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Unreal 5 Materials - Part 1 Environments

Thomas Harle

Part 1 of this course covers a holistic overview of the Material Editor in Unreal 5 - from Material Types and Blend Modes to individual Math Nodes and Input Data, focusing on not just the How to do things but also the Why and looking at the underlying logic and math behind what the engine is doing.  Covering how to build up your own Material Functions and build that into your workflow to produce powerful and flexible Materials. We also take a deep dive into UV's - how they work in the engine and how we can take that knowledge and produce effects such as Distortion, Animation, and Parallax Occlusion Mapping.

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Part 1 of this course covers a holistic overview of the Material Editor in Unreal 5 - from Material Types and Blend Modes to individual Math Nodes and Input Data, focusing on not just the How to do things but also the Why and looking at the underlying logic and math behind what the engine is doing.  Covering how to build up your own Material Functions and build that into your workflow to produce powerful and flexible Materials. We also take a deep dive into UV's - how they work in the engine and how we can take that knowledge and produce effects such as Distortion, Animation, and Parallax Occlusion Mapping.

Part 2 of the course then takes this knowledge and applies it to Environmental Materials, covering:

  • Master Materials and some best practices in how to build them,

  • Decals and their various blend modes - as well as more complex effects such as Angle Based Masking and Custom Decal responses,

  • Vertex Painting to blend between material types,

  • various approaches to make Landscape Materials and using RVTs to blend objects into them,

  • the new Layered Materials system

  • how to use Input Data to automate variation in materials and create angle based effects such as Snow.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Have a holistic understanding of the material editor in unreal 5
  • Learn best practices and workflows for using functions and producing optimal materials
  • Explore how to use data from elsewhere in the engine to build dynamic materials
  • Apply all the base knowledge to environmental examples, such as landscapes and vertex painting

Syllabus

Download the source files
Where to download
Introduction
Introduction to the Material Editor and UI
Read more
Break down of different Node Types
Best practice Workflow in the Material Editor
Apply the correct Material Type and understand the differences between them
Opaque Materials
Masked Materials
Dither Fade Materials
Translucent Materials
Refraction in Materials
Additive Materials
Modulate Materials
Premultiplied Materials
Alpha Holdout Materials
Understand the difference between the different Blend Modes offered in the Engine and where to use them
Lit and Unlit Materials
Subsurface Materials
Clear Coat Materials
Hair and Eye Materials

In this video we have a look at the Cloth Blend mode and the Fuzzy Shading material function

Single Layer Water and Thin Translucency Materials
Blend Mode by Expression
Material Editor Math Nodes
Data Types
Mask and Append
Add Subtract Multiply Divide and One Minus
Power
Sine Waves and Constant Bias Scale
Abs Clamp Min and Max
Floor Ceiling and Frac
If Lerp and SmoothStep
Normalize Dot Product Cross Product and DeriveNormalZ
Panner and Rotator
RotateAboutAxis and Transform
Desaturate
DepthFade and CameraDepthFade
Fresnel
Vertex Interpolator
Distance
Learning how to bring information about your models and scene into your materials
Position Orientation and Scale
World Position
Vertex Colour
Custom Primitive Data
Vertex Normal and Pixel Normal
Two Sided Sign
Time
Camera Position and Vector
Pixel Depth and Scene Depth
Per Instance Random and Fade
Screen Position and View Size
Particles
DDX and DDY
Reflection Vector
Sky Atmosphere Data
Scene Colour
Understand what UV's are under the hood and how we can use them and manipulate them in our shaders
UV Gradients
UV Tiling
Animated Textures
Scaling UVs
Gradient Mapping
UV Distortion
Bump Offset and POM
Understand how to apply and build functions for use in their materials
Perturb Normal HQ
Flipbook
Object Position Randomness
Add Randomness
Offset Contrast
World Space Modifier Functions
Add Noise to Gradient
Auto Landscape Helper Functions
Know how to best build and work with Master Materials and Instances
Qpaque Master Materials
Master Material Functions
Masked Master Materials
Translucent Master Materials
Learn how to use and edit the different Decal blend modes available in UE5
Decal Basics
Angle Masking
POM Decals

Please note that there's been a change to the workflow in later versions of Unreal:

Instead of disabling Receives Decals in the actor properties you now need to set the Decal Response setting inside the material to None.


