Mountains Rocks Unreal Engine Material
n this video, I demonstrate the creation of a procedural master material for mountain rocks, designed for versatility and performance. The process begins with establishing a core tileable texture set for the base color, normal, and RMA channels. I use a 'Material Function' workflow to modularize different aspects of the material, such as detail texturing and wear, which allows for easier management and reuse.
I integrate a 'Vertex Color' blend workflow to enable artists to paint different texture layers onto a mesh, such as different types of rock or moss. I then implement a curvature-driven procedural mask to automatically apply dirt or grime to the crevices and edges of the mesh, enhancing realism without manual painting.
The material is then made parameterized by exposing various properties like color tints, roughness, and tiling scale. This is achieved using 'ScalarParameter' and 'VectorParameter' nodes, which are crucial for creating a user-friendly Material Instance. Finally, I showcase the real-time adjustments and the final result on a 3D model, highlighting the flexibility and artistic control offered by this material setup.
A video would show the material being built in Unreal Engine, from connecting core textures to adding procedural effects. It would demonstrate exposing parameters for easy control, ending with a live example of the material's real-time customization.
A wide view of the Unreal Engine material graph, showing a complex network of nodes. It's organized into logical groups, each controlling a different part of the cliff material's appearance.
A focused shot of the main material graph. It shows how various textures and parameters are processed to create the fundamental look of the cliff, including color, normal details, and roughness.
A close-up view of the node network. This section shows how different texture maps are combined and how masks are used to blend layers, adding rich surface detail to the cliff material.
This image focuses on a specific procedural effect. It shows how nodes use a curvature mask to add detail like dirt or wear, making the material look more realistic and naturally worn.
The final output. On the left is the rendered material. On the right, the details panel shows exposed parameters like "Top Tint" and "Dirt Tint," allowing for easy customization of the material.