Procedural Damage Toolset
A fully procedural Houdini toolset for generating realistic surface, edge, and corner damage on static meshes, designed for seamless integration with Unreal Engine workflows.
This toolset was built to automate the creation of believable wear and destruction details across environment and hard-surface assets. It eliminates the need for manual modeling or sculpting of chipped edges, cracks, and surface wear by providing procedural control over every stage of the damage process; from geometry deformation to vertex color generation for material blending inside Unreal Engine.
iterating with the toolset
Features
- Fully procedural and non-destructive, created entirely in Houdini.
the original mesh is preserved
- Four distinct types of damage, each with its own dedicated set of parameters and controls.
bevel tool, damage A tool, damage B tool, damage C tool
- Corner damage: Two variations available, Damage A and Damage B, allowing different types of corner chipping and breakage.
corner damage A toggle
corner damage A
corner damage B toggle
corner damage B
- Edge damage: Three distinct approaches using the Bevel, Damage A, and Damage B tools to achieve various edge wear effects.
bevel tool toggle
bevel tool
edge damage A toggle
edge damage A
edge damage B toggle
edge damage B
- Surface damage: Three methods available, Damage A, Damage B, and Damage C, for creating dents, impacts, and surface irregularities.
surface damage A toggle
surface damage A
surface damage B toggle
surface damage B
damage C toggle
damage C
- Debug mode for visualizing and fine-tuning selected corners and edges before applying damage.
debug toggle
debug options
debugging corner selection
debugging edge selection
- Corner and edge selection controls, including:
- Parameters to select corners based on curvature.
- Parameters to select edges based on edge angle.
- Randomization and percentage-based selection options.
- Limiting the damage effect to specific regions using either vertex color or a secondary mesh mask.
corner curvature parameters
edge angle parameters
random selection parameters
limit area parameters
- Damage shaping controls, including:
- Parameters for controlling overall damage amount and variation.
- Noise parameters for adding natural surface irregularities.
damage settings parameters
damage noise parameters
- Mesh optimization parameters to clean and prepare the final geometry for export or in-engine use.
optimization parameters
- UV and vertex color generation parameters for unwrapping the mesh and adding vertex color data for material blending or additional effects.
UV, material and vertex color parameters
- A dedicated material function for utilizing the generated vertex colors to enhance surface shading and integrate realistic damage effects in Unreal Engine materials.
before & after using the material function
the damage parameters added to the material via the material function
Development Notes
- Designed for flexibility, iteration, and seamless integration into Unreal Engine.
- Developed in Houdini using modular subnetworks for reusability and debugging efficiency.
- Parameterized workflows designed for quick iteration and non-destructive edits at any stage.
- Structured with clear node organization and color-coded sections for easy readability and team handoff.
- Each damage type (corner, edge, surface) built as an independent, callable module to support pipeline scalability.
- Includes vertex color output and UV management systems for consistent material blending in Unreal Engine.
- Optimized to maintain mesh integrity and reduce polygon density when exporting to real-time engines.
- Tested in Unreal Engine to ensure compatibility with Nanite, material functions, and procedural texturing workflows.
- Designed for flexibility across multiple production scales. From single props to large environment assets.
seamless integration into Unreal Engine
developed in Houdini
the material functions graph
My Tutorials on How to Use This Tool
Seeking a Full-Time Studio Position
I am actively seeking a full-time role as a “Technical Artist”, where I can contribute my skills in Unreal Engine material design and procedural tooling to a dedicated team.
If my work aligns with your studio’s needs, I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how I can add value to your projects.
Let’s Connect:
- Portfolio & CV
- Email: contact@hojdee.com