Gloss Weight maps

[bwcszark]

As the title says can SP make them. I can't see any reference of them in the documentation (baking list). It is the way DAZ3D set up the Metal/Rough shader in Daz Studio with a Gloss Layer Weight node (0 Black, 1.00 white).

PS I may have found the answer. I think you may call them Glossiness maps

[CAGameDEV]

If you're working with Metal Rough there is no "gloss" map. If you decide to do this on your own and mix the shader, then that's a different story. The Gloss look would come from moving your Roughness slider to the left, making it less rough and more glossy. Then plug in your roughness map to the shader and you'll be good to go.

[bwcszark]

Yeah I was wondering why DAZ3D made a Gloss Layer Weight node in their Metal/Rough shader by default, that is adjustable 0 -1.00. I too thought Roughness would be good enough but after using Iray inside Daz Studio I have found on occasion that 1.00 is why too much and dropping this Weight node down helps with controlling the strength of the roughness, hence the Q about making a Weight map. I always thought that PBR would always have gloss weight of 1.00 with Roughness being the only controller.

[bwcszark]

This is a snippet of the Metal/Rough shader in Daz Studio so you can see what I am referring to. The node is selected with a yellow outline

[CAGameDEV]

I'm going to take a guess that the shader supports both Metal Rough and Spec Gloss maps, which is why you see all the options for those two workflows within the shader.

I might be wrong because I don't use DAZ3D, but with Metal Rough you use: Base Color - Metallic - Roughness - Normal // with Spec Gloss it's Diffuse - Specular - Glossiness - Normal.

Someone who knows DAZ3D should be able to tell you. I just know the maps used for the two workflows.

I found this online. Take a look! http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/referenceguide/interface/panes/surfaces/shaders/iray_uber_shader/shader_general_concepts/start#base_mixing

[bwcszark]

Thanks for the reply.

Yes you can change the shader to Spec Gloss and Weighted also but all the parameters change to what you should get with Spec Gloss etc. I have been using Daz Studio for near on ten years and I know it well. The documentation I have read over and over but it never explains why they included a Gloss Weight node. But I did find this snippet after reading it again "but unless it is for legacy conversion, it usually left alone. When converting legacy materials, specular maps are inserted here". Man I hate been dyslexic.

Anyways I realise now that if I follow a strict PBR workflow and leave this Node on 1.00 I should be good with Substance Materials.

Thank you for trying to help, much appreciated.