Trying to change a parameter in landscape material in runtime. Doesn't work with streaming proxies

[Deanh22a]

I’m following an example I found here that supposedly works where you set the landscape to use a material instance and then change a parameter in it with blueprint. I’m doing exactly what is in the instructions, but it doesn’t work. In the example I’m just trying to change a vector parameter and change the color of the material. But nothing happens when I do it. Any reason why this wouldn’t work, Assuming I’m following the instructions correctly?

this

@NinjaCatFail

Ok,

Here is a quick rundown of this working, with the caveat that I assume you have used Unreal a bit:

1. New Level (Basic)
   A. Delete Floor Actor.
   B. Set Editor to Landscape Mode (Shift+2)
   C. Create Landscape with default settings.
   D. Back to Selection Mode (Shift+1)
2. In the Content Browser, Create New Material (M_Landscape_Example)
3. Open M_Landscape_Example Material Editor
   A. Press ‘3’ and Left Click in the editor to create a Constant 3 Vector (or create it with the menu.)
   B. Drag the Vector RGB Pin to the Material Output’s Base Color Pin.
   C. Right-click on the Color Vector and convert it to a Parameter (keep it named ‘Param’)
   D. Set the Color to anything other than black as default.
   E. Save and Close the Material Editor
4. In the Content Browser, right Click the new material (M_Landscape_Example) and create a Material Instance out of it (M_Landscape_Example_Inst)
5. Select the Landscape actor in the Map Editor, find the Landscape Material property, and set it to the Material Instance (M_Landscape_Example_Inst) you just created. (At this point, the landscape should show your selected color.)
6. Find the “Use Dynamic Material Instance” property flag a few properties below the Landscape Material property and make sure it is set to TRUE.
7. Now, Create a new Blueprint in the Content Browser. Derive from Actor and call it BP_DynamicLandscapeMaterial.
8. Drag the new Blueprint Actor into the Map and place it anywhere.
9. Open the BP_DynamicLandscapeMaterial Blueprint Editor.
   A. Create a new Variable.
   B. Call it Landscape, and set the type to a Landscape Object Reference.
   C. Make the new variable “Instance Editable” in the variable properties.
   D. In the Event Graph, drag the variable into the Blueprint and place a getter.
   E. Convert the getter to a Validated Get and attach the input Pin to BeginPlay
   F. Drag out from the Landscape Pin of the Getter and Find the SetLandscapeMaterialVectorParameterValue Blueprint Node.
   G. Set the Parameter name to “Param”
   H. Change the color to something different than the color in your material.
   I. Compile and Close the Blueprint Editor.
10. In the Map, select the BP_DynamicLandscapeMaterial Actor, find the Landscape property, and set it to the Landscape in your level.
11. Play the Map.
12. Profit (optional.)

Note: there is no way to change the material itself on the Landscape at runtime without massive amounts of C++ engine code, but take heart because you shouldn’t need to do this since you can change textures, scalars, and vectors to your heart’s content on the material that you DO have.

Also, I’ve read it’s supposed to work if you use a material parameter collection, but my goal is to change a texture for a terrain material and the collection doesn’t support that.

[Deanh22a]

Okay, originally I was trying to get this to work in my current project. I did this in a new project and it worked. The difference is that whenever I create a landscape in a new project, it gives me this:

resulting in this:

But when I make a landscape in my current project it gives me this:

Resulting in this:

Sooo, the parameters only work when unreal doesn’t create all those landscape streaming proxies. How do I make it NOT make all the streaming proxies? For now I have to create a landscape in the new project and then migrate that landscape over to my actual project and put it in my level to make the parameters work. It would be nice if the parameters would work with the proxies OR I could create a landscape without proxies in my current project.