PBR Materials: How to Create and Customize in Unreal Engine 5

Contents:

• What is PBR?
• Key elements of PBR that affect materials in 3D graphics
• Creating PBR textures from photography
• Step-by-step guide to creating PBR textures in Materialize
• The process of importing materials into Unreal Engine 5
• Creating a PBR material with Nanite tessellation in Unreal Engine 5.4
• Conclusion
• Resources and links to materials on PBR

When creating realistic 3D graphics, an important aspect is the interaction of light with various surfaces. For example, how can you tell the difference between untreated wood and a board covered with wood glue? This is where PBR (Physically Based Rendering) materials come in, providing accurate reproduction of the properties of various materials. These materials take into account parameters such as reflection, refraction, and surface texture, which allows for a high degree of realism in visualization. Using PBR materials in 3D modeling allows artists to create more believable scenes, drawing attention to detail and improving the perception of objects in virtual space.

In this article, we will analyze the key aspects of the topic. You will learn about the most important elements and receive practical recommendations for their application. We will focus on the significance and relevance of the issues under consideration and also offer effective strategies for addressing them. This text will be a useful resource for anyone looking to deepen their knowledge and improve their skills in this area.

• What is PBR and how does it work?
• How to use PBR to create materials;
• How to convert photos to textures and generate maps in Materialize;
• The process of creating a PBR material in Unreal Engine 5 using a template;
• How the Displacement Map works in Unreal Engine 5;
• New Nanite tessellation features in Unreal Engine 5.4;
• The pros and cons of using PBR materials;
• Recommended resources for further study.

What is PBR?

PBR (Physically Based Rendering) is a technology that allows shaders and rendering to interact with materials based on physically based laws. PBR is primarily used to achieve photorealistic graphics, but it can also be used in stylized projects. In such cases, PBR helps highlight the characteristics of materials under different lighting conditions, adding depth and realism to the visual experience. Using PBR allows for the creation of more detailed and believable images in games and animation, as well as in architectural visualization, making it an essential tool in modern digital art. PBR materials, or physically based rendering materials, play a key role in achieving photorealism in 3D graphics. They allow three-dimensional objects to appear realistic by simulating physical properties of materials, such as reflection, refraction, and texture. Using PBR materials ensures high-quality rendering, making them indispensable in modern projects involving computer graphics, architectural visualization, and video games. Understanding how PBR materials work opens up new possibilities for designers and artists striving to create the most realistic images possible.

In 3D graphics, the term PBS (physically based shading) is used, which refers to shading based on physically based principles. Both terms, PBR (physically based rendering) and PBS, describe the physical properties of objects, but PBS primarily relates to texture shaders, while PBR focuses more on the rendering and lighting processes. This distinction is important for understanding how materials interact with light in a digital environment, which allows for more realistic visualizations.

Rendering in engines such as Cycles (Blender) and Unreal Engine 5 simulates real-world physics, including the interaction of light with surfaces. The physical laws that apply in real life remain constant, as do the properties of materials. Lighting can vary from hard to diffuse and also include colored light, but materials retain their physical properties. This enables the creation of highly realistic scenes in which the interaction of light and materials accurately reflects physical processes, a key aspect in modern 3D rendering.

PBR materials provide a realistic display of objects in 3D graphics, maintaining their characteristics under various lighting conditions. This significantly increases the level of verisimilitude and visual authenticity, making them indispensable in modern visualizations and gaming projects.

Key PBR Elements Affecting Materials in 3D Graphics

Light reflection on 3D objects is determined by surface characteristics. Matte and glossy textures create different visual effects: matte surfaces provide diffuse reflection, while glossy ones create specular reflection. Specular reflection, according to the law of reflection, forms bright highlights that change depending on the observer's viewing angle. To optimize these visual parameters in 3D graphics, Specular and Metallic maps are used. These maps allow you to precisely adjust the level of reflection and metallic sheen, which significantly improves the realism of images and allows you to create more detailed 3D models.

