1. A method for generating a library of materials that can be applied to geometry in a graphics scene when performing rendering operations, the method comprising: generating a class file that includes material parameters representing rendering characteristics of a material class; generating a library root file that includes a reference to the class file; generating a rendering implementation file for translating values of the material parameters into a format recognized by a particular rendering engine; generating a user interface file that includes at least one user interface configured to allow a user to modify the values of the material parameters; linking the class file to the library root file; and linking the rendering implementation file and the user interface file to the class file.