Hi everyone,
I’ve been toying with an idea and wanted to ask if something like this is even possible (or partially doable) in UE5 — especially from a programming/scripting angle.
The Idea (Rough Concept)
Instead of relying on heavy geometry or complex shaders everywhere, what if we could use something like data stamps — kind of like MegaTexture decals — but not just for visuals?
I’m thinking these stamps could carry extra info for:
Physical surface behavior (friction, bounce, etc.)
Lighting response (ambient influence, indirect bounce)
Maybe even impact zones or sound behavior?
For example: a 16-bit normal map could double as a friction map or collision modifier, stamped over terrain or modular geometry.
A Vector-Based Pathing System?
I also wondered — could a vector-based system be used to simulate light bounce or material response without full real-time ray tracing?
Not true RTGI, just maybe using directional vectors or pre-tagged zones to influence lighting or ambient energy locally. Almost like “tagged” materials that respond to simple vector logic.
What I’m Wondering
Is any of this already possible in UE5 with current tools or plugins?
Could something like this be done using Blueprints or would it require deeper C++ integration?
Are there existing systems in Unreal that allow tagging materials or geometry with extra behavior data like this?
Not trying to reinvent anything — just curious if this direction could enhance large-scale scenes or static lighting setups. I’d love to hear thoughts from anyone with engine or scripting experience.
Thanks for reading!
— Teromen