The Lambertian lighting model, used for matte surfaces, is limited in its ability to account for important aspects such as the roughness and smoothness of materials. To achieve a more realistic display of these characteristics in 3D graphics, additional textures such as glossiness maps and roughness maps are used. These maps more accurately simulate the interaction of light with surfaces, providing a deeper and more detailed perception of objects. Using such techniques significantly improves the visual quality and believability of 3D renders, which is especially important in areas such as video games and animation.

Andrew Price's lecture provides a detailed discussion of ray casting processes, which are an important aspect of creating photorealistic 3D graphics. He shares helpful tips and techniques to help beginners master this complex yet exciting process. If you're looking to improve your 3D modeling skills and achieve a high degree of realism in your projects, be sure to check out his resources.

When light interacts with non-uniform or translucent surfaces, it can be absorbed or scattered. This process reduces the light's intensity and converts it into thermal energy. When light is scattered, its direction becomes chaotic, but the overall intensity remains the same. This phenomenon can be seen in the translucent leaves of trees. In 3D graphics, this effect is called Subsurface Scattering (SSS), which allows for a more realistic rendering of materials such as leather, wax, or marble. Subsurface scattering plays a key role in creating visually believable images as it adds depth and texture complexity to objects.

Transparent materials, including glass and water, have the ability to transmit light. However, the presence of particles such as dirt reduces the level of transparency and increases light scattering. This impacts visual quality and can be critical in a variety of fields, from optics to manufacturing. To maintain high transparency and minimize light scattering, it is necessary to regularly clean the surfaces of transparent materials from contaminants.

In 3D modeling, thickness maps and translucency maps play a key role in conveying the absorption and scattering properties of light. Using these maps significantly improves the realism of visualizations, allowing for a deeper perception of materials and their interaction with lighting. Properly setting up thickness and transparency maps helps create effects that make objects look more alive and natural.

Refraction of light is the process by which the direction of a light ray changes when passing from one optical medium to another. This phenomenon can be observed, for example, as a distorted image on the surface of water. In 3D graphics, the index of refraction (IOR) plays a key role, determining the degree of refraction of light depending on the characteristics of the material. Proper use of the index of refraction allows for realistic rendering of materials, which is critical for creating high-quality visualizations in computer graphics. Understanding and applying the IOR is a key aspect for artists and designers striving for a high level of photorealism.

The index of refraction of various materials can be configured in game engines and rendering systems using values ​​from specialized tables. This parameter critically influences the calculation of reflections and other optical effects, which allows for more realistic visualization in games and 3D modeling. Properly setting the refractive index ensures accurate interaction of light with surfaces, which significantly improves graphics quality and immersion in the gameplay.

Modern rendering systems and engines use frameworks based on the law of conservation of energy. This means that materials cannot reflect more light than they receive. This characteristic can be further adjusted in software, allowing for a more realistic display of objects in a digital environment. Optimizing the reflective properties of materials plays a key role in creating high-quality graphics and visual effects.

When creating PBR materials, the artist must determine whether the surface will be metallic or non-metallic. If a metallic surface is chosen, several key aspects must be considered. It is essential to properly configure the albedo, reflectivity, and roughness of the material. Metals are highly reflective, requiring precise reflection values. Additionally, the color of the metal and its interaction with ambient light must be considered. Understanding these aspects will allow you to create a realistic PBR material that will realistically display light and shadows, and interact with other objects in the scene.

• Machining - untreated metals behave as dielectrics.
• Painting - metal under a layer of paint loses its metallic properties, but with peeling paint it can combine the characteristics of both types.
• Environmental exposure - corrosion and contamination also affect the textures and properties of the material.

Treated metals have the ability to reflect light 100%, while non-ferrous metals absorb light at different frequencies. For example, gold absorbs blue light, which gives it a yellowish tint. This is why Base Color shaders are used instead of colored Diffuse maps when creating PBR materials. This allows for a more accurate rendering of the visual properties of materials and achieves realistic display on 3D objects. Choosing the right shaders and textures is key to creating high-quality graphics in modern visualizations.

