Setup

New Project
- Preset > Film
  - Enable raytracing
Editor preferences >
- Level Editor >
  - Viewports > Controls >
    - Invert middle mouse pan : on
    - Advanced >
      - Use distance-based camera speed : on
      - Orbit camera around selection : on
- General >
  - New TRS Gizmo >
    - Enable new Gizmos : on
Project settings >
- Engine >
  - Rendering > Substrate >
    - Substrate materials (experimental) : on
    - Substrate opaque material rough refraction : on
Setup look dev scene
- Lookdev level
  - Add Level, lets call it material_lookdev
- Add HDRI Backdrop
  - on sky light set specified cube mat to an hdri
    - HDRI Backdrop > skylight (in the details hierarchy) > Light > Source type > SLS Specified cubemap
      - Set to the same as the top level one
  - Optinally
    - Lighting distance Factor >
      - Set this to 0 if you do not want the ground area to recieve lighting/shadows
    - use camera projection
      - Enable this to not get the hdri projected to the ground
- Add look dev meshes
  Note that you can filter on static meshes to find the geo faster
  - Shader Ball
    - Engine > SM_MatPreviewMesh_01
    - Tip!
      - Open the mesh in the sm editor (Ctrl + E)
      - In the Material Slots section, you can click the isolate checkbox to visualize the parts that are assosiated with the slot
  - Color calibrator
    - Engine > SM_ColorCalibrator
- Post Process Volume
  - Unbound
  - Exposure
    - Metering Mode : Manual
    - Exposure Compensation : 10 (ish)
  - pathtracing options

Materials

Basic Plastic / Metal

Create Material
- Content Browser > RMB > Material
- Call it M_basic
- Open the material
- Delete the Substrate UE4 Default Shading
Add Substrate Slab
- Add Substrate Slab
  - Tab > ‘slab..’ > Substrate Slab
  - Connect the output of the slab to the Front Material input of the material output node
BaseColor
- Add Vector 3 parameter
  - Add constant 3 vec : 3 + LMB click
  - RMB click constant > Convert to Parameter
    - Call the parm BaseColor
  - Connect to Diffuse Albedo of slab
- Organize
  - With the parm selected, details > Material Expression >
    - Group : 01 - BaseColor
    - Sort Priority : 0
F0
- Add Vector 3 parameter
  - Add constant 3 vec : 3 + LMB click
  - RMB click constant > Convert to Parameter
    - Call the parm F0
  - Connect to F0 of slab
- Organize
  - With the parm selected, details > Material Expression >
    - Group : 02 - F0
    - Sort Priority : 0
Roughness
- Add Scalar parameter
  - Add constant 1 vec : 1 + LMB click
  - RMB click constant > Convert to Parameter
    - Call the parm BaseColor
  - Tip!
    - Hold S + LMB click to create a scalar parm directly
  - Connect to Roughness of slab
- Organize
  - With the parm selected, details > Material Expression >
    - Group : 03 - Roughness
    - Sort Priority : 0
Normal
- *Add Texture Sample node
  - This will be used when no normal texture is specified
  - Note Not a Texture Sample Parameter.
  - tab > ‘texture…’ > TextureSample
  - In the details panel (of tex sample node) Set the default texture to a Flat Normal texture
- *Add Texture Sample Parameter node
  - Copy and paste the texture sample node
  - RMB Click > Convert to Parameter
  - Give it the name Normal Texture
- Add a Static Switch Parameter
  - tab > ‘static…’ > StaticSwitchParameter
  - Call it “Use Normal Texture”
  - Connecty the Texture Sanple Parameter to the True input
  - Connecty the Texture Sanple to the False input
  - Connct the output of he switch to the Normal input of the slab node
- Organize
  - With the parm selected, details > Material Expression >
    - Group : 03 - Roughness
    - Sort Priority : 0
- Add a Normal map UV transform
  - See below in the Material Functions setction how to do this
  - tab > ‘uv xfo…’ > ‘UV Xform Normal’
  - Connect to the input of the Uvs of the Normal Texture Sample Parametr node

