This tutorial is aimed to get you familiar with reflection vector and how to make fake reflections
and to make part of the map(i.e. window panes) reflective in Unreal Engine3. I am assuming that
you are proficient with modeling, UV mapping and have knowledge of importing meshes and textures
in Unreal Editor. You can download texture file and static mesh here (Be sure to convert .jpeg file
to .bmp or some other importable format.)

Import all the texture maps and static mesh in the package of your choice. Create a new material
and double click to open it. Drag Linear Interpolation into the work area. Select "tutorial_main.bmp"
in generic browser(this is the main texture file.) and bring it to material editor by clicking on
"texture sample" from the material expressions list and dragging it in work area and connect it with
"A" node of Linear Interpolation(Lerp) as shown in the picture below.

Now drag "Reflection Vector" and "Component Mask" to work area of material editor. Select the Component
Mask and make sure that the Red("R") and Green("G") are checked. Connect the "Reflection Vector" to the
"Component Mask" as show below.

Drag the texture to be used for reflection("tutorial_reflective") and Alpha file("tutorial_mask") into work
area. Connect Component mask("Mask") to "tutorial_reflective" and then connect "tutorial_reflective" to "B"
node of Linear Interpolation("Lerp). Now connect red channel of "tutorial_mask" to "Alpha" node of Lerp and
finally connect Linear Interpolation to Diffuse node of material. Here is how it should look.

Save the material and assign it to the static Mesh. Congratulations you are done!!! Now the reflection on the
glass should respond to camera/player movement.

If you have any questions or comments, please let me know. salman_fas@hotmail.com




copyright © Salman Ahmad