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> Working with Content > Hair Rendering and Simulation > Groom Asset Editor User Guide

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Groom Asset Editor User Guide

A reference and user guide for the managing attributes and editing Groom Assets.

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Windows

macOS

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On this page

Opening the Groom Asset Editor
Groom Asset Editor Interface
Viewport Display Options
Viewport
Details Panels

The Groom system is designed to handle hair strands from imported groom Alembic (.abc) files. However, for scalability purposes, it also supports alternative geometry representations using cards and meshes. All of these geometric representations are managed within a single asset and component for ease of setup.

The Groom Asset Editor manages most of the aspects of your groom, enabling you to modify various parts of the groom for how it's rendered, how it handles physics simulation, creating and managing levels of detail (LODs), and much more.

Opening the Groom Asset Editor

The Groom Asset Editor is opened from the Content Browser by double-clicking any Groom Asset , or through the right-click context menu of a Groom Asset .

Groom Asset Editor Interface

The Groom Asset Editor is comprised of these regions:

Viewport Display Options : Includes viewport options, view perspectives, view modes, debug views, and level of detail visualization.
Viewport : Displays the groom asset with its assigned materials, level of details, and physics representation.
Details Panels : Includes

Viewport Display Options

The Viewport Display Options toolbar provides basic rendering and visualization options.

Viewport Options

The Viewport Options dropdown menu provides basic rendering options within the viewport. You can toggle real-time mode, change the field of view, and set the screen percentage for supersampling.

These options, and more, are accessed using the dropdown arrow in the viewport display options toolbar.

Perspectives

The Perspectives dropdown provides perspective and orthographic views; a perspective view that's a 3D window into the level, and orthographic views that are 2D viewports that look down on of the main XYZ axes.

View Modes

The View Modes dropdown provides a number of visualization options common to all editor viewports, such as lighting, optimization, materials, and exposure value control for the viewport.

To learn more about these visualization view modes, see Viewport Basics .

Show

The Show dropdown provides Groom Asset Editor specific visualization options to help you see the type of data being processed in your scene, as well as diagnose errors or unexpected results for this groom.


Property	Description
Guide	Displays the guides used for simulation.
Guide Influence	Shows simulation clumps (all the strands influenced by one guide) in color visualization.
UV	Displays the UV along each strand.
Root UV	Displays the UV at the root of each strand.
Root UDIM	Displays the UDIM at the root of each strand.
Dimension	Displays the width/length variations of each strand.
Seed	Displays (in color) the random seed used per strand.
Radius Variation	Shows (in color) the size of the strands. Blue represents thinner strands. Yellow represents thicker strands.
Base Color	Displays the base color stored per vertex. If base color is not exported from your modeling application with your groom, the strands will appear black.
Roughness	Displays the roughness stored per vertex. If the roughness is not exported from your modeling application with your groom, the strands will appear black.
Vis Cluster	Shows clusters of hair used for culling and level of detail purposes.
Cards Guide

These are some example visualizations from the Show dropdown.



Guides	Seed	Radius Variation	Base Color

LODs

The LODs dropdown enables you to visualize levels of detail within the viewport automatically or by specifying a particular level.

Switch between LODs automatically based on the options specified in the Level of Detail panel when using the LODs Auto option. This option automatically switches LODs based on their screen size in the viewport. Alternatively, use the dropdown to select from the available levels of detail that have already been generated to see them represented regardless of screen size.

Viewport

The Viewport is where you can view your imported Groom Asset with changes made in its different details panels, and use different visualization and debug view modes to inspect your groom.

For additional information about viewport navigation and visualization techniques, see Editor Viewports .

Details Panels

The Groom Asset Editor contains several Details panels which control a variety of attributes related to your groom.

Explore the panels below to learn about the attributes, properties, and options available:

Level of Detail
Interpolation
Strands
Cards
Meshes
Materials
Physics

Level of Detail

The Level of Detail (LOD) panel ctonrols the decimation of the groom's individual levels of detail. This includes controlling at what visible screen size the LOD should change and what type of geometry it should use (strands, mesh, or cards) for representation.


