Modeling and Texturing a Simple Desk

cover image

This is not so much a tutorial, more like a time-lapse process video. Watch as i model in cinema 4D, prepare for texturing and then go into substance painter and texture. It wasn’t super complicated process but i’ll break down some of the things i did here.

Whenever you want to start creating, you want to find some references. Originally I was on SKETCHFAB and searched for some desks. I was going to buy something but nothing looked quite like I needed it so, i just kept the page up as a reference, and got to modeling.

So when I start anything, my preferred method is always box modeling. Basically, i’m just starting with a box and CONVERT TO OBJECT. I RING SELECTED all of the edges and beveled them a few times to make them a bit more round.

Since this is just a simple desk, there wasn’t really much else to the model besides more edge beveling and extruding. I inset the top and bottom faces to create the separation between what was supposed to be the metal border and the wooden table.

For the desks legs, again, I started with a box and got to modeling. I was thinking something that was simple and metal, so just a frame to hold the table up. This entire time, im looking up and down the SKETCHFAB search results looking at the references images.

Again, I started with my good ol box to create the back of the desk. It was pretty simple. I just used the symmetry modifier and reflected it across and repeated for the other legs and side panel.

Once the desk is done and where I like it, I just switch to the UW editor layout and get to unwrapping my desk! The unwrapping is important because it lays out the texture so that the textures applied line up and are displayed properly without any overlap. For simple items, i just use the automatic unwrap.

It’s also important to note that having your model finished the editing phase so you don’t have to go back to fix the re-unwrap your model because of small changes made after the first UV edit.

Now that everything is unwrapped, we can get into vertex painting. Tags > other tags > Vertex Paint

Double click the vertex paint icon and we can start selecting polygons, choosing a color and hitting apply to selected. Keep in mind, Once we export this for Substance Painter, we need to decide where the materials would start and end, so keep that in mind when your selecting polygons.

When you export as an FBX, you want to make sure you have “vertex colors” selected.

Now, we get to the fun stuff! In substance painter, when you open your model, we need to bake the textures to get the vertex maps we saved!

In the gif above, we see 4 steps!

1. Under Texture Set settings, Bake the mesh maps

2. In the new box change the output size in common and then go to ID

3. Change the color source to Vertex Color.

4. We’re all done, now you should see a list of maps in texture set settings. The ID is the important one.

Now, when you choose a material, and apply it to your model, all you need to do is use a color selection mask (image on right)

Repeat the process and customize as you like or until you have the ULTIMATE SIMPLE DESK!!