Intro

Widget Material Instance lets you preview and tweak Material Parameters directly in UMG !

No editor tools, no asset edits, no new material instances, just a safe per-widget MID with live results.

Drop the widget into your UI, assign a Material (or Material Instance), and it auto-discovers parameters into tidy arrays. Edits instantly on a local MID so your Material asset on disk stays untouched.

Need to sync with a changed material or roll back? One-click Update and Reset to Defaults keep you moving fast.

Key Features

• Non-destructive workflow : Edits apply to a local DynamicMaterialInstance, your Material/Instance asset is never modified.
• Auto parameter exposure : Scalars, Colors, and Textures populate into arrays with clean, one-line rows.
• Live preview : Changes directly in UMG editor as you change the parameters (no extra code).
• Update / Reset buttons :
  • Update Parameters From Material adds/removes params to match the source;
  • Reset to Material Defaults restores values from the parent material.
• UMG Animator-ready : Animate Material Parameters on the preview image right inside the widget, all you need to do is add an image under the ImageSlot slot.
• Works in editor & runtime : Lightweight, no Material Editor dependency.

Workflow

1. Add WBP_MaterialInstanceWidget_Default to your UI ( Or subclass your own! )
2. Assign a Material or MIC.
3. (Optional) Drop an Image in the widget or use the Named Slot; the widget will bind the MID automatically, this will allow animating in UMG Animator.
4. Edit parameters in the Details panel and see changes instantly.
5. Use Update when you add/remove params on the source material, and Reset to pull fresh defaults.

If you have questions, suggestions, or feedback to help improve the plugin, please join the official Jin&Jaw LTD Discord Channel – I’d love to hear from you.