Sci-Fi Material Art TrimSheet Workflow

Summary of Project Plan, Process, and Adjustments:

Preparation:
I started by looking through the provided 3D models to get a feel for what kind of materials they’d need. Once I had a sense of the environment these assets would fit into, I put together a focused plan — the idea was to keep things efficient and consistent, so I decided to create three TrimSheets with a total of 23 tileable materials. The DecalSheet would come later, once the texturing was done. My goal was to match the general style of the existing assets, but add a few unique touches here and there to make it my own.

Process:
All the materials were built from scratch in Substance Designer and then organised into those three TrimSheets. I used a UDIM workflow in Maya for the texturing, laying out the UVs cleanly and without overlaps (except for decals). This made the whole process a lot easier to manage, especially when tweaks were needed later on, and helped make the most of the TrimSheets. The DecalSheet was put together in Photoshop, then brought into Substance Designer to convert it into a PBR material. I skipped using Substance Painter entirely for this one, and focused a lot on keeping the normal maps clean, since that was a clear priority in the reference assets.

Adjustments:
Partway through, I realised I needed an extra TrimSheet to cover a few bigger pieces — like the transparent hex pattern panels and the mattress/blanket fabric in the second asset set. It was the best way to keep UV ratios consistent across the board. I did think about just adding more UV cuts to squeeze them in, but the seams would’ve been too noticeable, so it wasn’t worth it in the end.