Exporting and importing materials

[Vinny2]

I just exported a package, containing Materials and Texture2D's. They're working perfectly. UDK saved a folder, with the name of my package, containing the textures and a few T3D's representing my Materials.

However, when i try to import a material (from a T3D file) i get the "Import Failed" error. What can be wrong?

[ffejnosliw]

Materials don't have an import/export pipeline. The only way to create them is through the Content Browser.

[Vinny2]

Then why i can export them as T3D files? Or the T3DMAT file format exists?

[Graylord]

It's to create a code file, I suppose you could paste the code directly in somewhere, probably the material editor. Or it's possible it just gives you the shader code.

Note how the filetypes all say they are just text, they aren't actually materials, just codes.

[Vinny2]

Yes, they're serialized objects. They can be used to restore objects in their original form. In this case, a material. It doesn't make any sense having the ability of exporting a Material and not being able to import them, unless this is an unfinished feature.

[Graylord]

It seems you are going on about copying your files in an overly complex and uneccesarily time consuming matter.

Instead of trying to export and import everything, you can just copy the entire package to the content folder of your wanted installation.

[Vinny2]

Graylord, that's not what i'm trying to do. I don't want to copy packages or anything. I'm dealing with Material, and this object in specific, exporting and importing. Creating a few materials in a package and exporting them using UDK's works perfectly, however, by problem lies when UDK is unable to import it's own exported information.

It makes no sense to have import/export functionality available when it fails to work, unless it's a WIP feature. Or it's a serious bug.

[Graylord]

I'm pretty sure they are left overs from UE1 and 2, rather than the other way around.

And I still think you are going on about the wrong way. What are you trying do to exactly? Just copy your materials to another package? There is an actual COPY option.

All you can do with exporting a material is A: Move it. B: Copy it. C: Distribute it to a seperate installation.

A and B have their own proper options, while C is done by copying it's package or copy-pasting the contents of the material editor..

[Vinny2]

I'm trying to create materials externally, modifying the serialized object properties and putting them back on. But, as i said, even a CLEAN export from UDK can't be imported back. That's why i'm posting here, because UDK can't export and import Materials. There's a bug in the import feature, which can't import it's own exported data.

[ffejnosliw]

It's not a bug. Materials are not meant to be imported and exported.