In this tutorial, we’ll walk through the steps needed to use Blueprints in Unreal Engine 5 to dynamically change the intensity, contrast, saturation, and color of the albedo color map of a material applied to an object in your scene.
Step 1: Set Up the Material
Before diving into Blueprints, we need to create a material that has a parameter for its albedo color and intensity.
In the Content Browser, create a folder to contain your texture maps and material.
Drag-and-drop your texture maps into your folder.
Right-click in the folder and select Material.
Name it something like M_Rock
Open the material by double-clicking on it.
In the material editor, you’ll see the Material Graph. We will add nodes to manipulate the albedo texture and color.
Drag in the texture maps and connect them to the appropriate inputs.
If you need help setting up a basic material in Unreal, I have already made a tutorial which will help you.
Once you have your basic material set up, save the material.
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Step 2: Create Intensity Parameter:
Add a Multiply node by holding down the M-key and left-clicking. This will allow you to multiply the Albedo Color and the Albedo Intensity parameters.
Place this between the Albedo Color and the Material Output. Connect the Albedo node to the A-Input and then plug this node into the Base Color.
Hold down the S-key and left-click to add a Scalar Parameter. This will be used to control the intensity. Name it Albedo Intensity.
Connect the Albedo Intensity to the B-input of the Multiply node.
Since this is currently set to a Default Value of 0, the material will appear dark. However, changing this Default Value to 1 will restore the material’s color.
Save the Material.
In the Content Drawer, right-click on the Material and create a Material Instance. When you open the Material Instance, you will now notice that there is an Albedo Intensity Parameter.
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Step 3: Create Contrast Parameter:
Hold down the E-key and left-click to add a Power node.
Connect the Multiply node to the Power node and then connect the Power node to the Base Color.
Hold down the S-key and left-click to add a Scalar Parameter. This will be used to control the contrast. Name it Albedo Contrast.
Connect the Albedo Contrast to the Exponent input of the Power node and change the Default Value to 1.
Save the Material.
In the Material Instance, you will now have access to this Parameter.
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Step 4: Create Saturation:
Right-click in the graph and search for Desaturation. This will be used to control the saturation.
Connect the Power node to the top input of the Desaturation node. Connect the Desaturation node to the Base Color.
Hold down the O-key and left-click to add a 1-minus node. Connect this to the Fraction input of the Desaturation node. This will invert the Desaturation node.
Hold down the S-key and left click to add a Scalar Parameter. Name it Albedo Saturation.
Connect the Scalar Parameter to the 1-minus node and set the Default Value to 1.
Save the Material.
In the Material Instance, you will now have access to this Parameter.
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Step 5: Tint:
Hold down the M-key to add a Multiply node.
Connect the Desaturation node to the A-input of the Multiply node. Connect the Multiply node to the Base Color.
Hold down the 3-key and left-click to add a Vector 3 node. Connect this to the B-input of the Multiply node.
Right-click on the Vector 3 node and convert it to a Parameter. Name it Albedo Tint.
Change the Default Color to White to preserve the original Albedo color.
Save the Material.
In the Material Instance, you will now have access to this Parameter.
Conclusion
You’ve now created a system using Blueprints that allows you to modify the albedo color and intensity of a material at runtime!