Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
1. Base Color Setup (Gradient Blending via Lerp)
Your setup uses a height-based UV gradient to blend two colors together across the grass mesh:
Color Inputs (Constant3Vector):
Input A: A bright, vibrant green designed for the tip/upper half of the grass blade.
Input B: A darker, richer green designed for the root/base of the grass blade.
LinearGradient Node: Generates a smooth 0 to 1 grayscale gradient along the UVs of the mesh (using UGradient).
Multiply & Param Gradient Strength:
The LinearGradient is multiplied by a Scalar Parameter named Param Gradient Strength. This lets you dynamically adjust or scale the contrast/reach of the gradient across instances.
Lerp (Linear Interpolate) Node:
Takes the output of the Multiply node as its Alpha.
When Alpha is 0, it outputs Color A; when Alpha is 1, it outputs Color B.
The resulting blend connects directly into the Base Color of the Material root node.
2. Surface & PBR Properties
Metallic = 0.0: Ensures the grass is treated as a non-metallic, natural organic surface.
Specular = 0.0: Removes standard specular reflection highlights to keep the grass looking soft and non-reflective.
Roughness = 1.0: Maxes out surface roughness so light scatters broadly across the grass without sharp reflections.
Key Observations & Quick Fixes
Why the preview sphere looks completely solid green:
In your graph, Param Gradient Strength has a Default Value of 0.0.
Multiplying anything by 0 results in 0, forcing the Lerp node's Alpha to stay at 0.0 (which shows only Color A).
Fix: Change the default value of Param Gradient Strength to 1.0 to see the gradient blend on the mesh.
Enhancing Realistic Lighting for Foliage:
You have Two Sided checked in the Details panel (which is correct for single-plane grass cards).
However, your Shading Model is set to Default Lit.
Recommendation: Change Shading Model from Default Lit to Two-Sided Foliage. Then, plug a warm green constant color into the Subsurface Color input so the sun shines through the back of the grass blades realistically.
To add wind movement to your grass material in Unreal Engine, plug the **`SimpleGrassWind`** node into the **World Position Offset** channel and use your height gradient as a mask so the roots stay anchored.
---
To add wind movement to your grass material in Unreal Engine, plug the **`SimpleGrassWind`** node into the **World Position Offset** channel and use your height gradient as a mask so the roots stay anchored.
---
### Step 1: Add the Wind Node
1. Right-click in your Material Graph and search for **`SimpleGrassWind`**.
2. Connect the output of **`SimpleGrassWind`** directly into the **World Position Offset** pin on your main Material node.
---
### Step 2: Mask the Wind (Anchor the Grass Roots)
If you don't mask the wind, the whole grass mesh will float and slide off the ground.
1. Take the output of your **`Multiply`** node (the one coming from your `LinearGradient`).
2. Plug it directly into the **Wind Weight** pin of the `SimpleGrassWind` node.
* *This ensures the bottom of the grass blade receives `0` movement (staying fixed to the ground) while the tip receives full sway.*
---
### Step 3: Create Wind Speed & Intensity Controls
Create parameters so you can tweak how fast and strong the grass sways:
1. **Wind Speed:**
* Hold **S** and Left-Click to create a Scalar Parameter. Name it `Wind Speed`.
* Set **Default Value** to **`0.2`** (slower is usually better for stylized grass).
* Connect it to the **Wind Speed** pin on `SimpleGrassWind`.
2. **Wind Intensity:**
* Create another Scalar Parameter named `Wind Intensity`.
* Set **Default Value** to **`0.3`** or **`0.5`**.
* Connect it to the **Wind Intensity** pin on `SimpleGrassWind`.
---
### Summary Node Wiring
```
[LinearGradient] ── [Multiply] ── (Alpha on Lerp for Base Color)
│
└── [Wind Weight] (on SimpleGrassWind)
[Scalar: Wind Speed] ── [Wind Speed] (on SimpleGrassWind)
[Scalar: Wind Intensity] ── [Wind Intensity](on SimpleGrassWind)
[SimpleGrassWind Output] ── [World Position Offset] (Material Root Node)
```
**Pro Tip:** If the top of the grass stays still and the root moves instead, your gradient is inverted. Add a **`OneMinus`** node between your `Multiply` output and the `Wind Weight` pin to flip it.
