diff --git a/Gems/Atom/RPI/Code/Include/Atom/RPI.Reflect/Material/MaterialAsset.h b/Gems/Atom/RPI/Code/Include/Atom/RPI.Reflect/Material/MaterialAsset.h
index 4cc6608225..2a6c89a8fa 100644
--- a/Gems/Atom/RPI/Code/Include/Atom/RPI.Reflect/Material/MaterialAsset.h
+++ b/Gems/Atom/RPI/Code/Include/Atom/RPI.Reflect/Material/MaterialAsset.h
@@ -34,8 +34,6 @@ namespace AZ
         class MaterialAssetHandler;
 
         //! MaterialAsset defines a single material, which can be used to create a Material instance for rendering at runtime.
-        //! It fetches MaterialTypeSourceData from the MaterialTypeAsset it owned.
-        //! 
         //! Use a MaterialAssetCreator to create a MaterialAsset.
         class MaterialAsset
             : public AZ::Data::AssetData
@@ -46,7 +44,6 @@ namespace AZ
             friend class MaterialVersionUpdate;
             friend class MaterialAssetCreator;
             friend class MaterialAssetHandler;
-            friend class MaterialAssetCreatorCommon;
             friend class UnitTest::MaterialTests;
             friend class UnitTest::MaterialAssetTests;
 
@@ -117,8 +114,18 @@ namespace AZ
             //!
             //! Note that even though material source data files contain only override values and inherit the rest from
             //! their parent material, they all get flattened at build time so every MaterialAsset has the full set of values.
+            //!
+            //! Calling GetPropertyValues() will automatically finalize the material asset if it isn't finalized already. The
+            //! MaterialTypeAsset must be loaded and ready.
             const AZStd::vector<MaterialPropertyValue>& GetPropertyValues() const;
 
+            //! Returns the list of raw values for all properties in this material, as listed in the source .material file(s), before the material asset was Finalized.
+            //! 
+            //! The MaterialAsset can be created in a "half-baked" state (see MaterialUtils::BuildersShouldFinalizeMaterialAssets) where
+            //! minimal processing has been done because it did not yet have access to the MaterialTypeAsset. In that case, the list will
+            //! be populated with values copied from the source .material file with little or no validation or other processing. It includes
+            //! all parent .material files, with properties listed in low-to-high priority order. 
+            //! This list will be empty however if the asset was finalized at build-time.
             const AZStd::vector<AZStd::pair<Name, MaterialPropertyValue>>& GetRawPropertyValues() const;
 
         private:
diff --git a/Gems/Atom/RPI/Code/Source/RPI.Edit/Material/MaterialSourceData.cpp b/Gems/Atom/RPI/Code/Source/RPI.Edit/Material/MaterialSourceData.cpp
index 23657f4871..bc764ec7fb 100644
--- a/Gems/Atom/RPI/Code/Source/RPI.Edit/Material/MaterialSourceData.cpp
+++ b/Gems/Atom/RPI/Code/Source/RPI.Edit/Material/MaterialSourceData.cpp
@@ -312,6 +312,9 @@ namespace AZ
                     {
                         materialAssetCreator.ReportWarning("Source data for material property value is invalid.");
                     }
+                    // If the source value type is a string, there are two possible property types: Image and Enum. If there is a "." in
+                    // the string (for the extension) we assume it's an Image and look up the referenced Asset. Otherwise, we can assume
+                    // it's an Enum value and just preserve the original string.
                     else if (property.second.m_value.Is<AZStd::string>() && AzFramework::StringFunc::Contains(property.second.m_value.GetValue<AZStd::string>(), "."))
                     {
                         Data::Asset<ImageAsset> imageAsset;
diff --git a/Gems/Atom/RPI/Code/Source/RPI.Reflect/Material/MaterialAsset.cpp b/Gems/Atom/RPI/Code/Source/RPI.Reflect/Material/MaterialAsset.cpp
index ce5847d12f..a40fa77019 100644
--- a/Gems/Atom/RPI/Code/Source/RPI.Reflect/Material/MaterialAsset.cpp
+++ b/Gems/Atom/RPI/Code/Source/RPI.Reflect/Material/MaterialAsset.cpp
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ namespace AZ
                 m_materialTypeAsset = newMaterialTypeAsset;
 
                 // If the material asset was not finalized on disk, then we clear the previously finalized property values to force re-finalize.
-                // This 
+                // This is necessary in case the property layout changed in some way.
                 if (!m_wasPreFinalized)
                 {
                     m_isFinalized = false;