Curious About: Using Stamped Data for Physics & Lighting in UE5?

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.

:brain: 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.

:test_tube: 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.

:red_question_mark: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