Shield variation 1
This shield VFX was done entirely in the material editor by displacing specific geometry modeled in Houdini, without Niagara or Cascade.
This approach is useful to create smooth interactive interpolation based on different inputs, like distance to a specific actor including impact projectile, and also easy interactivity based on specific animation assets, like casting, or blocking animations.
These 4 shield variations below have 4 master materials with different settings in the material instance.
Shield Body
The displacement vectors aren't restricted to world position offset, which allows them to follow bone deformations. So these geometric patterns can be used by skeletal meshes for effects such as body armor, shield, or exo-shell effects.
Shield variation 3
Using mesh displacement instead of material opacity allows the engine to process fewer transparency layers thus decreasing overdraw. So besides producing complex animated motion, this approach is also very optimized.
Shield variation 4