Glass

Create Material
- Content Browser > RMB > Material
- Call it M_glass
- Open the material
- Delete the Substrate UE4 Default Shading
Add Substrate Slab
- Add Substrate Slab
  - Tab > ‘slab..’ > Substrate Slab
  - Connect the output of the slab to the Front Material input of the material output node
Material Detail Setup
- Select the material output node (or just click on empty graph space)
- Material > Bleand Mode : TranslucentColoredTransmittence
- Translucency > Lighting Mode : SurfaceForwardShading
- Refraction > Refraction Method : Index of Refraction
BaseColor
- Add Vector 3
  - Add constant 3 vec : 3 + LMB click
  - Set value to 0 (of all components)
    - You can use the value V input (of the HSV inputs) to set all components at once
  - Connect to Diffuse Albedo of slab
  - Note I willnot promote to parameter since so far I know I will not need to change this
SSS MFP
- This is the way we will conytrol the color of the glass
- Add a Substrate Transmittance-To-MeanFreePath node
  - tab > ‘free…’ > Substarte Helpers > Substrate Transmittance-To-MeanFreePath
  - Connect to MFP output to the SSS MFP input of the Slab node
- Glass Color*
  - Add Vector 3 parameter
    - Add constant 3 vec : 3 + LMB click
    - RMB click constant > Convert to Parameter
      - Call the parm Glass Color
    - Connect the output to the Transmittance Color of the Substrate Transmittance-To-MeanFreePath node.
  - Organize
    - With the parm selected, details > Material Expression >
      - Group : 01 - BaseColor
      - Sort Priority : 1
F0
- Add Vector 3 parameter
  - Add constant 3 vec : 3 + LMB click
  - RMB click constant > Convert to Parameter
    - Call the parm F0
  - Set the default value to 0.04
    - this is the default value of the F0 input of the slab node
    - you can see this by hovering the mouse pointer over the F= input of the slab
  - Connect to F0 of slab
- Organize
  - With the parm selected, details > Material Expression >
    - Group : 02 - F0 / F90
    - Sort Priority : 0
F90
- Add Vector 3 parameter
  - Add constant 3 vec : 3 + LMB click
  - RMB click constant > Convert to Parameter
    - Call the parm F90
  - Set the default value to 1.0
  - Connect to F90 of slab
- Organize
  - With the parm selected, details > Material Expression >
    - Group : 02 - F0 / F90
    - Sort Priority : 1
Roughness
- Add Scalar parameter
  - Hold S + LMB click
    - Call the parm Roughness
  - Connect to Roughness of slab
- Organize
  - With the parm selected, details > Material Expression >
    - Group : 03 - Roughness
    - Sort Priority : 0
IOR
- Add Scalar parameter
  - Hold S + LMB click
    - Call the parm IOR
  - Connect to Refraction (Index of Refraction) of Material output node
- Organize
  - With the parm selected, details > Material Expression >
    - Group : 06 - IOR
    - Sort Priority : 0
Normal
- TODO

