Installation

This asset pack installs just like any other Blender asset browser pack does. If you're unfamiliar with the process here's the procedure:

1. Download the material and/or HDRI .zip files to your computer.

2. Extract them to a folder on your computer that you intend on keeping them in permanently.

3. Place any HDRI folders in the same folder as the corresponding materials and overwrite the two blender_assets files (e.g. so the "SD HDRIs" folder resides inside the "Essential Materials\Essential Materials - SD" folder, next to the other SD material folders).

   You can see in the screenshot below there are only four libraries in a correct setup: Procedural, UHD, HD, and SD.
   

4. Select the folder(s) under Edit→Preferences→File Paths→Asset Libraries in Blender (as shown in the screenshot below).

5. If you purchased Essential Materials or Essential HDRIs, be sure to use the ....assets.cats.txt files in the folders next to the .zip files (just overwrite the ones that are included). Otherwise, if you purchased the full add-on, you should ignore those folders and use the ones already in the .zip files.

   Please note: Step #5 is now obsolete since I decided against selling the packs separately, but because a few customers already purchased them separately, I'm leaving it here.
   

Other Useful Info.

• DirectX normal maps are usually not used in the materials but are included, when available. Just in case you need them for other software you export to (Unity, Unreal, etc.).
  

• Check out this video for configuring the procedural water materials: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkCdhth22xI. I used this method when creating the two procedural water materials. Adding lights under the water can definitely help the procedural water look more realistic.
  

• IMPORTANT: Most users will want to choose the Append (Reuse Data) option in the asset browser, so you can adjust settings individually for each material in each of your projects. Keep in mind, regardless of which option you choose, Blender still maintains a link to the files in your asset libraries.

  If you rename any parent folder, move your .blend files, or rename any of the folders in the hierarchy of your material library, you'll break the link between your projects and materials/HDRIs. This isn't a bug with Essential Materials & HDRIs, it's just the way Blender currently handles the asset libraries. So, be careful and be sure you have your Blender project files and your material/HDRI folders where you intend on keeping them.

  If you absolutely need to move one of your .blend files to a new directory, the best way I've found is to open the file in Blender and save it to the new location. This remaps the paths to your assets. It's not foolproof (as I still had a missing asset or two when I did this) but it works much better than if you move them using file explorer.

• If you have a lower or mid-range PC, you will likely just want to download the SD & HD assets. The UHD assets are only meant for high-end computers (or really simple scenes). If you know you need them, they're available, but for most users, the HD and SD assets will work great, even for high-resolution renders.
  

• I would strongly recommend using the minimum resolutions you can, for both materials and HDRIs. Many times, like with repeating brick materials that are going to be rendered in a small portion of your final render, you could easily use the SD material. By doing so, you ensure your scenes remain efficient. This will also let you create significantly more complex scenes (with fewer performance issues).

• The SD HDRIs are very low resolutions and were chosen as such, so you can use them just for the ambient light they cast. When using them, you'll typically want to choose the transparent option under Render Properties→Film (shown below) which will remove the HDRIs from the background of your renders.