> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://universgen.gitbook.io/shader-world/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://universgen.gitbook.io/shader-world/fundamentals/kick-start/surface-material.md).

# Surface material

{% embed url="<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWeeQDhEKgs>" %}
Use any landscape material
{% endembed %}

By default we provide a highly optimized fully triplanar landscape material that support multiple biomes and is triplanar. Our provided configuration, that can be entirely modified, is to use runtime layers to assign Material ID over the terrain for the ground, Material ID over the terrain for slopes material, and a generic Biom ID, all three stored within the RGB channel of a runtime layer often named *Heightlayer* on the demo maps.&#x20;

The brushe system can write into the runtime layers, so you cna freely move a brush at runtime, while moving around the Biom ID information with it. This layer can then be read in spawnable density material to define where to spawn or not.

On the reference map, the trees and grass do not spawn on Snow, nor on the red biome that one of the heightmap brush is writing.

Base Color, Normal, and packed AO/Roughness/Displacement of a couple of free Megascan ground materials. We are using extremely low 512x512 pixels textures to keep the plugin size reasonable.\
You should create your own texture arrays, in which all textures need to have the same dimension and settings. You can use Unreal Engine free Quixel Bridge app, to get extremely high quality material with all the similar settings you need.&#x20;

<figure><img src="/files/MgNZFOQIxuNuQepHerWT" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>


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