[WIP] [Substance Designer] Metal with Rust

Andy Horns

I have been trying to create a realistic metal with rust, I think i have been looking at it for too long now... I just can't seem to get the rust to look right, does anyone have some ideas as to why it's not looking right? 

JamesBrisnehan

Realistic rust is difficult because there is so much detail in it, and it looks so different in different situations. First off, what reference are you working from, and what is the story you are imagining for this material. What kind of metal is it? Was it painted? What elements was exposed to? Story details like that can help you find good reference, which can then help you nail the details and realism.

icegodofhungary

I think the noise you're using for the rust is too big and the normal for it is too strong. Surface rust doesn't have much depth to it. For the color variation in rust just look up references and use your gradient map to emulate it.

Andy Horns

Thanks for the feedback guys

@JamesBrisnehan I imagined a metal like these normally used on wooden crates or the barrels, not painted,  exposed to elements outdoors all the time but maybe not for so long that the crate is no longer in use, looking at the references again you are right, in the end i started looking at so many but the rust is so different in different situations. 




@icegodofhungary you are absolutely right, looking again it settles more in the crevices of the metal and eats into it than grows out, I will change the noise and I think probably the mask i am using as well, I don't like the big patches of rust it should really be much smaller. 

I will make some changes and post again. 

Thanks so much really helps give me a fresh perspective when someone else looks at it. 

Andy Horns

Here is an update, I think it's looking a lot better

JamesBrisnehan

Yah, definitely looking better.

I have some other ideas might be fun to play with. You could try discoloring parts of the metal around the rust like it is in the barrel image. The way that it changes from cool dark grey to warmer light grey right before turning to rust is interesting. It could also be cool to try adding constructional details in the metal (rivets, screws, bevels, welds, etc.) and then imagining how rain would move around and collects in those forms. That would help inform your decisions about where to place the rust patches. It kind of depends on what you want to use this material for. If it's an all-purpose tiling texture, keeping the forms generic like this would be ok. If the plan is for this substance ball itself is going up on the ol' portfolio, see ho far you can push it. 

Andy Horns

Yeah def that's the plan. I wanted a base material that I can use for various things this being the generic sphere, next I'll make a wood material and then combine and want to be able to layer the materials in substance and have more control over the rust based on the additional details like screws or rivets and how the rust would increase with those. This is why I'm still not happy with how the rust mask works on this material but I have an idea I'll try out soon and then take the base and layer it and take it next level. Thanks for all the advice it really helped me to just look at things with fresh eyes and go back to looking at the finer details in the references.