Property	Description
LOD [N]
Curve Decimation	Decimates the groom by reducing the number of strands. The removed strands are chosen randomly from the groom's imported strands.
Vertex Decimation	Decimates the groom by removing vertices on strands.
Angular Threshold	Defines the maximal angle value of two consecutive strands' segments for removing a vertex. Higher values mean more decimation.
Screen Size	Defines the screen size below which this LOD will be enabled.
Thickness Scale	Increases the strand thickness compensating for the loss of a strands curve. The Thickness Scale adjust an automatic scaling value that is computed.
Visible	Toggles the visibility of this LOD.
Geometry Type	Sets what type of geometry will be used to represent this level of detail. Choose between the following: Strands Cards Meshes
Cluster World Size	Defines the average size (in world space) of a hair cluster. A groom is divided into a set of clusters for fine grain level of detail selection and culling.
Cluster Screen Size Scale	Scales the projected screen of a cluster to bias its level of detail selection.
LOD
LOD Selection Type	Set whether the LOD selection should happen on the CPU or the GPU . When CPU is selected, the strands LODing is coarser but allows for all types of geometrical representation (strands, cards, and meshes). When GPU is selected, LODing is more fine grain but only supports strand geometry.
Minimum LOD	Specify the minimum LOD of detail to cook for all platforms, or specify minimum LODs for individual platforms by adding them using the Plus button.
Disable Below Min LOD Stripping	Set a flag to override the removal of LODs below the Minimum LOD set for all platforms, or specify platforms by adding them using the Plus button.

To preview the various LOD in the editor viewport, click on the LOD Auto button within the viewport and select the desired LOD:



Higher Detail LOD	Lower Detail Imported Mesh LOD

Interpolation

The Interpolation panel modifies some of the properties set during initial import of the groom.


Property	Description
Hair Group
Curve Decimation	Decimates the groom by reducing the number of strands. The removed strands are chosen randomly from the groom's imported strands.
Vertex Decimation	Decimates the groom by removing vertices on strands.
Override Guides	When enabled, overrides the imported guides by selecting a subset of strands used as a guide.
Hair to Guide Density	Defines the ratio of strands used as guides.
Interpolation Quality	Defines the quality of the interpolation when interpolating Guides motions onto the strands.
Interpolation Distance	Defines metric used for pairing guides and strands together.
Randomize Guide	When enabled, the guides used for interpolation are slightly randomized to break up clumps that can happen.
User Unique Guide	When enabled, a single guide is used for motion interpolation.
Interpolation
RBF Interpolation	When enabled, the Radial Basis Function (RBF) is used for interpolation instead of the local skin rigid transform.
Hair Interpolation Type	Select the type of interpolation to use when the groom is bound to a Skeletal Mesh: Rigid Transform: Only the translation of the root closest skin triangle is used during interpolation. Offset Transform: Only the translation of the root closest skin triangle is used during interpolation. Smooth Transform: The translation of the root closest skin triangle and a smooth rotation computed from the guide are used during interpolation.

Strands

The Strands panel controls various rendering properties related to the strands geometry of the groom. You can set your material, change key properties of the strands of the hair, such as width, root and tip scale, and enable ray tracing for the groom.


Property	Description
Material	The material used for the cards representation LODs.
Hair Width	Changes the size of the hair strands. This value corresponds to the width of the largest strand with the default value coming from the imported groom.
Hair Root Scale	Scales the width of the strand starting with the strand's root and fading down towards the tip.
Hair Tip Scale	Scales the width of the strand from the strand's tip and fading down towards the root.
Hair Clip Scale (DEPRECATED)	Clip the hair at a certain distance from the strand's root. This property is deprecated and will be removed in a future release of Unreal Engine.
Hair Shadow Density	Scales the hair density making shadow and transmission lighter or stronger uniformly over the groom.
Hair Raytracing Radius Scale	Scales the strand's width when raytraced shadowing is used.
Voxelize	When enabled, hair strands are voxelized to provide more accurate lighting computation.
Use Stable Rasterization	When enabled, the strands are less noisy but can appear a little bit thicker.
Scatter Scene Lighting	When enabled, the strands use the underlying scene lighting as a source light. This property is intended for really short hair, like peach fuzz.