Modern technologies for creating metal surfaces increasingly use the Base Color / Metallic / Roughness approach. This method significantly simplifies the workflow and allows for efficient use of resources. Using this technique allows for more accurate reproduction of metal properties and improves the visual quality of finished materials. This approach also facilitates parameter adjustment, making it popular among designers and developers in the fields of 3D modeling and graphics.

On non-metallic surfaces, light is refracted, scattered, and absorbed, which depends on the albedo of a given material. Albedo determines the degree of light reflection, while the Fresnel effect plays a significant role in this process, as it describes how the angle of incidence of light affects its reflection from the surface. Understanding these optical properties is key for various fields, including architecture, design, and photonics. Proper application of knowledge of light refraction and reflection allows you to optimize lighting and improve the visual perception of objects.

For non-metals, the reflectivity F0 varies from 0.02 to 0.05, while for metals it ranges from 0.5 to 1.0. In most rendering systems, the F0 value is calculated automatically based on the specified refractive indices. This allows for a more realistic display of materials in 3D models, which is especially important in computer graphics and visualization. Correct selection of F0 contributes to accurate simulation of lighting effects and improves the quality of the final image.

Many programs offer utilities with pre-designed templates for various types of content, which significantly simplifies the process of their creation. Using such templates allows you to reduce development time and improve the quality of materials, ensuring their compliance with modern standards.

Creating PBR Textures from Photographs

Modern 3D artists can use a variety of ready-made PBR materials available on various platforms. However, to add uniqueness to your projects, creating original materials based on your own photographs is an excellent option. This process is not as complicated as it may seem, but it still requires attention to several important aspects. Creating unique PBR materials will allow you to stand out and make your 3D models more expressive and memorable. Using your own photos will not only add a personal touch but also give you greater control over textures and details, significantly enhancing the quality of your work.

It doesn't matter what surface you're capturing—be it tree bark, dirt, or a brick wall. For high-quality photographs, it's recommended to shoot on a cloudy day, as this provides soft and even lighting. On sunny days, it's best to take photos in the shade to avoid overexposure and harsh shadows. When shooting indoors, it's important to provide diffused lighting using lamps, which will help create a more natural and appealing visual effect. Proper lighting plays a key role in photography, so pay close attention to it.

To prevent distortion, it's important to hold the camera at a right angle to the subject. Using a tripod and a 50mm lens will significantly improve image clarity and detail. If you're shooting on a smartphone, set the camera to a mode that's as close to 50mm as possible. Also, be sure to set a high resolution for PBR textures to ensure the best rendering quality.

To set the 50mm focus on iPhone, open the camera mode on the screen and hold the zoom button. Move the slider to a value of 2.2. This feature is available for iPhone models with dual and triple cameras.

Once you've taken the photo, you need to process it in a graphics editor, such as Photoshop. This process involves several key steps. Initially, it's important to adjust the color scheme and lighting of the image to achieve the desired atmosphere. Then, crop and straighten the image to improve the composition. It's also worth paying attention to removing unwanted elements and improving the image's sharpness. The final step is saving the processed photo in a suitable format, which will ensure its optimization for the web. Proper photo processing in Photoshop can significantly improve the quality of visual content and make it more appealing to your audience.

• Use the crop tool to determine the desired area of ​​the image for the final texture. The recommended size is 2K (2048×2048 pixels).
• For PBR materials, it's best to use the Albedo Map, avoiding excessively bright or dark areas. Even in cloudy weather, dark areas (such as cracks or seams) should be lightened a little in the editor.

• If you plan on tiled texturing, try to minimize the amount of unique details, such as large cracks or noticeable scratches, to avoid an unnatural look when using the texture on large surfaces. To remove such details in Photoshop, select the area with the Lasso tool, press Shift + F5, select Content-Aware, and confirm the action.

• To make the texture seamless, make adjustments in Photoshop or use other programs such as PixPlant or Materialize.