Using data from the world directly students will learn how to add variation and create dynamically responsive materials
Object Position Random
Add Random Function
Projection Overlay
World Space Moss
World Space Snow
Detail Normals and Distance Based Tiling
Students will learn how to build up a complex Vertex Painting material and blend between different surface types
Simple Vertex Painting
Adding Noise to the Painting edges
Using a Height map to blend materials
3 Layer Blends and Additional Layers
Learn how to create various types of Landscape blending and use Grass outputs and RVTs to blend assets
Weight Blending

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Unreal 5 Materials - Part 1 Environments with these activities:
Review Linear Algebra Fundamentals
Reviewing linear algebra will help you better understand the math behind material transformations and UV manipulation in Unreal Engine 5.
Browse courses on Linear Algebra
Show steps
  • Review vector operations (addition, subtraction, dot product, cross product).
  • Study matrix transformations (translation, rotation, scaling).
  • Practice applying transformations to simple shapes.
Read 'Realistic Texturing with Photoshop and Painter'
Reading this book will provide a strong foundation in texturing techniques, which are crucial for creating realistic environmental materials in Unreal Engine 5.
View Putting Knowledge to Work on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the chapters on creating different types of textures (e.g., stone, wood, metal).
  • Experiment with the techniques described in the book using Photoshop or Painter.
  • Try to recreate some of the textures in Unreal Engine 5.
Create a Material Function Library
Building a library of reusable material functions will streamline your workflow and improve the consistency of your materials.
Show steps
  • Identify common material operations you frequently use.
  • Create material functions for each operation (e.g., noise generation, color manipulation).
  • Organize your functions into a well-documented library.
  • Test your functions in different materials.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Follow Advanced UV Mapping Tutorials
Following tutorials on advanced UV mapping techniques will help you create more complex and detailed materials.
Show steps
  • Search for tutorials on topics like UV unwrapping, seams, and texel density.
  • Practice applying these techniques to your own models.
  • Experiment with different UV layouts to optimize texture usage.
Environmental Material Study
Working on a personal project will allow you to apply the concepts learned in the course and experiment with different techniques.
Show steps
  • Choose a specific environment to recreate (e.g., forest, desert, urban scene).
  • Gather reference images and analyze the materials used in that environment.
  • Create master materials and instances for the different surfaces in your environment.
  • Use vertex painting, decals, and landscape blending to add detail and variation.
Read 'The Substance Designer Cookbook'
Studying this book will help you understand procedural texturing workflows, which can be applied to create complex materials in Unreal Engine 5.
View Putting Knowledge to Work on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the recipes that are relevant to environmental materials (e.g., stone, wood, metal).
  • Try to recreate the materials in Substance Designer.
  • Export the textures and use them in your Unreal Engine 5 materials.
Material Showcase Presentation
Creating a presentation will help you solidify your understanding of the material editor and communicate your knowledge to others.
Show steps
  • Select a few of your best materials to showcase.
  • Prepare a presentation that explains the techniques you used to create each material.
  • Include screenshots and videos to demonstrate the materials in action.
  • Present your materials to your peers or online community.

