Vertex Painting Materials: The Art of Precision Painting in UE

➡️What are Vertex Painting Materials? Have you ever wished to paint your 3D models with great precision and detail? In Unreal Engine, vertex painting provides a robust solution that lets you do just that. 

➡️By assigning colors to individual vertices allows you to produce dynamic masks that control material properties – meaning your models can look lifelike and responsive. This tutorial will explore the art and science behind vertex painting: starting with creating a simple sphere and a plane with more complex geometry on which we can unleash our creativity. 

➡️Get ready for some fun as we show you how to use this flexible toolset and use vertex painting materials in Unreal Engine to transform your 3D assets!

Vertex Painting Materials – Workflow

Setting Up the Scene

  1. Add a sphere: Create a sphere in your scene and scale it to a larger size.

Check the topology: Using Wireframe mode, observe the sphere’s topology. More vertices generally lead to better painting results.

  1. Understanding Vertex Painting

    1. Switch to Mesh Paint Mode: To access the vertex painting tools, switch to Mesh Paint Mode.
    2. RGB Channels: Each asset in Unreal has an RGB map. The Mesh Paintbrush allows you to switch between these channels and add or remove color values.
    3. Color View Modes:
      • Red Channel: By checking only the red channel and switching to Red Color View Mode, you can focus on modifying the red component.

    RGB Channel: When all three channels are active, the color appears white. Removing the red channel in this view will reveal the blue channel underneath.

Creating a Plane with Sufficient Topology

  1. Replace the sphere: Remove the sphere and add a plane instead.
  2. Increase topology: The plane’s default topology may be too low for effective vertex painting.
    • Modeling Mode: Switch to Modeling Mode, select the plane, and adjust its dimensions (e.g., 1000×1000).

Subdivisions: Increase the number of subdivisions (e.g., 50×50) to create a denser mesh

Creating a Master Material

  1. New Material: Create a new material and name it “M_VertexPaintMaster.”
  2. Texture Parameters: Add two TextureSampleParameter2D nodes and name them “Base Color 1” and “Base Color 2.” Set one texture to black and the other to white.
  3. Vertex Color and Lerp: Add a Vertex Color node and a Lerp node. Connect them as shown in the image.

Test the Material: Drag and drop the material onto the mesh and test it with the vertex paintbrush. You should see the transition between the black and white textures.

Adding More Complexity

  1. Copy and Paste: Duplicate the Base Color parameters and rename them “Normal 1” and “Normal 2.” Set their texture base to the T_Normal texture map.
  2. Lerp and Redirector: Add a Lerp node and connect it to the Vertex Color node. Use a redirector to simplify connections.
  3. AORM: Add two more TextureSampleParameter2D nodes for AORM and connect them using Lerp nodes.

Save and Test: Save the changes and test the material to ensure it’s working as expected.

Material Instance and Texture Placement

  1. Create a Material Instance: In the Content Drawer, create a Material Instance from the Master Material.
  2. Download Textures: Use Quixel Bridge to download grass and stone textures.
  3. Assign Textures: Open the Material Instance and assign the textures to the appropriate Base Color, Normal, and AORM parameters.

Test on Plane: Apply the Material Instance to the plane and use the vertex paintbrush to see the transition between the materials.

Adding Height Control

  1. HeightLerp Node: Add a HeightLerp node and connect it to the Vertex Color node.
  2. Adjust AORM: Move the AORM node below the Vertex Color and detach its connection from the Lerp node.
  3. Metallic Parameters: Add two parameters named “Metallic 1” and “Metallic 2” and connect them to the Lerp node.
  4. Height Controls: Add parameters named “Height Contrast” and “Height Strength” and connect them to the Multiply node.

Save and Test: Save the changes and test the material to see how the height controls affect the transition.

Additional Features

  1. Switch Node and Static Bool Parameter: Add a Switch node and a Static Bool Parameter named “Is This A Bridge Material?” to control whether a noise texture is applied.
  2. Noise Texture: Add a TextureSampleParameter2D node with a noise texture and connect it to the Switch node.
  3. Multiply Node: Add a Multiply node to control the intensity of the noise effect.
  4. Metallic Switch: Add another Switch node and Static Bool Parameter to control the metallic values based on the bridge material.

Vertex Parameter and Switch: Add a Vertex Parameter and Switch node to the Base Color nodes to allow for color changes

Conclusion

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