The secret is to post images of your results, texture flats and renders. Also information about how you made it: what software, methods, etc. Only then can people actually help.
it already starts with the model/highpoly looking like its plastic
then, your texture right now is basically just noise with one high spec and high gloss value, the secret lies in not having just one value
maybe it helps you when you understand, that in metalness workflow, the diffuse is turned black and what you put in your diffuse texture is used as the specular map
The secret is to post images of your results, texture flats and renders. Also information about how you made it: what software, methods, etc. Only then can people actually help.
Metals should have a very dark (basically black) diffuse, as the look of pure metals is all in the reflection, metals do not diffuse light. It looks like your texture has a bright silver and yellow color in the diffuse, these should be in the specular map instead. The spec map should be pretty basic, pretty much a flat value, unless the material actually changes. A reason the material would change would be if it has dirt or rust on it, which are not metal and would mean the color of these materials should be in the diffuse and the specular for these materials would be very low. The gloss map is where you would add detail for variation, but it shoudn't be simple noise. Stuff some reference and try to understand which areas would be smoother or rougher (for instance, edges that stick out might get rubbed a lot more, which will polish/smooth them out), and then include that detail in your gloss map.
Now, to keep you from having to ask this question again, the real answer whenever this thought pops up is: figure out what material the thing is you're trying to create, and study the material properties. Research it's reflective properties, find lots of reference images and break down how it looks. Heck, even look at how other artists tackle the material, a good way to do this is to check out the material breakdowns (click the layer button) in Marmoset Viewer scenes, which you can find a lot of on ArtStation: https://www.artstation.com/artwork?sorting=best_of_2015&marmoset=true
Metals should have a very dark (basically black) diffuse, as the look of pure metals is all in the reflection, metals do not diffuse light. It looks like your texture has a bright silver and yellow color in the diffuse, these should be in the specular map instead. The spec map should be pretty basic, pretty much a flat value, unless the material actually changes. A reason the material would change would be if it has dirt or rust on it, which are not metal and would mean the color of these materials should be in the diffuse and the specular for these materials would be very low. The gloss map is where you would add detail for variation, but it shoudn't be simple noise. Stuff some reference and try to understand which areas would be smoother or rougher (for instance, edges that stick out might get rubbed a lot more, which will polish/smooth them out), and then include that detail in your gloss map.
Now, to keep you from having to ask this question again, the real answer whenever this thought pops up is: figure out what material the thing is you're trying to create, and study the material properties. Research it's reflective properties, find lots of reference images and break down how it looks. Heck, even look at how other artists tackle the material, a good way to do this is to check out the material breakdowns (click the layer button) in Marmoset Viewer scenes, which you can find a lot of on ArtStation: https://www.artstation.com/artwork?sorting=best_of_2015&marmoset=true
Does the same workflow apply to UE4 material? I mean just saw your hemlet and i noticed that you've got your reflection color information in Reflectivity!
UE4 uses the metallic workflow so the reflection color gets put into the base color texture. The metallic workflow already assumes your diffuse is black based off the metallic map.
UE4 uses the metallic workflow so the reflection color gets put into the base color texture. The metallic workflow already assumes your diffuse is black based off the metallic map.
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then, your texture right now is basically just noise with one high spec and high gloss value, the secret lies in not having just one value
maybe it helps you when you understand, that in metalness workflow, the diffuse is turned black and what you put in your diffuse texture is used as the specular map
Eric you beat me to it.
Now, to keep you from having to ask this question again, the real answer whenever this thought pops up is: figure out what material the thing is you're trying to create, and study the material properties. Research it's reflective properties, find lots of reference images and break down how it looks. Heck, even look at how other artists tackle the material, a good way to do this is to check out the material breakdowns (click the layer button) in Marmoset Viewer scenes, which you can find a lot of on ArtStation: https://www.artstation.com/artwork?sorting=best_of_2015&marmoset=true
Here's a couple scenes I made that have metallic materials:
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/mzVx1
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/2qwPg