Material File
Path to the external material definition to load.
← Fusion node reference
USD / 3DIntermediate
uMaterial
External USD/MaterialX material loader
Loads an external USD or MaterialX material description into the USD graph and can package it as a separate stage layer.
uMaterial
DaVinci Resolve · Fusion
uMaterial is a technical material-ingest node. It does not directly color-correct pixels; instead it introduces an external material definition that can be assigned, merged or exported as part of a USD scene.
Overview
What uMaterial does
uMaterial is a technical material-ingest node. It does not directly color-correct pixels; instead it introduces an external material definition that can be assigned, merged or exported as part of a USD scene.
Mental model
Think of uMaterial as a Loader for material definitions rather than images: point it to a material file, then use the resulting resource elsewhere in the stage.
Common uses
External MaterialX materials
Reusable USD look-dev assets
Material libraries
Stage-layer material packaging
Flow anatomy
Inputs & outputs
The port structure shows how this node fits into a Fusion graph.
Stage / Scene Input
3D scene or object data to be processed or combined.
uMaterial
Fusion node
Material / Stage Output
The resulting USD stage.
Inspector
Important parameters
Start with these controls before reaching for more complicated workarounds.
Browse
Opens file selection for the material path.
Export as Separate Stage
Packages the material resource as its own USD stage/layer.
Practical setup
A reliable workflow
- 1
Choose a material file compatible with the USD pipeline.
- 2
Load it through Material File/Browse.
- 3
Verify that textures and dependencies resolve correctly.
- 4
Merge or assign the material in the target stage.
- 5
Export as a separate layer when reusable material packaging is desired.
Typical node chain
Material File→
uMaterial→
USD Stage→
uRenderer
Examples
Where this node fits in real work
Reusable external material
Load a MaterialX definition and merge it into the shot USD stage.
uMaterialuMergeuRenderer
Material library stage
Keep the material as a separate stage layer for clean asset organization.
Material FileuMaterialExport as Separate Stage
Troubleshooting
Common mistakes
Expecting uMaterial to render an image by itself.
Moving the material file without preserving dependent texture paths.
Mixing material ingestion and assignment without clear stage organization.
Production notes
Practical tips
Keep material and texture assets together in a predictable directory structure.
Use separate-stage export for reusable look-dev components.
Validate the material in uRenderer before building a large scene around it.
Related nodes