Elena Rossi
Trim sheets are a great way to texture multiple props and environment assets. This introduction will show you how to touch up trim sheets in Substance Painter, a texturing application, to create a simple trim texture for props with wood and metal surfaces. You will learn how to import textures, create materials, and make adjustments to get the desired visual result. Additionally, you will understand the process of unwrapping props and assigning materials to create a seamless and aesthetically pleasing trim sheet for your projects.
Characteristics and Values Table for Touching Up Trim Sheets in Substance Painter
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Use | One of the best ways to texture multiple props and environment assets |
| Use Case | Creating a simple trim texture for props with two different surface types |
| Example Props | Wooden shelf, wooden desk, wooden cabinet |
| Process | Import textures, create a material, and assign it to the props |
| Tools | Maya, Substance Painter, UE4/UE5 |
| Tip | Use a seamless single texture for a brick texture on a plane to allow for resizing |
| Challenge | Moving around UVs to get them in the right spot can be tricky |
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What You'll Learn
Using a flat plane to texture
To start, create a flat plane in a program like Maya or Blender. The size of the plane can vary, but a common practice is to make it 300x300cm or 2048x2048cm. You can then insert an extra edge at the bottom of the plane to separate the texture surface types and assign different materials, such as wood and metal, to those polygons. This step allows you to plan out the sections of your trim sheet with consistent sizes and proportions, making it easier to switch out materials and create variants.
Once you have the plane set up, you can import it into Substance Painter. Before texturing, you might need to bake the high poly texture maps, such as normal, AO, and curvature, onto the plane. This process ensures that the details of your trim sheet are accurately transferred to the plane. After baking, you can start texturing the trim sheet in Substance Painter, experimenting with different materials and smart masks to create the desired effects.
When texturing, it's essential to consider the reusability of trim sheets. Avoid adding large and noticeable details like cracks or water stains that might stand out when the texture is tiled or reused in a scene. Instead, focus on creating seamless details that can be used across multiple assets and arranged in different layouts.
Additionally, you can use the same plane to create opacity maps for decals or ornaments. By assigning a white vertex color to the ornament mesh and baking it onto a black plane, you can enable opacity inside Substance Painter and create transparent elements in your trim sheet.
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Unwrapping props and placing UVs
Unwrapping Props
Unwrapping props involves preparing the 3D model to receive textures by laying out its UV coordinates. This process ensures that the textures are applied accurately and without distortion. In Substance Painter, you have the option to use the Auto UVs feature, which automates this process to a certain extent. However, for more complex assets or specific requirements, manual unwrapping may still be necessary.
Placing UVs
Once the props are unwrapped, you can proceed to place the UVs of each prop onto the appropriate space in the texture. For example, if you're working with a wooden shelf and a metal cabinet, you'll place the UVs of the wooden shelf onto the wooden part of the UV layout and the UVs of the metal cabinet onto the metal section. This ensures that the textures are applied correctly and align with the materials you intend to use.
UV Layout and Material Assignment
When placing UVs, it's essential to consider the UV layout and how it corresponds to the materials you want to use. In the example of wood and metal, you would assign the wood and metal materials to the respective sections of the UV layout. By using tools like Black Mask and Polygon Fill, you can fine-tune the placement and exposure of different materials, ensuring that they blend seamlessly.
Adjustments and Exporting
After placing the UVs, you can make any necessary adjustments to perfect the visual result. This may include modifying the placement of UV islands, scaling textures, or adjusting material properties. Once you're satisfied with the layout and appearance, you can export the textures using the appropriate preset, such as UE4 or UE5, depending on your target engine.
Considerations and Best Practices
It's worth noting that UV unwrapping can be a divisive topic in the 3D community. While some artists appreciate the control and precision it offers, others find it tedious. Substance Painter's Auto UVs feature aims to streamline the process, but manual adjustments may still be required for complex assets or specific material flows, such as wood grains. Always review your UV maps and be prepared to make adjustments in Blender or similar software if needed.
