you can already make materials from textures.
I can make it so you can right click on the texture icon in the asset manager and say create material.
Even better to have a batch conversion. This would work by selected the folder with the textures and RMB + Click -> Convert all textures to material, i can make it so it leaves the normal and specular maps alone because they have specific suffixs "_s", "_spec", etc....
You can also drag and drop textures from the asset manager directly onto the material editor.
Or you can type the textures into the line edit and press return on the material editor for faster texture placement.
Current Routine: > Add mesh to scene
> Drag texture onto mesh (e.g. wall_D.dds)
> RMB + Click in the scene view -> Save Texture as Material.
> On the dialog, either choose to save with that name in the folder the texture came from, or click cancel to choose a location and name for it instead.
> Assign the new material to mesh if it isn't already.
> Save as preset and re-use by dragging the preset in. It will have the material you made attached.
> Reuse the material by dragging it onto different objects and save them as preset.
Hope this helps