Creating some simple glass with the translucent blend mode 

In the previous section, we had the opportunity to create a basic material that followed the physically based approach that Unreal Engine uses to render elements into our screens. By using nodes and expressions that affected the roughness or the metallic attributes of a material, we saw how we could potentially create endless combinations—going from plastics to concrete, metal, or wood.

Those previous examples can be considered simple ones—for they use the same shading model to calculate how each element needs to be rendered. Most of the materials that we experience in our daily lives fall into that category, and they can be described using the attributes we have previously tweaked. In spite of that, there are always examples that can't be exactly covered with one unique shading model. The way that light behaves when it touches glass, for example, needs to be redefined in those cases. The same applies to other elements, such as human skin or foliage, where light distribution varies from that of a wooden material.

With that in mind, we are going to create several small examples of materials that deviate from the standard shading model—starting with some simple glass. This will work as an introductory level, just so we can create more complex examples at a later stage. Buckle up and let's dive right in!