How to Create Landscape Materials in Unreal Engine Without Repeating Stuff

Learn how to create landscape materials without repeating stuff using the material layers workflow.

Material Layers is quite expensive to use in terms of shader complexity. Shader complexity can be misleading in that it only counts instructions but doesn't necessarily account for the fact that some instructions can be trivial. It shouldn't matter for PC and console games but this may be too expensive for mobile. Also, it's great for prototyping and cinematics.

[roberttaylor]

It's a lot less work if you simply put the sample layer node on the other instead of in the middle. Additionally, it really depends on the project. Sure, this has a great deal of potential. However, it has it's drawbacks and limitations just like anything else. I have no issues giving it another go but it was far more difficult to set up the physical material output node, which makes things MUCH easier when trying to do things such as different footsteps and particle effects depending on the layer. So, it's not a work smarter not harder scenario. It's a work for what's best in your project.

[saimon]

This is ghe first time I see someone succesfully using the Material Layers system for landscapes in a way you can still paint those layers. Thank you! Brilliant

[ChinyONE]

never been before called out as whimp by a tutorial. The activate Windows adds to the flair. Im subbed

[TheBrennan]

Yo great walkthrough, the info and how easy to understand made me subscribe, will try it out either today or tomorrow.

[wilismatrix]

wooh I used layered materials on landscape to be able to use masks generated from world creator because it is the easiest way but I never found a way on how to add a the manual paint functionality. Bravo !!

[caseynarrates]

Good stuff! Thank you for the great content! This is so helpful to me. Subbed.

[GabNu]

good job mate, very informative and loved the dry humour!

[blackdevilcreations]

This is awesome!!
Great work and i learned good stuff here.❤

[TorQueMoD]

Great video! Thanks for sharing the asset too!

[IgorPikalov]

Very good tutorial! And also good material!

[williammccranie]

Excellent work, it will be very helpful. Thanks.

[gabrieldoublet]

Hey, thank you for this material works really well on my landscape! Could be cool to have an in depth tutorial of your landscape material. for example on how to use the triplanar projection, how to add puddles, displacement, how to use Virtual texture on quixel assets etc... Thank you !

[KiwiHawk-downunder-nz]

How would you add or set one of these layers as a height adjustable layer for seabeds and beach's when making island please?

[distructed]

How would you go about addaing more Materials/Layers to the slope? so adding snow on mountain tops for example?

[themoodoflk]

What a hidden gem! hopefully, your channel will explode!

[_DadBy_]

I hope they can get Material Layers working with the new Substrate stuff...

[uhhhzane]

When I open the project you provided there is nothing showing in the content window. The files are all there though in the content folder. I have looked and I do not have any search view settings on. Any idea why that is?

[RUSOBPK]

Hey! I found an error while trying to apply this to materials with displacement/tessellation. Any idea how to bypass the engine preventing me from doing the slope layer?

[bernhardhelbling]

Wow - GREAT Tutorial. Thank you! I am a beginner so I downloaded your porject. Under 5.3 the mountain looks beautiful - but in 5.4 the image is really not the same (less details and structure looks like "washed"). Even I migrate your 5.3-project to 5.4 very unhappy. Do you have any idea what's the problem?

[nugblyv]

@Paul Gabriel or Anyone have time to help explain how to use this and how to add texture/layers to auto fill and paint with ..? Im at a loss still ..?