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Hiding parts of the material
To hide parts of the material, you can use a Black Mask. This is particularly useful when you want to expose one material underneath another. For example, if you want to expose wood under metal, you can use a Black Mask on the metal material. Use Polygon Fill within the Black Mask to hide the part of the metal material and expose the wood underneath.
You can also make any additional adjustments to each part of the material to achieve the desired visual result. This process of using a Black Mask and Polygon Fill allows for precise control over the visibility of different materials and enables you to create the desired composition and design.
It is important to note that this technique is applied within the Substance Painter software, where you can import your textures and materials. The Black Mask acts as a tool to selectively hide or reveal certain portions of your materials, contributing to the overall aesthetic of your project.
By utilizing the Black Mask and Polygon Fill tools in Substance Painter, you can effectively hide parts of the material, creating a more nuanced and intricate design. This process demonstrates the flexibility and customization that Substance Painter offers for texturing and designing projects.
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Exporting textures
To export textures from Substance Painter, go to "File > Export Textures" or use the keyboard shortcut "Ctrl + Shift + E". You can also use the "Open output directory" button in the upper right corner of the export tab to quickly locate the export location. Before exporting, the "List of Exports" tab displays the maps currently set for export, and you can hover over any channel to see the associated input maps.
When importing textures into UE5, simply drag and drop them into the UE5 Content Browser. The Color texture will be ready to use immediately, while the Normal Map will be automatically converted. However, the Packed texture requires adjustments. Double-click on the AO/Roughness/Metallic packed texture to open the Texture Editor, and ensure you disable sRGB.
If you are using Blender, it is recommended to export the textures as .png files and then add them to your shader. Separately exporting the mesh from the textures is also advised to avoid potential scale and triangulation issues.
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Modelling and laying out UVs
Modelling UVs
Before beginning the texturing process in Substance Painter, it is crucial to ensure that your 3D model is UV unwrapped. This process involves laying out the 3D model's UV coordinates onto a 2D plane, allowing for the application of textures. Substance Painter does offer an Auto UVs feature, which can be useful when working under time constraints. However, for more precise control and better results, manual UV unwrapping is recommended.
Laying out UVs
Once your model is UV unwrapped, you can begin laying out the UVs. This involves arranging the UV shells or islands on the UV map to optimize texture space and minimize stretching or distortion. When working with materials like wood, ensure that the UVs follow the natural flow of the wood grains. This will ensure that the textures align correctly and create a seamless appearance.
Exporting and Importing UVs
After modelling and laying out your UVs, you'll need to export them for use in Substance Painter. In your 3D modelling software, go to File > Export > FBX. Ensure that the Vertex Colors box is selected in the export window. Then, open Substance Painter and import the FBX file, making sure Auto-Unwrap is deactivated. Your model and UV map should now be visible in the software.
Testing and Baking UVs
To test that your UVs are functioning correctly, try drawing on the model. You should see the markings reflected on the UV map. Before proceeding, it's important to bake the model. Go to Texture Set Settings and click on Bake Mesh Maps. This is where you'll bring in your high-poly mesh and bake it down.
Texturing with UVs
Now that your UVs are set up, you can begin texturing your trim sheet. Assign the appropriate materials to the UV layout, such as wood and metal. Use masking techniques to hide certain parts of the materials and create the desired visual result. For example, use a Black Mask and Polygon Fill to hide a portion of the metal material to expose the wood.
Remember, understanding UV mapping is crucial for creating high-quality trim sheets in Substance Painter. While automatic tools can be helpful, taking the time to manually lay out your UVs will give you greater control and better results.
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Frequently asked questions
Trim sheets are used to texture multiple props and environment assets. They are especially useful for walls with multiple layers.
First, import the textures into UE5 and create a Material. Then, assign this Material to all the props that will use the trim sheet. Next, use a flat plane to texture instead of importing prop models into Substance Painter. Assign wood and metal materials onto the plane. Use Black Mask to hide the part of the Metal material and expose the wood. Make any additional adjustments to get the desired visual result.
Your model will need to be cut up into rows and aligned to fit inside the trim sheet. You will essentially be modelling and laying out UVs at the same time based on the trim sheet.