Car Paint

Create Material
- Content Browser > RMB > Material
- Call it M_carpaint
- Open the material
- Delete the Substrate UE4 Default Shading
Add Substrate Slab
- Add Substrate Slab
  - Tab > ‘slab..’ > Substrate Slab
  - Connect the output of the slab to the Front Material input of the material output node
Base Color
- We will add a Flip / Flop options to our material
- Base Flip Colr
  - Color
    - Add Vector 3 parameter
    - Add constant 3 vec : 3 + LMB click
    - RMB click constant > Convert to Parameter
      - Call the parm Base Flip Color
  - Organize
    - Group : 01 - Base
    - Sort Priority : 0
- BaseColor Flop
  - Color
    - Add Vector 3 parameter
    - Add constant 3 vec : 3 + LMB click
    - RMB click constant > Convert to Parameter
      - Call the parm Base Flop Color
  - Organize
    - Group : 01 - Base
    - Sort Priority : 1
- Control Blend
  - Lerp
    - we will use a lerp node to blend between the colors
    - L + LMB click
    - connect the Flip Color to A and Flop to B
  - Fresnell
    - We willuse a frasnell node to control the Alpha ampunt of the lerp
    - tab > ‘fre…’ > Utility > Fresnell
    - Connect to the Alpha of the lerp node
  - Flip/Flop Amount
    - Create scalar parm and (S + LMB)
    - call it Flip/Flop Amount
    - Set default to 1.0
    - Organize
      - Group : 01 - Base
      - Sort Priority : 2
- Connect Diffuse Albedo
  - Connect the output of the lerp to the Diffuse Albedo input of the slab
Flake Color
- Copy and paste the setup we did for the Base Flip / Flop colors
- Rename the Parameter names from Base to Flake
  - Renamber to rename the Groups as well
- Connect to the F0 inpuit of slab
Flake Roughness
- Add Scalar parameter
  - Hold S + LMB click
    - Call the parm Flake Roughness
  - Set default to 0.5
  - Connect to Roughness of slab node
- Organize
  - With the parm selected, details > Material Expression >
    - Group : 02 - Flake
    - Sort Priority : 4
Flake Density
- Add Scalar parameter
  - Hold S + LMB click
    - Call the parm Flake Density
  - Set default to 15
  - Connect to Glint Density of slab node
- Organize
  - With the parm selected, details > Material Expression >
    - Group : 02 - Flake
    - Sort Priority : 5
Flake Scale
- To render the flakes we need uvs
  - Add a Texure Coordiantes node
- Add Scalar parameter
  - Hold S + LMB click
    - Call the parm Flake Scale
  - Set default to 10
- Organize
  - With the parm selected, details > Material Expression >
    - Group : 02 - Flake
    - Sort Priority : 6
- Multiply
  - To scale the flakes uvs we multiply the uv coords with the flake scale aprm
  - Connect to Glint UVs of slab
Clear Coat
- Creat a Substrate Slab for the clear coat
  - Tab > ‘slab..’ > Substrate Slab
- Diffuse Albedo
  - Create a vector, set the value to (0,0,0) and connect to Diffuse Albedo of the clear coat slab
  - We will not make a parameter of this
- F0
  - Create a constant 1, set the value to 0.05 and connect to F0 o9f the clear coat slab
  - We will not make a parameter of this
- Clear Coat Roughness
  - Create a scalar parm, call it Clear Coat Roughness and connect to The rouhgness of the clear coat slab
  - Set the default to 0.01, min to 0, max 1.0
  - Organize
    - Group : 10 - Clear Coat
    - Sort Priority : 0
- To make the clear coat transparent
  - We ass a Substrate Transmittance-To-MeanFreePath node
  - tab > ‘free…’ > Substarte Helpers > Substrate Transmittance-To-MeanFreePath
  - Connect to MFP output to the SSS MFP input of the clear coat slab node
Blend the Base & Clear Coat slabs
- Add a Substrate Vertical Layer
  - tab ‘verti…’ > Substrate Vertical Layer
- Connect the Clear Coat slab to the top input
- Connect the Base slab to the bottom input
- Create a scalar parm, call it Clear Coat Thickness
  - Set the default to 0.003
- Connect the Clear Coat Thickness parm to the Top Thickness of the Substrate Verticale Layer

Material Functions

MF_uv_xform_normal

Ctrl-C

Tiles and rotates tex coords. The groups are named to fit in the normal section of a material

UV Xform Normal
- Create a folder called functions and step inside
- RMB > Matrials > Material Functon
  - call it UV_xform_normal
- Add a Texture Coordinate node
  - tab > ‘coo…’ > TextureCoordinate
- Add a U Tiling parm
  - S + LMB click
    - Parm name : Normal U Tiling
    - Material Expression >
      - Group : 04 - Normal
      - Sort Priority : 20
- Add a V Tiling parm
  - S + LMB click
    - Parm name : Normal V Tiling
    - Material Expression >
      - Group : 04 - Normal
      - Sort Priority : 21
- Append the 2 scalars
  - Append Vector
- Multiply the TexCoord
  - with the resulting UV Vector
- Add a Custom Rotator
  - tab > ‘rot…’ > ‘Custom Rotator’
  - Add a scalar Parm > callit it Normal UV Rotation Amount
    - Material Expression >
      - Group : 04 - Normal
      - Sort Priority : 22
- Connectr the rotator:
  - Connect the multiplied tex coords to the UVs input of the rotator
  - Connect the ‘Normal UV Rotation Amount’ parm to the Rotation Angle of the rotator
  - Connect the output of the rotator to the Output result node
- Expose to Library
  - Click on an empty section of the Material Function graph
  - Enable the Material Function > Expose to Library checkbox

Tips

Nested Instances
- Note that you can create a Material Instance of another Material Instance
  - This can be handy if you want to create material that should inherit properties, but do some minor tweaks to lets say normal map or roughness
  - If we need to tweak the BaseColor of the parent MI it will adjsut all child instances aswell.
Chrome
- If we want to create a Chrome material set the FO to white and the Roughness to 0
- Set the BaseColor to black
  - If the F0 is set to (1,1,1) white the BaseColor has no effect
- Darker chrome
  - Set the F0 to a darker color (0.5, 0,5, 0.5)
  - Make sure that the BaseColor is at (0,0,0) (black)…
    - …since when we lower the FO it will start to have an effect
- Gold
  - introduce some saturaton in the F0
  - Can also play with the Roughness
Exagerate Glas Reflections
- The FO of a glass material should probably be at 0.04 but you can “increase” the reflaction by increasing the F0 value. You can even tint it to give a colored refelction.