Career center

Learners who complete Unreal 5 Materials - Part 1 Environments will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Material Artist
The role of a Material Artist is centered around crafting high-quality materials for 3D environments, and a course like this one is extremely relevant. Material Artists use tools to create textures, shaders, and other visual elements that define the surfaces within a game or simulation. As a Material Artist, you are expected to understand the different material types and blend modes as covered in this course. Knowing how to use math nodes and input data will enhance your ability to produce dynamic and realistic materials. This course gives aspiring Material Artists practical knowledge of how to create a wide variety of environmental materials, including landscapes and vertex painting. In addition, you will understand how to build functions for use in materials. The course provides practical skills directly applicable to the day-to-day tasks of a Material Artist.
See salaries and explore the career path for Material Artist
Environment Artist
Environment Artists create the immersive worlds that players explore in games and simulations. Environment creation relies heavily on the creation and application of materials, and a course like this one is therefore essential. Environment Artists use material editors to craft realistic surfaces, blend textures, and create visual variety across landscapes. This course provides a deep dive into environmental materials, covering master materials, decals, vertex painting, and landscape materials. The hands-on approach to building and editing materials is crucial for creating believable environments. Environment Artists working with Unreal Engine should take this course to build a solid foundation in material creation and manipulation.
See salaries and explore the career path for Environment Artist
Technical Artist
A Technical Artist bridges the gap between art and programming, and this course provides a valuable skillset. Technical Artists develop tools and workflows that assist artists in realizing their vision within technical constraints. Material creation and optimization are integral to this role. You may find yourself working with shaders, UV mapping, and material functions, all of which are covered in detail in the course. This course provides a strong grounding in the material editor, enabling Technical Artists to create efficient and visually appealing material systems. You will also be able to use data from elsewhere in the engine to build dynamic materials. A Technical Artist with skills honed by this course can create optimized workflows for environment artists.
See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Artist
Shader Developer
Shader Developers write code that controls how objects are rendered on screen. A course on Unreal Engine materials helps provide necessary context. Shader Developers need to understand the underlying math and logic of material creation in order to write efficient and visually stunning shaders. This course provides a holistic overview of the material editor, covering material types, blend modes, math nodes, and input data. This knowledge allows Shader Developers to create custom shaders and special effects. Shader Developers who understand how to build functions for use in materials will be able to craft visually and performant effects. This course teaches techniques that can be directly applied to shader development.
See salaries and explore the career path for Shader Developer
Simulation Developer
Simulation Developers create realistic simulations for training, research, and other purposes, and a course like this is useful. Material creation is a key aspect of creating realistic and visually accurate simulations. Simulation Developers need to understand how materials interact with light, how to create realistic textures, and how to optimize materials for performance. This course provides a strong foundation in material creation, covering material types, blend modes, and the use of math nodes to create custom materials. A course like this one can help simulation developers.
See salaries and explore the career path for Simulation Developer
Game Developer
Game Developers are involved in all aspects of game creation, and understanding materials is crucial for creating visually appealing games. A course on Unreal Engine materials is extremely valuable. Game Developers often need to create or modify materials to achieve specific visual effects or optimize performance. This course provides a strong foundation in material creation, covering material types, blend modes, and the use of math nodes. Game Developers can use this knowledge to create custom materials, optimize existing materials, and troubleshoot material-related issues. The skills taught in this course can also be applied to other game engines. For example, you will learn to apply all the base knowledge to environmental examples, such as Landscapes and Vertex Painting.
See salaries and explore the career path for Game Developer
Virtual Reality Developer
Virtual Reality Developers create immersive experiences, and materials play a crucial role in creating realism and visual appeal. A course on Unreal Engine materials helps provide context. Virtual Reality Developers use material editors to craft realistic surfaces, optimize materials for performance, and create interactive effects. This course provides a comprehensive overview of the material editor, covering material types, blend modes, and the use of input data to create dynamic materials. Virtual Reality Developers can use this knowledge to create visually stunning and performant virtual environments. The principles taught in this course can be applied to a wide range of VR projects. This course will show them how to explore how to use data from elsewhere in the Engine to build dynamic materials.
See salaries and explore the career path for Virtual Reality Developer
Augmented Reality Developer
Augmented Reality Developers create applications that overlay digital content onto the real world and a background in materials helps. Augmented Reality Developers use material editors to create realistic surfaces, optimize materials for mobile devices, and create interactive effects that blend seamlessly with the real world. This course provides a strong foundation in the material editor, covering material types, blend modes, and the use of input data to create dynamic materials. Augmented Reality Developers can use this knowledge to create visually appealing and performant AR experiences. This course will show them how to explore how to use data from elsewhere in the Engine to build dynamic materials. This course may be useful to AR developers.
