Smart Mask & Texture Processor

Smart Mask & Texture Processor

Module: Art · Category: TextureArt · Tool ID: SmartMaskTextureProcessor

A four-tab texture processor consolidating common per-asset operations. Height to Normal converts heightmaps via Sobel filter. Normal Map Mixer blends two normal maps (RNM, Linear, Overlay, Partial Derivative). Smart Mask Generator auto-builds edge/wear, cavity, position-gradient, and ID masks from a source texture. Material Instance Factory creates UMaterialInstanceConstant from a parent material + texture set.

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When to use it

• Quick height-to-normal conversion without leaving UE
• Blending two normal maps (e.g., a base detail normal with a per-asset variation)
• Generating smart masks for material setup (edge wear, cavity AO, height-based blending)
• Batch creating material instances from a parent + texture set workflow

When not to use it

• Don’t expect this to replace Substance Designer / Painter — it’s targeted at quick in-engine operations, not full procedural authoring
• Don’t use for runtime texture generation — all operations are offline asset edits

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Opening the tool

1. Open the EQLabs Hub and search for Smart Mask (or browse to Art → TextureArt)
2. Click the tool card
3. Use the tab bar: Height to Normal, Normal Map Mixer, Smart Mask Generator, or Material Instance Factory

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Tab 1 — Height to Normal

Convert a heightmap to a normal map via Sobel filtering.

Interface

Field	What it does	Default
Heightmap picker	The grayscale source heightmap	(empty)
Heightmap Thumb	Live thumbnail preview	—
Normal Strength	Scale factor on the computed normals	1.0
Output Path	Folder for the resulting normal map	(empty)
Convert	Runs Sobel + saves as a UTexture2D

Workflow

1. Drop the heightmap
2. Tune Normal Strength (1.0 is neutral; raise for more pronounced normals)
3. Pick output path, click Convert

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Tab 2 — Normal Map Mixer

Blend two normal maps using a chosen blend mode.

Interface

Field	What it does	Default
Primary Normal picker	Base normal map	(empty)
Detail Normal picker	Detail / second normal	(empty)
Blend Mode	RNM, Linear, Overlay, Partial Derivative	RNM
Blend Strength	Mix weight	0.5
Output Path	Save destination	(empty)
Mix	Runs the blend + saves

Blend modes

Mode	What it does
RNM (Reoriented Normal Mapping)	Mathematically correct normal blend; preserves both surfaces’ direction
Linear	Simple lerp; loses detail at high blend values
Overlay	Photoshop-style overlay; cheap and stylized
Partial Derivative	Differentiation-based blend; high quality

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Tab 3 — Smart Mask Generator

Auto-build common masks from a single source texture.

Interface

Field	What it does	Default
Mask Source picker	Source texture	(empty)
Generate Edge Mask	Toggle edge mask generation	true
Edge Threshold	Sensitivity of edge detection	0.15
Generate Cavity Mask	Toggle cavity mask	true
Cavity Strength	How aggressive cavity detection is	1.0
Generate Position Gradient	Toggle position gradient mask	true
Generate ID Mask	Toggle ID mask	true
ID Mask Color Count	Number of unique colors in the ID mask	4
Generate	Runs all enabled mask generators
Mask Results list	Per-mask row: name, description, dimensions, export PNG action

Mask types

Mask	What it represents
Edge	Detected edges (great for wear/scratch authoring)
Cavity	Recessed areas (great for AO darkening / dirt accumulation)
Position Gradient	XY-position-driven gradient (height-blend authoring)
ID	Color-quantized regions (per-region material masks)

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Tab 4 — Material Instance Factory

Create UMaterialInstanceConstant from a parent material + texture set.

Interface

Field	What it does	Default
Master Material picker	Parent UMaterialInterface	(empty)
MI Output Folder	Where instances are saved	/Game/MaterialInstances
MI Name Prefix / Suffix	Filename prefix and suffix	empty / _MI
Texture Param Slots	Auto-populated from parent material’s texture parameters; assign textures per slot
Refresh Material Params	Reads parameters from the picked master material
Create Material Instance	Builds the instance with the assigned textures

Workflow

1. Pick a master material (must have texture parameters)
2. Click Refresh Material Params — slots populate from the master’s texture parameters
3. For each slot, assign the appropriate texture
4. Configure name prefix/suffix and output folder
5. Click Create Material Instance

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Settings reference

Per-tab defaults

Field	Default
Normal Strength	1.0
Blend Mode	RNM
Blend Strength	0.5
Edge Threshold	0.15
Cavity Strength	1.0
ID Mask Color Count	4
MI Output Folder	/Game/MaterialInstances
MI Suffix	_MI

Settings are persisted to [Project]/Saved/EQLabs/Settings/SmartMaskTextureProcessor.json.

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Output

• Height to Normal — new normal map UTexture2D asset
• Normal Map Mixer — new blended normal map UTexture2D
• Smart Mask Generator — generates masks in-panel; export each as PNG via per-row action
• Material Instance Factory — new UMaterialInstanceConstant asset

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Tips & gotchas

• RNM is the right default for normal blending — Linear can lose detail at high blend values
• Edge Threshold of 0.15 is a good baseline — drop to 0.05 for very subtle edge detection on smooth surfaces
• ID Mask color count should match material setups — if you have 3 paint zones, use 3 ID colors
• Material Instance Factory respects parent texture parameter naming — make sure your master material has clearly named parameters before using
• Absorbs HeightmapToNormal and NormalMapMixer — those legacy standalone tools are now Tabs 0 and 1 of this suite

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Related tools

• Universal Bake Suite (Material Texture Baker) — for baking material channels to textures, complementary to mask generation
• Texture Authoring Suite — seamless texture and variation generation
• Material Layer Studio — debug material instances created by Tab 4

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