UE5 / Core Pack

Color + Emission Pack for UE5

Reusable color and emission logic for gradient remaps, edge color, emissive boost, and controlled glow hierarchy.

UE5 first

Core Pack

UE5 is the source of truth here. Keep the graph readable first, then branch into project-specific versions only when the base is proven.

01

Goal

UE5Core PackReusable
Target: Reusable color and emission logic for gradient remaps, edge color, emissive boost, and controlled glow hierarchy.

02

Use Cases

Core PackMagic energyUse to keep energy palettes, HDR values, and edge colors consistent across spell families.
Core PackHologramsAdds edge readability so transparent blue surfaces do not vanish in bright scenes.
Core PackBeams, portals, shields, and rune effectsGood when several effects share one color language but need different intensity ranges.

03

Core Blocks

1. Gradient remap

Separate color choice from brightness. It keeps palette changes safe when the effect moves between levels.

Why: artists can rebalance mood without accidentally changing the mask logic.

2. Edge color

Use this to protect the silhouette first. Edge response should help the form read before it becomes decoration.

Why: rims and contact lines are usually the cheapest readability fix in a busy scene.

3. Emission intensity

Separate color choice from brightness. It keeps palette changes safe when the effect moves between levels.

Why: artists can rebalance mood without accidentally changing the mask logic.

4. Pulse color

Separate color choice from brightness. It keeps palette changes safe when the effect moves between levels.

Why: artists can rebalance mood without accidentally changing the mask logic.

5. HDR safety controls

Separate color choice from brightness. It keeps palette changes safe when the effect moves between levels.

Why: artists can rebalance mood without accidentally changing the mask logic.

04

Node Graph Flow

Input dataShape signalAnimateRemap colorControl alphaOutput

Start from the signal

Get a clean black-and-white read first; color, glow, and distortion should only support that read.

Expose decisions

Every exposed value should answer a real art question: how fast, how wide, how bright, how soft.

05

HLSL Equivalent

float shaped = smoothstep(threshold - softness, threshold + softness, inputMask);
float edge = shaped * (1.0 - smoothstep(edgeWidth, edgeWidth + softness, abs(inputMask - threshold)));
return float2(shaped, edge);

06

Artist Controls

ColorPrimary and edge colorKeep hue separate from brightness so the palette can change without blowing out the material.
ShapeThreshold and softnessControls where the effect appears and whether the edge feels graphic, soft, or broken.
MotionSpeed and phasePhase offsets keep repeated instances from moving in lockstep.

07

Production Notes

Production check: keep the read clean, then measure cost in the scene where it actually ships.
  • Preview masks by themselves before judging the finished color.
  • Name parameters the way an artist would search for them in a Material Instance.
  • Keep a cheaper instance for background, crowd, or repeated usage.
  • Write down the gotchas while they are still fresh.