What is Write to niagara data channel material?

[HIHEAPK_Inc]

Hi !

Is there no way to write material variables to niagara data channel? I’m generating a material dynamically and sending it to a niagara system currently, but there doesn’t seam to be a function to write materials. Does this need to be moved to the niagara effect in something like a scratch pad? Is it possible to call create dynamic material there or create canvases there?

[BRGEzeHulton]

Hi! @HIHEAPK_Inc I’m not an expert in this topic, but I came across some relevant information that might help clarify your questions.

Can you write material variables to a Niagara data channel?
From what I’ve found, it’s not possible to directly pass material instances or dynamic material variables into a Niagara Data Channel, as these are designed for simple data types (float, vector, int, etc.).

Niagara Data Channels Overview | Unreal Engine 5.5 Documentation | Epic...

Should this logic be moved into the Niagara effect, like a scratch pad?
If you want Niagara to react to material data, the recommended method is to extract those values (e.g., colors, parameters) in Blueprint or C++, and then pass them into Niagara via User Parameters.

Niagara Data Channels Intro | Tutorial

Can you call Create Dynamic Material or create canvases in Niagara?
As far as I’ve seen, this is not supported directly in Niagara. Creating materials or canvases should be done outside the system (e.g., in Blueprint), and any needed values should be passed into Niagara indirectly.

Write to niagara data channel material?

Hi again @Krileon! You are correct- there is no DIRECT communication from material to Niagara system (at least not to my knowledge.) That being said, there are a lot of ways to get around this limitation depending on what you’re trying to accomplish. First of all, if all you need to do is set your particle system to your new dynamic material, you can do that pretty easily via blueprint. [image] [image] If you’re generating a dynamic material instance with custom parameters, then you must b…

Other sources:
https://www.unrealengine.com/es-ES/tech-blog/niagara-enhancements-and-sample-overview

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An introduction to Niagara Data Channels. A new feature that allows communication between Game code and Niagara Systems. DISCLAIMER: Niagara Data Channels are still experimental and all of the below is subject to change. https://dev.epicgames.com/community/learning/tutorials/RJbm/unreal-engine-niagara-data-channels-intro

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With this setup: [259484-parameter.png] [259485-blueprint.png] I was able to change the color at runtime, but let it be known that with this method only the following type of variables can be modified via blueprint; (Actor, Bool, Float, Int32, Linear Color, Quaternion, Vector 2, Vector 3 and Vector 4). Here’s hoping a future update will include more variable types.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need assistance. I’m here to help.