Cards

The Cards panel is where you set up your cards' geometry, textures, and specify whether the engine should generate cards procedurally or use imported ones.


Property	Description
Material	The assigned material used for the Cards representation LODs.
Source Type	Choose the type of cards to use: Procedural (Experimental) Imported
Procedural Mesh	The mesh reference for the card geometry.
Imported Mesh	The mesh reference for the card geometry.
Procedural Settings (See Below)
Textures
Depth Texture	The depth texture used for the cards asset. This texture is optional, but when set the value is forwarded to the Hair Attributes node in the Material Editor.
Coverage Texture	The coverage texture used for the cards asset. This texture is optional, but when set the value is forwarded to the Hair Attributes node in the Material Editor.
Tangent Texture	The tangent texture used for the cards asset. This texture is optional, but when set the value is forwarded to the Hair Attributes node in the Material Editor.
Attribute Texture	The attribute texture used for the cards asset. This texture is optional, but when set the value is forwarded to the Hair Attributes node in the Material Editor.
Auxiliary Data Texture	The auxilliary texture enables user data to be transferred for the Cards Asset. It is an optional texture that when set, the value is forwarded to the Hair Attributes node in the Material Editor.
Group Index	The group index on which this card's geometry will be mapped to
LOD Index	The LOD index at which this cards asset should be used.

Procedural Generation

This feature is experimental. Output results can vary widely depending on the complexity of your grooms.

The Procedural selection generates cards from your strands in your groom. You can specify Geometry and Texture properties that determine how the cards are generated for your groom.


Property	Description
Geometry Setting
Generation Type	Choose whether to use guides or strands for card generation. When strands are selected, a random selection will be used for card generation.
Cards Count	Defines how many cards are generated when Generation Type is set to Cards Count .
Cluster Type	Defines how clumps are formed to generate cards. Choose between High and Low. High creates more well defined clumps but is slower to process.
Min Segment Length	Defines the minimum length between two consecutive card segments.
Angular Threshold	Defines the maximal angle value of two consecutive card segments. Higher values reduce the geometrical complexity of the cards decimation.
Min Cards Length	Cards having length smaller than this threshold are removed.
Max Cards Length	Cards having length larger than this threshold are removed.
Texture Settings
Atlas Max Resolution	The maximum atlas resolution of the generated cards atlas. This value is only a suggestion for the card generator and is not enforced.
Pixel Per Centimeters	Sets the pixel density (or precision) for generating the cards atlas.
Length Texture Count	The number of clumps variations to be generated.

Generating Procedural Cards

Generate a procedural Cards Asset using the following steps:

Set the Source Type to Procedural using the dropdown menu.
Set the Group Index and the LOD Index for which the cards should be generated. For example, if you want LOD 2 to use cards instead of strands, you would use 2 for the indices.
Under the Source Type dropdown menu, press the Refresh button to generate the Cards Asset.
Under the Source Type dropdown menu, press the Save button to save and reload the Cards Asset.

Meshes

The meshes panel manages the mesh geometry used for LODs in a Groom Asset. This panel lists all mesh geometry, but all listed geometry is not necessarily used.