1. Base Color Setup (Gradient Blending via Lerp)
Your setup uses a height-based UV gradient to blend two colors together across the grass mesh:
Color Inputs (Constant3Vector):
Input A: A bright, vibrant green designed for the tip/upper half of the grass blade.
Input B: A darker, richer green designed for the root/base of the grass blade.
LinearGradient Node: Generates a smooth 0 to 1 grayscale gradient along the UVs of the mesh (using UGradient).
Multiply & Param Gradient Strength:
The LinearGradient is multiplied by a Scalar Parameter named Param Gradient Strength. This lets you dynamically adjust or scale the contrast/reach of the gradient across instances.
Lerp (Linear Interpolate) Node:
Takes the output of the Multiply node as its Alpha.
When Alpha is 0, it outputs Color A; when Alpha is 1, it outputs Color B.
The resulting blend connects directly into the Base Color of the Material root node.
2. Surface & PBR Properties
Metallic = 0.0: Ensures the grass is treated as a non-metallic, natural organic surface.
Specular = 0.0: Removes standard specular reflection highlights to keep the grass looking soft and non-reflective.
Roughness = 1.0: Maxes out surface roughness so light scatters broadly across the grass without sharp reflections.
Key Observations & Quick Fixes
Why the preview sphere looks completely solid green:
In your graph, Param Gradient Strength has a Default Value of 0.0.
Multiplying anything by 0 results in 0, forcing the Lerp node's Alpha to stay at 0.0 (which shows only Color A).
Fix: Change the default value of Param Gradient Strength to 1.0 to see the gradient blend on the mesh.
Enhancing Realistic Lighting for Foliage:
You have Two Sided checked in the Details panel (which is correct for single-plane grass cards).
However, your Shading Model is set to Default Lit.
Recommendation: Change Shading Model from Default Lit to Two-Sided Foliage. Then, plug a warm green constant color into the Subsurface Color input so the sun shines through the back of the grass blades realistically.
To add wind movement to your grass material in Unreal Engine, plug the **`SimpleGrassWind`** node into the **World Position Offset** channel and use your height gradient as a mask so the roots stay anchored.
---
To add wind movement to your grass material in Unreal Engine, plug the **`SimpleGrassWind`** node into the **World Position Offset** channel and use your height gradient as a mask so the roots stay anchored.
---
### Step 1: Add the Wind Node
1. Right-click in your Material Graph and search for **`SimpleGrassWind`**.
2. Connect the output of **`SimpleGrassWind`** directly into the **World Position Offset** pin on your main Material node.
---
### Step 2: Mask the Wind (Anchor the Grass Roots)
If you don't mask the wind, the whole grass mesh will float and slide off the ground.
1. Take the output of your **`Multiply`** node (the one coming from your `LinearGradient`).
2. Plug it directly into the **Wind Weight** pin of the `SimpleGrassWind` node.
* *This ensures the bottom of the grass blade receives `0` movement (staying fixed to the ground) while the tip receives full sway.*
---
### Step 3: Create Wind Speed & Intensity Controls
Create parameters so you can tweak how fast and strong the grass sways:
1. **Wind Speed:**
* Hold **S** and Left-Click to create a Scalar Parameter. Name it `Wind Speed`.
* Set **Default Value** to **`0.2`** (slower is usually better for stylized grass).
* Connect it to the **Wind Speed** pin on `SimpleGrassWind`.
2. **Wind Intensity:**
* Create another Scalar Parameter named `Wind Intensity`.
* Set **Default Value** to **`0.3`** or **`0.5`**.
* Connect it to the **Wind Intensity** pin on `SimpleGrassWind`.
---
### Summary Node Wiring
```
[LinearGradient] ── [Multiply] ── (Alpha on Lerp for Base Color)
│
└── [Wind Weight] (on SimpleGrassWind)
[Scalar: Wind Speed] ── [Wind Speed] (on SimpleGrassWind)
[Scalar: Wind Intensity] ── [Wind Intensity](on SimpleGrassWind)
[SimpleGrassWind Output] ── [World Position Offset] (Material Root Node)
```
**Pro Tip:** If the top of the grass stays still and the root moves instead, your gradient is inverted. Add a **`OneMinus`** node between your `Multiply` output and the `Wind Weight` pin to flip it.