Using the resulting texture, you can create a set of technical maps using a variety of programs. Popular tools for this purpose include Substance 3D, Autodesk Mudbox, and ShaderMap. In this article, we'll take a detailed look at the process of creating textures using the free software Materialize, which is ideal for beginners. This tool is easy to use and allows you to quickly master the basics of texturing, which makes it a great choice for those just starting out in 3D modeling.

Step-by-step guide to creating PBR textures in Materialize

Materialize provides an intuitive interface for creating PBR textures. The sidebar features a 3D frame with a plane, allowing users to visualize changes to the material in real time. The upper left corner contains windows for loading maps and tools for performing various operations. With this tool, users can easily and efficiently develop textures, significantly simplifying the process of creating 3D objects and scenes.

• P (Paste) - insert an image from the clipboard;
• C (Copy) - copy;
• O (Open) - open a file;
• S (Save) - save an image.

At the bottom of the interface are buttons that allow you to perform key actions. These controls provide convenient access to key functions, improving the user experience.

• Quick Save — quick saving;
• Preview — preview;
• Edit — opens the texture settings editor;
• Clear — deletes the map.

Let's start by loading the albedo map into the Diffuse Map slot. After loading, you can further edit the texture in the Edit section. For example, you can use the Remove Shadow slider to brighten dark areas without resorting to Photoshop. This allows you to quickly and effectively improve the visual quality of the texture, which is especially useful in 3D modeling and rendering. Working correctly with albedo and shadows helps create more realistic images and increases the overall level of detail in your projects.

To generate a height map for use as a displacement map, click the "Generate" button in the height map window. The program will automatically create a texture based on the original or modified diffuse map. This will improve the detail of your models and enhance their visual quality in 3D space.

Light areas in the map represent convex shapes, so care must be taken to ensure that settings do not affect recesses. Avoid sharp contrasts between dark and light areas to avoid unwanted visual effects. To check the correctness of the settings, it is recommended to use the Show Full Material option, which will ensure that all elements are displayed correctly.

Create a Normal Map using predefined surface optimization templates, including options like Default, Smooth, Crisp, and Mids. This will help improve the visual quality of your 3D model by adding detail and depth, as well as providing realistic lighting and shadows. Using the right Normal Map templates is a key step in the texturing process, significantly increasing the level of detail and realism of your work.

To create shading in 3D models, it is recommended to use the Ambient Occlusion Map (AO Map). This map effectively improves visualization, adding depth and realism to scenes. Using the AO Map allows for a more natural interaction of light and shadow, which gives objects volume and detail. By applying occlusion maps, you can significantly improve the overall rendering quality and increase the level of realism of your images.

When processing wood, a specular map is required. However, in this situation, it is enough to use a Smoothness Map to achieve the desired effect. This will provide a realistic display of texture and improve the visual characteristics of the material.

Our review concludes with the Edge Map, designed to highlight fine surface details. This map highlights textures and enhances visual characteristics, making objects more realistic and expressive. Using an Edge Map in your project will help create depth and clarity, which is especially important in 3D modeling and visualization.

The material is ready for export. Select the desired file format, for example, PNG, and click the "Save project" button to save the set of images in the specified folder.

Materialize features a seamless texture creation tool that greatly simplifies the graphics workflow. To get started, open the Tile Map menu and select the number of tiles needed for your texture. The Overlap X and Overlap Y parameters allow you to offset the edges of the image, which helps achieve a more natural transition between tiles. In addition, the Edge Falloff setting smooths out joints, which is especially useful for geometric patterns, helping to avoid sharp boundaries and create a sense of continuity. Using these tools, you can easily create high-quality, professional textures perfect for your projects.

To evaluate the result, transfer the texture set to Unreal Engine 5. The Materialize website offers shaders for Unreal Engine, which will help you create a material from a sample. Using these shaders will improve the visual quality of your projects and speed up the material development process.

