diff --git a/libraries/entities/src/EntityItemProperties.cpp b/libraries/entities/src/EntityItemProperties.cpp
index 1fdff19e38..bfba196350 100644
--- a/libraries/entities/src/EntityItemProperties.cpp
+++ b/libraries/entities/src/EntityItemProperties.cpp
@@ -841,10 +841,14 @@ EntityPropertyFlags EntityItemProperties::getChangedProperties() const {
  * @property {number} priority=0 - The priority for applying the material to its parent. Only the highest priority material is 
  *     applied, with materials of the same priority randomly assigned. Materials that come with the model have a priority of 
  *     <code>0</code>.
- * @property {string|number} parentMaterialName="0" - Selects the submesh or submeshes within the parent to apply the material 
- *     to. If in the format <code>"mat::string"</code>, all submeshes with material name <code>"string"</code> are replaced. 
- *     Otherwise the property value is parsed as an unsigned integer, specifying the mesh index to modify. Invalid values are 
- *     parsed to <code>0</code>.
+ * @property {string} parentMaterialName="0" - Selects the mesh part or parts within the parent to which to apply the material.
+ *     If in the format <code>"mat::string"</code>, all mesh parts with material name <code>"string"</code> are replaced.
+ *     Otherwise the property value is parsed as an unsigned integer, specifying the mesh part index to modify.  If <code>"all"</code>,
+ *     all mesh parts will be replaced.  If an array (starts with <code>"["</code> and ends with <code>"]"</code>), the string will be
+ *     split at each <code>","</code> and each element will be parsed as either a number or a string if it starts with
+ *     <code>"mat::"</code>.  In other words, <code>"[0,1,mat::string,mat::string2]"</code> will replace mesh parts 0 and 1, and any
+ *     mesh parts with material <code>"string"</code> or <code>"string2"</code>.  Do not put spaces around the commas.  Invalid values
+ *     are parsed to <code>0</code>.
  * @property {string} materialMappingMode="uv" - How the material is mapped to the entity. Either <code>"uv"</code> or 
  *     <code>"projected"</code>. In "uv" mode, the material will be evaluated within the UV space of the mesh it is applied to.  In
  *     "projected" mode, the 3D transform of the Material Entity will be used to evaluate the texture coordinates for the material.
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
index ec29fb009e..515fbc4381 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.cpp
@@ -1486,29 +1486,56 @@ bool Model::isRenderable() const {
     return !_meshStates.empty() || (isLoaded() && _renderGeometry->getMeshes().empty());
 }
 
-std::vector<unsigned int> Model::getMeshIDsFromMaterialID(QString parentMaterialName) {
-    // try to find all meshes with materials that match parentMaterialName as a string
-    // if none, return parentMaterialName as a uint
-    std::vector<unsigned int> toReturn;
-    const QString MATERIAL_NAME_PREFIX = "mat::";
-    if (parentMaterialName.startsWith(MATERIAL_NAME_PREFIX)) {
-        parentMaterialName.replace(0, MATERIAL_NAME_PREFIX.size(), QString(""));
-        for (unsigned int i = 0; i < (unsigned int)_modelMeshMaterialNames.size(); i++) {
-            if (_modelMeshMaterialNames[i] == parentMaterialName.toStdString()) {
-                toReturn.push_back(i);
-            }
-        }
-    }
+std::set<unsigned int> Model::getMeshIDsFromMaterialID(QString parentMaterialName) {
+    std::set<unsigned int> toReturn;
 
-    if (toReturn.empty()) {
-        toReturn.push_back(parentMaterialName.toUInt());
+    const QString all("all");
+    if (parentMaterialName == all) {
+        for (unsigned int i = 0; i < (unsigned int)_modelMeshRenderItemIDs.size(); i++) {
+            toReturn.insert(i);
+        }
+    } else if (!parentMaterialName.isEmpty()) {
+        auto parseFunc = [this, &toReturn] (QString& target) {
+            if (target.isEmpty()) {
+                return;
+            }
+            // if target starts with "mat::", try to find all meshes with materials that match target as a string
+            // otherwise, return target as a uint
+            const QString MATERIAL_NAME_PREFIX("mat::");
+            if (target.startsWith(MATERIAL_NAME_PREFIX)) {
+                std::string targetStdString = target.replace(0, MATERIAL_NAME_PREFIX.size(), "").toStdString();
+                for (unsigned int i = 0; i < (unsigned int)_modelMeshMaterialNames.size(); i++) {
+                    if (_modelMeshMaterialNames[i] == targetStdString) {
+                        toReturn.insert(i);
+                    }
+                }
+                return;
+            }
+            toReturn.insert(target.toUInt());
+        };
+
+        if (parentMaterialName.length() > 2 && parentMaterialName.startsWith("[") && parentMaterialName.endsWith("]")) {
+            QStringList list = parentMaterialName.split(",", QString::SkipEmptyParts);
+            for (int i = 0; i < list.length(); i++) {
+                auto& target = list[i];
+                if (i == 0) {
+                    target = target.replace(0, 1, "");
+                }
+                if (i == list.length() - 1) {
+                    target = target.replace(target.length() - 1, 1, "");
+                }
+                parseFunc(target);
+            }
+        } else {
+            parseFunc(parentMaterialName);
+        }
     }
 
     return toReturn;
 }
 
 void Model::addMaterial(graphics::MaterialLayer material, const std::string& parentMaterialName) {
-    std::vector<unsigned int> shapeIDs = getMeshIDsFromMaterialID(QString(parentMaterialName.c_str()));
+    std::set<unsigned int> shapeIDs = getMeshIDsFromMaterialID(QString(parentMaterialName.c_str()));
     render::Transaction transaction;
     for (auto shapeID : shapeIDs) {
         if (shapeID < _modelMeshRenderItemIDs.size()) {
@@ -1531,7 +1558,7 @@ void Model::addMaterial(graphics::MaterialLayer material, const std::string& par
 }
 
 void Model::removeMaterial(graphics::MaterialPointer material, const std::string& parentMaterialName) {
-    std::vector<unsigned int> shapeIDs = getMeshIDsFromMaterialID(QString(parentMaterialName.c_str()));
+    std::set<unsigned int> shapeIDs = getMeshIDsFromMaterialID(QString(parentMaterialName.c_str()));
     render::Transaction transaction;
     for (auto shapeID : shapeIDs) {
         if (shapeID < _modelMeshRenderItemIDs.size()) {
diff --git a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h
index 0f8eb782c3..8b14c5b29b 100644
--- a/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h
+++ b/libraries/render-utils/src/Model.h
@@ -513,7 +513,7 @@ private:
 
     void calculateTextureInfo();
 
-    std::vector<unsigned int> getMeshIDsFromMaterialID(QString parentMaterialName);
+    std::set<unsigned int> getMeshIDsFromMaterialID(QString parentMaterialName);
 };
 
 Q_DECLARE_METATYPE(ModelPointer)