Create Dynamic Material Instances button dosnt work with static mesh components in a multi user session

Development Cinematics & Media Virtual Production
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1

If you have the Virtual Camera Plugin enabled, it gives you access to a new “Create Dynamic Material” button that appears in the Details panel underneath Materials slots that have a material instance assigned

It will then make all the overridden properties accessible and editable in the details panel

This workflow of creating dynamic material instances via this button is actually Ideal for Virtual Production stages that are in a multi-user session,

  1. we can edit materials and they live update right inside the details panel, we don’t have to create a custom blueprint, and we don’t have to go diving into materials/instance assets - which is the normal workflow for virtual production. Open up materials and constantly resave then to transact your changes.
  2. We lighten up the load on the multi user server, because we are not constantly resaving materials.
  3. This is compatible with level snapshots, if we move to this workflow, level snapshots will be time machines, Level snapshots do not save or revert asset changes like materials

But, aside from the fact they fatal error the engine

[Crash with Create Dynamic Material [Content removed]

They don’t transact in multi user editing on static mesh components.

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Steps to Reproduce
Launch an nDisplay cluster, ensure that the virtual camera plugin enabled.

Drop in a basic static mesh, assign an material instance that has some properties overidden (checked on)

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Press the create dynamic material instance button in the details panel

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You now have the properties exposed for you to change, and this will transact as expected over the multi user session

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But now create a blueprint that has a static mesh component and try to do the same thing, when you press create dynamic material and try to edit it, it will not transact. (I think the material instance is not being created)

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Hi Matt,

Thanks for your note. I haven’t had a chance to test this yet but I do know we have had problems in the past with dynamic material instance and will log a bug if I can reproduce this issue on the latest version of UE. I’ll update you with the bug number next week with any possible workarounds.

Thanks,

Jason

4

Hi Matt,

I’ve confirmed this issue and opened a bug to address UE-318699.

Thanks,

Jason