Materials Glow Query, UE 4.26

Is there a means so as to add a cloth glow to meshes with out altering each single materials that’s on a mesh?

I’m eager to do some glows on characters and presumably another meshes, and I’m attempting to do it simply with supplies. I do know I may change each single materials that might presumably be modified, however that additionally would entail a number of work for a easy impact.

So, is there a strategy to do one thing like this with out altering each single materials individually?

There’s a methodology you’ll be able to arrange by way of Blueprint, the place it mainly duplicates a skeletal mesh and mirrors the entire animations on it, which you need to use as a form of “shell mesh” and apply a easy emissive materials with some world place offset to the verts (to push them out somewhat to keep away from overlap and z combating).

Manufacturing-wise, it’s cheaper from a efficiency standpoint so as to add the glow in your grasp character/prop materials and modify it by way of blueprint or anim curve, however if you wish to keep away from that it’s attainable to make use of the above methodology.

I do know duplicating meshes is one thing that’s been averted purposefully, so I’ll look into doing that as an alternative. I got here right here to examine to see if anyone knew one other means in addition to these two, but when that’s my choices, then I’ll take care of them.

Thanks on your response

It actually simply relies on the mission. You probably have one thing like Diablo or Darktide the place you might have dozens and even a whole lot of characters reside all utilizing that characteristic, the price will stack up fast. However if in case you have a sport the place solely a small variety of situations can ever use it, like simply the primary participant, try to be secure

You are able to do it as a post-process impact materials utilizing stencils

Calculate dot product from digital camera to world regular and also you get the fresnel gow, set it with an influence node for finer tuning then mix it with the ultimate body.
I used overlay mix, you need to use add or different mixing strategies, additionally you’ll be able to mission noises from digital camera area for extra variations.

Thanks for that as nicely and the instance. I don’t know an excessive amount of about submit processing stuff with UE, nevertheless it’s one thing I do know I’ve to be taught. Is submit course of materials efficiency heavy?

I’m guessing you simply specify what receives the submit course of primarily based on its stencil worth, in order that it doesn’t get utilized to every little thing that’s utilizing that materials as a father or mother? Or would this want an unique materials father or mother per object you wish to have an effect on?

I don’t have a lot expertise with submit course of both, so I’m attempting to wrap my head round the way you go about limiting or specifying particular person issues that the submit course of impact is utilized to

From the unreal documetation.

Hey are heavier than commonplace materials, however you’ll be able to simply stack as much as 5 lighter supplies like this and get no efficiency points. In fact it relies on the platforme.

Apply the stencil worth per object. The restrict is 255 distinctive stencils.
In idea, you cod have 255 distinctive post-process materials results in-game for varied actors.

I figured it was one thing like that. Thanks for the information and sharing the screenshot examples

You may also append a cloth operate that handles the glow performance, you’ll be able to arrange a map/DT preset of parameters which you can dynamically occasion by way of the blueprint.

Would that be cheaper than making use of a brand new materials in runtime or utilizing CopyMaterialInstanceParameters in BP?

Fairly inexperienced with supplies, so I’m attempting to determine this all out even the fundamentals.

Right here is an effective comparability of fabric vs shell use. Begin watching from 2:30.

Afaik assigning, swapping supplies is dearer then overriding instanced materials parameters. Particularly should you’re swapping a Character Materials, that may be fairly advanced.