How to create hyper-realistic 3D materials with Substance Designer

When you work in 3D, you realize that an amazing model is nothing without good materials. It's like having a sports car without paint: something crucial is missing. Materials are what really sell the idea, what makes an object go from looking like a 3D mesh to something you could touch.And if we talk about creating hyperrealistic materials with all the control you can imagine, Substance Designer is the right tool.

Today I'm going to tell you how these materials are created, why Substance Designer is so powerful, and some tricks that I use to give that hyperrealistic touch to any texture.

Why Substance Designer?

Substance Designer is one of those tools that, if you're a fan of doing things your way, you'll fall in love with. Instead of working with fixed textures like you would in Photoshop or Substance Painter, everything here is procedural. This means that materials are not painted directly, but are built from nodes..

And what's the good of that? Well, You can adjust any detail at any time, scale the material without losing quality, and reuse it in a thousand more projects.It's like having your own custom texture factory. The best part is that you don't have to start from scratch every time. You can work with generators, noises, and gradients, combining them like LEGO bricks to design amazing things.

The process of creating hyperrealistic material

Okay, now that we know why Substance Designer is so cool, let's see how to create a material from scratch. Spoiler alert: it's not magic, but it does take practice and a keen eye for detail.

1. It all starts with a reference

First, you need to know what material you want to create. It sounds obvious, but The key here is to pay attention to the detailsImagine you're laying a floor with old tiles. What's the pattern like? Are they all perfectly aligned, or are some more recessed? Are there any cracks? What color are the joints?

Look for photos, or better yet, go to the actual site and touch it, see how it reflects the light. Good material starts with good observation.

2. Build the base of the material

In Substance Designer, I always start with the basic structure. If I'm making bricks, for example, I use the node “Tile Generator” to generate the pattern. I then adjust the size and shape of the bricks until they match my reference.

Don't look for perfection here. In reality, Nothing is perfect, and that's something you'll have to work on in the next steps..

3. Add details: imperfection is your friend

Realism comes from details. With nodes like “Noise”, you can add scratches, wear or dirtThis is the moment where the material comes to life:

• Add cracks using a Height Map.
• Use a “Grunge Map” node to create stains or wear in areas where the material would be most worn.
• Apply color variations with gradients to prevent everything from looking too uniform.

4. Work the maps

In Substance Designer you don't just make a pretty texture. You create a set of maps that will define how the material interacts with light and the environment:

• Base Color: is the main color of the material.
• Roughness: controls how shiny or matte the surface is.
• Normal Map: gives the sensation of depth without affecting the geometry.
• Height Map: use this to simulate real movements.
• Metallic: indicates whether the material is metallic or not.

Here's the trick: play around with these maps. For example, on a wood material, you can make the worn areas shinier (less rough), while the less-worn areas are more matte. These small tweaks are what make a material go from mediocre to impressive.. 

5. Export and use the material

When you're done, export the maps and apply them to your favorite 3D engine: Unreal Engine, Unity, Arnold, whatever you prefer. The great thing about Substance Designer is that you can export materials in 4K or even higher, and they still look amazing..

Tricks for hyperrealistic materials

• Study how materials behave in real life: sIf you're working with rusty metal, where does the rust start? Which parts are most exposed?
• play with the scale: orA common mistake is making textures too large or small for the model they're applied to. Scale your patterns until they look proportional.
• Use variations: NNothing in nature is perfectly uniform. Add spots, color changes, and small defects.

Examples you can try

1. aged wood: orUse noise nodes to create the grain, add small knots with Height Maps, and wear down the edges to simulate use.
2. Rough stone: cStart with a Grunge node for irregularities, apply fractal noise for color variations, and adjust the roughness so it doesn't reflect too much light.
3. Rusty metal: Combine grunge maps with reddish and brownish colors in the rusty areas. Use a roughness map to make the rust matte and the clean areas shinier.

Substance Designer: The Future of Texturing?

With increasingly advanced graphics engines and the arrival of technologies such as ray tracing, the demand for hyperrealistic materials continues to grow. Substance Designer remains the preferred tool for those who want complete control over material creation..

The best part is that you can start with the basics and gradually master the art of creating procedural materials. And if you ever get stuck, the Substance Designer community is full of artists sharing resources and tips. Are you interested in Digital Art?Learn about the educational offer of TAI in this artistic area and train in 3D!

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