When loading Materialize assets with the .uasset extension, you must copy all folders directly to the Content directory of your project. Avoid dragging and dropping files into the Content Browser, as this may lead to errors or assets not working correctly. The correct loading method will ensure the stability and functionality of your project.

The process of importing materials in Unreal Engine 5

Unreal Engine 5 (UE5) offers powerful tools for creating and customizing materials, which can significantly improve the visual quality of your project. Start by opening a project and creating a new material. To do this, load the textures into the Content Browser in advance by moving them to the "Content" folder on your hard drive. After that, import the assets using Materialize. Using materials correctly in UE5 not only improves the look, but also helps create more realistic and interactive environments.

In the Shaders folder, find the Materialize_Standard_Displace material and open its material graph. Select the entire node chain, copy it (Ctrl + C) and paste it into the editor of your own material. Be sure to connect the generated maps to the appropriate nodes, following the texture names. This will ensure that the material and its properties are displayed correctly in your project.

To optimize the structure of the material, you can simplify it without losing the end result. If your material includes tiling, replace the left parameter link with the TexCoordinate and UV Tiling nodes. In UV Tiling Specify the number of repetitions of the image. Connect these elements to the Multiply node, which is then linked to all the UV slots of the textures. This approach allows you to efficiently manage textures and improves the performance of your project.

This material is missing the Metallic Map texture. Be sure to set the value for the metal shader by creating a Constant node with a parameter of 1 and connecting it to the Metallic shader. This is important to achieve the correct visual display of the materials in your project.

With the introduction of Nanite technology, the use of Height Map as a displacement map has become obsolete. It is recommended to delete the corresponding node chain and Texture Multiplier. While the Height Map can still be used as a height map, it's preferable to use the UE5 geometry system to more accurately demonstrate the material's relief. After making all changes, click Apply. and save the material.

To evaluate the material rendering in a scene with Skylight lighting, create a primitive, such as a cylinder, in Simulation mode. In the menu, select the Remesh option. and increase the triangle count. Don't worry about the high polygon count, as the geometry can be optimized in the next steps. Drag the created material onto a new object or add it while creating the mesh. This will allow you to more accurately evaluate how the material interacts with the lighting in the scene and achieve the desired visual effect.

Use the Displace tool in the Deform section in Modeling mode. Set the Displacement Type to Texture 2D Map and move the map to the Displacement Map slot. This will allow you to effectively control the deformation of objects using texture maps, which will significantly improve the rendering quality and detail of your models.

Adjust key displacement map parameters, including Displace Intensity and Displacement Map Base Value, to achieve the desired relief. It's important to remember that excessive offset can cause geometric distortion, so values ​​​​should be chosen with care and attention to detail. Correctly setting these parameters will allow you to create a high-quality and realistic relief that will improve the overall appearance of your project.

After editing the parameters, be sure to optimize the mesh using the Simplify function in the modeling menu. After that, open the properties of the created static mesh and enable the Enable Nanite Support option. To improve display quality and performance in your project.

An alternative method of customizing geometry is to create a dynamic mesh using Blueprints. This approach provides a high degree of flexibility in settings and allows for more precise geometry adaptation to specific project requirements. Using Blueprints for dynamic meshes streamlines the development process and improves the efficiency of working with 3D objects.

We developed a PBR wood material using a photograph as a base. This material was applied to a simple object, demonstrating its realistic properties. Thanks to the modern geometry tools in Unreal Engine 5, we were able to effectively highlight the heterogeneity of the material's surface, giving the object a more natural and appealing appearance. The use of such technologies opens up new horizons in the creation of high-quality visualization and materials in game design.

Creating a PBR Material with Nanite Tessellation in Unreal Engine 5.4

With the release of version 5.4, Unreal Engine 5 added support for the Russian interface. Despite this, many users may be in no hurry to update their projects or change language settings. In this article, we present the Russian function names with their English equivalents for user convenience. If a function name has not yet been translated, the original English name will be provided. This will help developers comfortably work with the engine, regardless of the interface language.

