Docs  /  Smear Effect
Last updated — 2026-05-07

Overview

Easy to use and implement smear effect for your Unreal Engine 5 project. Creates beautiful motion trails that follow fast‑moving objects, perfect for projectiles, combat abilities, character animations, or any dynamic movement.

Customization

  • Smear Intensity – Control how strong the smear effect appears.
  • Catch‑Up Lag – Adjust how quickly the smear catches up to the moving object.
  • Velocity Threshold – The smear activates only when the object reaches a specified speed.

Smear Direction Modes

  • Velocity – The smear follows the object's movement direction. Useful for projectiles.
  • World Direction – Uses a fixed smear direction regardless of the actor’s rotation.
  • Local Direction – The smear rotates with the actor. Useful for character animations and animated objects.

Implementation Methods

  • Blueprint – Drag and drop the component, call Start Smear / Stop Smear.
  • Actor Component – Add Smear_Effect to any actor, tweak parameters in the details panel.
  • Animation Notifies – Trigger smears during specific animation frames (e.g., sword swings, dash attacks).

How to Install

  1. Open the Fab store and search for Smear Effect.
  2. Click “Add to project”.
  3. Add Smear_Effect component to your target actor.
  4. Add and connect MF_Smear to World Position Offset of the target actor's material.
  5. In the component details, adjust parameters to your liking.
  6. Select the direction mode (Velocity / World / Local) based on your needs.
  7. Enable this effect inside a Blueprint, by enabling "Start Enabled", or through Animation Notify States.
    8. Nodes Start Enabled Notifies

Notes

  • This effect uses a material function to displace vertices, so the lower the poly count, the fewer vertices are available to smear.
  • Smear lag is used with AnimeNotifyStates where there isn't velocity registered to smooth smears

Changelog

    May 5, 2026 (v1.0.0)
  • Initial release
    • May 7, 2026 (v1.0.1)
  • Better Direction Handling
  • 'Disable Smear' option, to disable smear all together during runtime
  • 'Record Max Velocity' option to calibrate your Velocity Divisor and achieve smoother smearing.