Learn the fundamentals of using Materials in Unreal Engine to define the visual surface properties of your 3D models. This guide will walk you through creating, editing, and applying a basic material.
In the Content Browser, right-click, go to Create Basic Asset, and select Material. Give your new Material asset a name.
Double-click your new Material asset to open it in the Material Editor. This is a node-based editor where you'll define the material's properties.
Right-click on the graph to bring up the node menu. For a simple color, search for and add a Constant3Vector node. You can also drag textures from the Content Browser directly into the graph.
Click and drag from the output pin of your node (e.g., the Constant3Vector) to an input pin on the main Material node, such as Base Color. The preview window will update instantly.
Click the Save button in the top-left of the Material Editor. Then, drag your Material asset from the Content Browser directly onto an object in your level viewport to apply it.
Tips for Mastering Unreal Engine Materials
For variations of a material (like different colors), create a Material Instance. They are much more efficient to render and allow you to change parameters without recompiling the base material.
Speed up your workflow in the Material Editor. Hold 3 and click to create a Constant3Vector (Color) node. Hold T and click to create a Texture Sample node.
Learn the core Physically Based Rendering (PBR) inputs like Metallic, Specular, and Roughness to create realistic surfaces. A value of 1 for Roughness makes a surface matte, while 0 makes it shiny.
In the Material Editor's preview viewport, you can change the preview mesh (sphere, cube, cylinder, etc.) to see how your material looks on different shapes.
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