Texturing
Now came the part most artists look forward to – texturing. With both the Nanite and low-poly versions ready, I started with the Nanite model first. My goal was to texture this high-resolution version thoroughly and then bake down those details onto the low-poly later.
Before jumping in, I spent a good amount of time studying my references to understand the wear patterns and material characteristics of the real Wilcox Raid-X. Realism starts with observation.
For the main body, I began by building the base material. Although the laser appears black, true black in the real world often has underlying tones, like green, blue, or purple. I went with a subtle blue tint, which added richness and depth to the material.
To create a heavy-duty plastic look, I used the Computer Plastic Old material in Substance 3D Painter. I first applied it only to the normal channel to get that grainy, slightly bumpy surface detail that feels like hardened industrial plastic. Then I introduced color variation in two ways:
- Edge fading using a brighter and rougher layer to give that natural worn look.
- Grunge-based variation using a Dirt Map with a cloudy breakup to add surface realism and prevent the material from feeling flat.
Once the main body was done, I moved on to the smaller parts, which were straightforward and quick. Still, something felt off – the surface lacked that final touch of realism. That’s when I added oily smudges and fingerprints in logical spots like around the buttons and grip zones. It instantly elevated the realism of the piece.
For the buttons, I created a smooth, glossy plastic material – brighter than the main body – with rough edges and a hint of dust buildup. This gave them that subtle tactile contrast while keeping it believable.
Finally, for the metal parts, I returned to the Computer Plastic Old material again, but set the metalness to 0.9. This trick gave me a nicely aged, grungy metal surface that tied in well with the overall aesthetic.