The latest version of the game engine introduces an innovative Nanite tessellation technique using displacement maps. This technology allows for a high degree of realism in both landscape creation and static mesh work. In this article, we explore how to use this technique to enhance the realism of PBR materials and create tactile surface volume. We will focus on using nodes in the Material Editor, which will eliminate the need for Simulation Mode and make the process more efficient.

Nanite tessellation is currently considered an experimental feature and is not supported by all graphics cards. Even with all the necessary conditions met, situations may arise where the static mesh disappears. For example, this method can cause issues on Radeon RX Vega graphics cards, while it functions reliably on laptops with a GeForce RTX 4070. This highlights the importance of choosing compatible hardware for optimal performance of Nanite tessellation, which can significantly impact graphics quality and performance in games and applications.

On forums, users experiencing tessellation issues often receive recommendations to update their GPU drivers. However, in practice, this solution is not always effective. As a result, two main courses of action can be identified: upgrading the hardware or using the traditional tessellation method with the activation of the simulation mode, which remains in demand.

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In the editor, go to the Edit tab and select the Plugins menu. In the search bar, enter Nanite. Find the Nanite Displaced Mesh plugin, check the box to activate it, and restart the editor. This will allow you to use the plugin's capabilities for working with textures and models, improving the graphical quality of your projects.

Nanite tessellation remains an experimental feature in version 5.4, and users have reported potential issues when using it through the editor interface. For more stable operation, it is recommended to enable this feature manually. There are two ways to enable this, which will ensure better performance and reliability of Nanite tessellation.

To enable Nanite tessellation in the editor, enter the r.Nanite.Tessellation 1 command in the engine console. Please note that this method requires re-activation each time you start the editor.

Open the DefaultEngine.ini file of your project, located at \unreal projects\project_name\Config. In this file, find the [/Script/Engine.RendererSettings] section and add the following lines:

Nanite rendering settings in Unreal Engine allow you to control tessellation parameters. By setting r.Nanite.AllowTessellation to 1, you enable tessellation for objects, which can improve rendering quality on complex models. r.Nanite.Tessellation must also be set to 1 to enable tessellation. These settings help optimize graphics and increase the detail of objects in your game or application. Proper configuration of these settings can significantly impact performance and image quality, which is especially important for modern video games and visual projects.

Return to the editor and select the mesh to which the new material will be applied. In this example, we will continue with the tree stump discussed in the previous chapter, but for demonstration purposes, we will use the cylinder mesh (Shape_Cylinder) from the Starter Content packs. This will allow us to more clearly demonstrate the process of applying materials to different objects.

Create a folder in the Content Browser for the new asset and a separate folder for textures. We will use the same set of wood textures generated earlier. Please note that your set must have a map suitable for displacement. In addition to the Displacement Map, you can use height or parallax maps, as well as specialized maps with encrypted RGB channels, which are often used in games and Quixel assets. Make sure the textures meet the project requirements for the best visual results.

Create a new material and open the Material Graph. After activating the experimental plugin, a new Displacement slot will appear in the main node. Form a simple material structure by linking textures to the appropriate slots, as you would in a normal material assembly. Link the height map slot to the Displacement slot, which is disabled by default. To activate this slot, go to the Details section of the material, right-click in the graph field, enter Nanite, and then in the search bar and check the boxes next to the options «Enable Tessellation» and «Used with Nanite». This will ensure that the material works correctly using Nanite technology and will allow you to achieve high-quality rendering in your scene.

Directly above the listed options are the offset settings: the Magnitude parameter is responsible for the intensity, and the Center parameter is responsible for the central value of a point on the height map, which can vary in the range from 0 to 1. To simplify the process of setting these parameters, it is recommended to create a «Material Instance» (Material Instance) and apply it to the selected static mesh. Select the mesh, double-click the object's icon in the Static Mesh category, open its properties in the Details section, and enable the Enable Nanite Support option. After saving the asset, return to the scene and you will notice that the outlines of the static mesh have become more prominent.

