Chapter 6. Introduction to Materials

To get the stunning visual beauty and clarity that Unreal Engine 3.0 can deliver, you need to master materials. They’re the single most important factor in the final look of your game. Need a character who’s so visually detailed that you can count the pores on her face? Need realistic-looking fire? Want to create a complex interactive machine with number readouts, lighted buttons, knobs, and switches? These all require materials. In fact, materials control the final look of every object you create—whether you’re building large-scale environments, interactive objects, playable characters, or the simplest props. In this chapter, we explore materials, what they are, what they’re made out of—and most importantly, how you can quickly start creating your own with Unreal Editor’s amazingly powerful Material Editor.