The MaterialX format is an open-source interchange method developed by Industrial Light & Magic in 2012. It is a software agnostic method for describing patterns, textures, shader networks, and their geometric assignments. Unreal Engine (UE) supports MaterialX in the Interchange Framework using the Standard Surface Shading model developed by Autodesk. MaterialX is also supported as part of Universal Scene Description (USD) workflows using the USD Preview Surface shading model.
The Substrate Material framework supports importing both opaque and translucent materials using the MaterialX Standard Surface specification.
Import a MaterialX File
To import MaterialX files into Unreal Engine, use the standard Interchange import process.
Importing a MaterialX File into the level.
The interchange import process imports the image data and automatically creates the appropriate number of materials.
Edit MaterialX Import Settings
You can customize MaterialX import settings:
- Anytime in Unreal Engine's Project Settings editor.
- At the time of import in the Interchange Pipeline Configuration window.
For more information on customizing settings using the Interchange Pipeline Configuration window, see the Interchange Import Reference.
MaterialX import settings are found in Project Settings > Interchange MaterialX:
MaterialX Project Settings
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Standard Surface | Defines the material function to use when translating data for Autodesk's Standard Surface shader. |
| Standard Surface Transmission | Defines the material function to use when translating Standard Surface data for translucency. |
| Surface Unlit | Defines the material function to use when translating Standard Surface data for unlit surfaces. |
| USD Preview Surface | Defines the material function to use when translating data for USD's surface shader. |
The import process translates MaterialX definitions into Unreal Shader nodes using the following Material Functions:
MX_StandardSurfaceMX_TransmissionSurfaceMX_SurfaceUnlitMX_USDPreviewSurface
These Materials are found in the following Unreal Engine directory: Engine/Plugins/InterchangeFrameworkContent/Functions.
Editing the default engine material functions is not recommended. If you need to customize these functions, follow these steps:
- Create a copy of the material function you want to edit and move this new function into your project's Content folder.
- Make changes to the material function and save.
- Select the new material function in Project Settings > Interchange MaterialX.