See salaries and explore the career path for Augmented Reality Developer
Architectural Visualization Specialist
Architectural Visualization Specialists create realistic renderings and animations of architectural designs. Material creation skills are crucial for creating visually appealing and accurate representations of buildings and interiors. This course provides a strong foundation in material creation, covering material types, blend modes, and the use of input data to create dynamic materials. Architectural Visualization Specialists can use this knowledge to create visually stunning and realistic architectural visualizations. This course will show them how to explore how to use data from elsewhere in the Engine to build dynamic materials. This course may be useful for architectural visualization specialists.
See salaries and explore the career path for Architectural Visualization Specialist
Lighting Artist
Lighting Artists are responsible for creating the mood and atmosphere of a scene through the use of lighting techniques and the role benefits from a course on materials. Understanding how materials respond to light is crucial for creating realistic and visually appealing scenes. This course provides an overview of the material editor, and the different material types. Lighting Artists can use this knowledge to create more realistic and visually stunning lighting setups. The knowledge of material types is highly relevant for lighting. This course may be useful for a lighting artist.
See salaries and explore the career path for Lighting Artist
3D Modeler
3D Modelers create the digital assets that are used in games, movies, and other applications. A course on Unreal Engine materials can be useful for modelers. While 3D Modelers primarily focus on the geometry of objects, understanding how materials are applied and how they interact with light is essential for creating realistic and visually appealing models. This course provides an overview of the material editor, covering material types, blend modes, and the use of UV mapping. A 3D Modeler will be able to create models that are optimized for use with Unreal Engine Materials. The knowledge of UVs can be brought into model creation. This may be useful for 3D modelers.
See salaries and explore the career path for 3D Modeler
Level Designer
Level Designers create the layouts and gameplay spaces for video games, and a course on Unreal Engine materials may be useful. While Level Designers primarily focus on the overall structure and flow of levels, understanding how materials are used to create visual variety and guide the player is important for creating immersive and engaging experiences. This course provides an overview of environmental materials, covering master materials, decals, vertex painting, and landscape materials. Level Designers with a background in materials can create more visually appealing and immersive levels. The knowledge of landscape materials is relevant for level design. This course may be useful to level designers.
See salaries and explore the career path for Level Designer
Digital Sculptor
Digital Sculptors create high-resolution 3D models for various purposes, and a course like this one can make a big difference. While their primary focus is on sculpting detailed forms, understanding materials and how light interacts with surfaces is beneficial. This course provides insights into material types and properties within Unreal Engine. By understanding these concepts, Digital Sculptors can better prepare their models for texturing and integration into Unreal Engine projects. The insights into UV mapping covered in this course can also inform sculpting decisions. It can help the digital sculptors master the art of creating realistic and visually captivating digital sculptures.
See salaries and explore the career path for Digital Sculptor
Motion Graphics Artist
Motion Graphics Artists create animated graphics and visual effects for various media. A course on Unreal Engine materials is unexpected, but has valuable information. While motion graphics often rely on simpler visual styles, understanding materials can add depth and realism to certain projects. This course provides an overview of material types, blend modes, and the use of math nodes to create custom effects. Motion Graphics Artists can use this knowledge to create more sophisticated and visually appealing animations. The knowledge of blend modes is relevant for motion graphics. This course may be useful to motion graphics artists.
See salaries and explore the career path for Motion Graphics Artist
Product Designer
Product Designers create the visual appearance and functionality of consumer products. A course on Unreal Engine materials can provide a competitive edge. Understanding materials and how they are rendered in 3D can be valuable for product designers who need to create realistic visualizations of their designs. This course provides an overview of material types, blend modes, and the use of lighting. Product Designers can use this knowledge to create more compelling and visually accurate product renderings. The knowledge of reflection in materials is relevant for product design. This course may be useful for product designers.
See salaries and explore the career path for Product Designer

Reading list

We've selected one books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Unreal 5 Materials - Part 1 Environments.
Cover image
Putting Knowledge to Work
Save
Provides a comprehensive guide to creating realistic textures, which is essential for environmental materials in Unreal Engine 5. It covers various techniques for generating textures, including using Photoshop and Painter. While not directly focused on Unreal Engine, the texturing principles and workflows are highly applicable. This book is more valuable as additional reading to deepen your understanding of texturing.
Putting Knowledge to Work
Paperback
Check
Putting Knowledge to Work
Kindle Edition
Check

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Effort
14.5 total hours
Via
Udemy
Instructor
Thomas Harle
Language
English
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