For maximum effect, open an instance of the material and in the Details section Activate the "Displacement Scaling" option. Adjust the parameter values ​​until you achieve the desired result. This will improve the quality of visualization and achieve more realistic texture display.

To improve the texture of an object in 3D modeling, you can use the Texture Coordinate node. By linking it to maps, you can reduce the scale of the texture on the object's surface. It is also recommended to apply variables to various material parameters, which will provide more convenient and flexible control of properties in real time. This will allow you to achieve more accurate and high-quality results when working with textures and materials.

The method of creating a PBR material using displacement is simple, but its accuracy can be limited. Tileable textures can create artifacts on objects at UV seams, which negatively affects the overall appearance of the material, especially the relief generated using Nanite Displacement. To solve this problem, it is advisable to use an approach with WorldAligned nodes, which allow you to project a texture onto static models. Although the graph becomes more complex, WorldAlignedTexture nodes (such as Normal, Reflection, and others) can be linked not directly to the texture, but through TextureObject or TextureObjectParameter nodes (for material instances). This allows you to add the necessary maps and improves the visual quality of the PBR material.

Conclusion

The methodology outlined in this guide is not exhaustive. By carefully studying the topic of creating PBR materials, it is possible to develop a unique approach that will suit the specifics of your project. The key aspect is that the surface characteristics of such materials should accurately reproduce real-world prototypes under various lighting conditions. This ensures a high level of realism and helps create more convincing visualizations. When developing PBR materials, it is important to consider the interaction of light and surfaces to achieve maximum fidelity in digital images.

PBR materials, or physically based rendering materials, significantly increase the level of realism in computer graphics. This method allows for more accurate display of light and textures, which makes images more believable. However, it is important to consider both the advantages and disadvantages of using PBR materials. The main advantages include improved lighting, accurate interaction with the environment, and the ability to create high-quality renders. However, disadvantages can include increased computational requirements and difficulties in setting up materials. Therefore, when choosing PBR materials for a project, it is necessary to carefully analyze their impact on performance and the quality of the final product.

• The ability to create realistic 3D assets. Viewers easily recognize the surface of objects thanks to the accurate reproduction of material properties; for example, steel armor appears truly metallic.
• Surface properties remain unchanged regardless of the lighting source, ensuring consistent rendering quality.
• Versatility. PBR textures can be used in various programs and game engines, which simplifies integration into the workflow.

• Ready-made maps already contain a certain set of data that is difficult to change without additional effort. For example, it may be difficult for an artist to make changes to specific maps (reducing bumpiness or increasing roughness), which would require reworking all related maps.
• Despite the versatility of materials, different engines and rendering systems have their own peculiarities (for example, displacement technologies in Unreal Engine 5), which may require additional shader adjustments. Beginners will find it difficult to create a material from scratch without a pre-defined template.
• Creating custom PBR materials requires theoretical knowledge of lighting physics. Calculation errors can result in unnatural-looking materials.

PBR Resources and Links

• Unreal Engine PBR Encyclopedia: Find detailed information on the physical properties of materials and shader settings here.
• The Official Guide to Setting Up Shaders in Unreal Engine 5: A step-by-step guide to creating high-quality materials.
• A Course on Creating and Setting Up Materials in Unity: Useful lessons for beginners and professionals.
• A Video Tutorial on Shaders in UE4 and UE5 by Braytonks3D: A detailed explanation of all the settings.
• A Tutorial on Creating Materials in Unreal Engine 5.4 Using Nanite Displacement and WorldAligned Projection by O. Song.
• A Lecture on PBR in Blender by Blender Guru: Comparison of methods for working with materials.

We recommend that you familiarize yourself with additional information on this topic. This will help deepen your knowledge and broaden your understanding of the subject. We have prepared materials that may be useful for further study.

• Top 3D modeling programs: comparison and analysis.
• What is texture baking and its importance in 3D design.
• Understanding UV unwrapping: the key to successful 3D modeling.