance, … |
| [Demo content](demo-content) | Shipped PNG layout and naming |

## Requirements

| Item | Notes |
|------|--------|
| **Unreal Engine** | **5.8.x** (Fab descriptor **5.8.0**); verified on **5.7.4** and **5.8.1** |
| **Platform** | **Win64** editor |
| **Install** | Copy plugin to `<Project>/Plugins/texLab/`, enable in **Edit → Plugins** |

## Support

- **Email:** [armasonix@gmail.com](mailto:armasonix@gmail.com)
- **Fab listing:** [texLab on Fab](https://www.fab.com/portal/listings/a53903c7-ae83-4eea-96a8-42178212a3ba)

Offline copy ships inside the plugin: `Plugins/texLab/Resources/Help/operation-manual.md`.