Property	Description
Material	The assigned material used for the Cards representation LODs.
Imported Mesh	The assigned mesh geometry to be referenced.
Textures
Depth Texture	The depth texture used for the cards asset. This texture is optional, but when set the value is forwarded to the Hair Attributesnode in the Material Editor.
Coverage Texture	The coverage texture used for the cards asset. This texture is optional, but when set the value is forwarded to the Hair Attributes node in the Material Editor.
Tangent Texture	The tangent texture used for the cards asset. This texture is optional, but when set the value is forwarded to the Hair Attributes node in the Material Editor.
Attribute Texture	The attribute texture used for the cards asset. This texture is optional, but when set the value is forwarded to the Hair Attributes node in the Material Editor.
Auxiliary Data Texture	The auxilliary texture enables user data to be transferred for the Cards Asset. It is an optional texture that when set, the value is forwarded to the Hair Attributes node in the Material Editor.
Group Index	The group index that this card's geometry will be mapped to.
LOD Index	The LOD index at which this card asset should be used.
LOD
Minimum LOD	Specify the minimum LOD of detail to cook for all platforms, or specify specific minimums for individual platforms by adding them using the Plus button.

Materials

The Materials panel defines materials that can be used by the Groom Asset.

Use the Add ( + ) button to add a new Material reference. Use the Slot Name to give the material a name, otherwise it'll use the default name of the material that is assigned.

The Material slots found in the Strands , Meshes , and Cards panels lets you select from the referenced materials list.

Physics

The Physics panel provides settings to enable physics simulation, and modifying motion behavior of grooms.


Property	Description
Solver Settings
Enable Simulation	Enables physics simulation for the groom asset.
Niagara Solver	Select the Niagara solver to be used for simulation. Choose from Groom Rods , Groom Springs , and Custom Solver .
Custom System	Add a custom Niagara system to be used if the Niagara Solver is set to Custom Solver.
Sub Steps	The number of sub steps to be done per frame. The actual solver calls are done at 24 frames per second.
Iteration Count	The number of iterations to solve constraints with the xpbd solver.
External Forces
Gravity Vector	The acceleration vector measured in cm/s2 to be used for gravity.
Air Drag	The coefficient between 0 and 1 to be used for air drag.
Air Velocity	The velocity of the surrounding air measured cm/s.
Material Constraints: Bend Constraints
Solve Bend	Enables the solve of the bend constraint during the xpbd loop.
Project Bend	Enables the projection of the bend constraint after the xpbd loop.
Bend Damping	Damping applied for the bend constraint using a value between 0 and 1.
Bend Stiffness	The stiffness for the bend constraint in GPa.
Stiffness Scale	The curve determines how much the bend stiffness is scaled along each strand. The X axis range is 0,1. 0 maps to the root and 1 to the tip.
Material Constraints: Stretch Constraints
Solve Stretch	Enables the solve of the stretch constraint during the xpbd loop.
Project Stretch	Enables the projection of the stretch constraint after the xpbd loop.
Stretch Damping	The damping for the stretch constraint using a value between 0 and 1.
Stretch Stiffness	The stiffness for the stretch constraint in GPa.
Stiffness Scale	The curve determines how much the stretch stiffness is scaled along each strand. The X axis range is 0,1. 0 maps to the root and 1 to the tip.
Material Constraints: Collision Constraints
Solve Collision	Enables the solve of the collision constraint during the xpbd loop.
Project Collision	Enables the projection of the collision constraint after the xpbd loop.
Static Friction	The static friction used for collision against the Physics Asset.
Kinetic Friction	The kinetic friction used for collision against the Physics Asset.
Strands Viscosity	The viscosity between 0 and 1 that is used for self-collision.
Grid Dimension	The dimension of the grid used to compute the viscosity force.
Collision Radius	The radius that will be used for the collision detection against the Physics Asset.
Radius Scale	The curve determines how much the collision radius is scaled along each strand. The X axis range is 0,1. 0 maps to the root and 1 to the tip.
Strands Parameters
Strands Size	The number of particles per guide that will be used for simulation.
Strands Density	The density of strands measured in g/cm3.
Strands Smoothing	The smoothing between 0 and 1 of the incoming guides curves for better stability.
Strands Thickness	The strands thickness in centimeters that will be used for mass and inertia computation.
Thickness Scale	The curve determines how much the strands thickness is scaled along each strand. The X axis range is 0,1. 0 maps to the root and 1 to the tip.