Creating Intricate Filigree Metalwork Patterns for a Material with Substance 3D

Introduction

Hello everyone, my name is Jinho Yum. I am currently based in South Korea and working toward becoming a 3D Environment Artist for games. I am particularly interested in procedural material creation with Substance 3D Designer.

I began studying 3D art in earnest while majoring in Game Art in Canada. At school, I created game environments and assets in a range of styles while learning tools including 3ds Max, ZBrush, Substance 3D Painter, and Unreal Engine. Through that process, I found myself most drawn to environment art.

After graduating, I decided to pursue environment art professionally, but I also realized that I needed more experience and further study to meet industry standards. I am currently taking part in a mentorship program, where I am learning more production-oriented workflows and steadily developing my portfolio through personal projects.

Inspiration

The project initially began as a study of decorative patterns and window motifs found in Gothic architecture. As I gathered references, I became interested in metal filigree and felt that its repeating, intricately connected curves would suit a procedural workflow well. I later introduced stained-glass-inspired forms and gemstones, which pushed the project toward a more elaborate and ornate result.
 
I mainly used Pinterest to gather references. I collected images of metalwork, Gothic architectural ornament, stained glass, and gemstone cutting, then studied the structure of repeating patterns, the flow of curves, and color combinations. Rather than reproducing a single reference, I wanted to combine features I liked from several sources into an original design.

The main goal was to create every element entirely in Substance 3D Designer. Decorations like these are often modeled or sculpted, but I wanted to avoid external models and textures and build everything from the motifs and metal framework to the stained-glass-inspired sections and gemstones through a node-based workflow.

Pattern

I started by creating the overall frame. I usually establish the largest structure first and then fill it with smaller motifs. This makes it easier to keep different designs within consistent proportions and spacing, helping the entire pattern feel cohesive.

The workflow for creating the motifs was relatively simple, but it allowed me to generate a wide range of forms by repeating and adjusting the same core process. The foundation of the workflow was distorting basic shapes with Directional Warp. Because filigree ornament is largely composed of flowing curves, it was difficult to achieve the desired forms with simple Shape nodes alone.

I first created basic shapes, then used Directional Warp to form the curves, adjusting the direction and intensity to develop several different motifs. Once a shape was established, I used Edge Detect to extract the thin metal lines. Since filigree is defined by delicate wire-like forms, this step had a major influence on the overall character of the material.

I then used Bevel to add thickness and height to the lines, and adjusted their side profile with Curve so that they would catch the light more naturally and appear more dimensional. Finally, I used Tile Sampler to create a symmetrical arrangement and combined two interlaced line patterns to complete the frame. 

Using the same approach, I created six different motifs and combined them to build a variety of repeating patterns.

Gemstones

The gemstones placed inside the motifs were also created entirely in Substance 3D Designer. I used the Paraboloid option in the Shape node as the base, then subtracted a Cells pattern from it to create angular edges resembling a faceted gemstone. I repeated the process with smaller Cells to divide the surface further and produce a more complex cut.

Although the result looks intricate, the graph itself is relatively simple. By combining Shape and Cells and adjusting only a few parameters, I was able to produce several gemstone variations.

I then placed the finished gemstones inside the motifs with Tile Sampler. Slight variations in their positions helped prevent the repeating pattern from feeling too uniform.

Color

One of the most important decisions in this project was to prepare the masks before beginning the color work. In Substance 3D Designer, I believe the way masks are organized has a greater impact on efficiency than the color work itself. Before adding color, I created separate masks for the metal, stained-glass-inspired sections, and gemstones.

For the stained-glass-inspired sections, I created a mask that excluded all of the metal lines, then used Flood Fill and Flood Fill to Random Grayscale to assign different values to each enclosed area.

By feeding this mask into a Gradient Map, I could adjust the overall palette by editing a single gradient. Because different colors were assigned randomly across the individual regions, the repeated pattern retained a varied and less uniform appearance.

I also reused the same masks for Roughness. Organizing them clearly from the beginning made it much easier to revise the colors and material properties later in the process.

Render

The final rendering was completed in Marmoset Toolbag. My main lighting goal was to preserve a strong sense of volume. With such a dense ornamental surface, strong frontal lighting can flatten the forms. I therefore placed the key light from the side so that both highlights and shadows remained visible. This allowed the height and thickness of the filigree lines, as well as the smaller surface details, to read more clearly.

I also added a light behind the object to emphasize the metallic reflections and gemstone highlights. I slightly increased the Bloom to give the metal a subtle glow and adjusted the lighting so that the different gemstone facets would catch the light and appear more vibrant.

For post-production, I focused more on refining the lighting than applying heavy color correction. Since the colors and material properties had already been established in Designer, my priority at the rendering stage was to find lighting that presented those qualities clearly.

For the animation, I used Marmoset Toolbag's Turntable feature. Rather than rotating the object itself, I kept it stationary and rotated the Sky light through 360 degrees. This caused the reflections on the metal and gemstones to shift continuously, helping convey material qualities that were difficult to communicate through still images alone.

Lessons

The project took approximately two days to complete. The main challenge was not creating the individual motifs, but managing the overall graph. As the number of motifs, gemstones, frames, and corresponding masks increased, the graph quickly became difficult to manage without a clear structure.

At the same time, this was where the procedural workflow showed its greatest advantage. Once the graph had been organized properly, modifying existing forms or adding new motifs became much easier. Even late in the process, I could revise the design by adjusting existing parameters rather than rebuilding elements from scratch, and those changes would propagate through the final result.

This project reinforced the importance of planning the graph as carefully as the final visual result. One of Substance 3D Designer’s greatest strengths is its ability to create reusable, expandable systems rather than a single fixed result. I also learned that even an ornament as complex as filigree can be produced efficiently by breaking it down into smaller modular elements. I would like to continue applying this procedural approach to a wider range of materials and decorative studies. 

Conclusion

When first learning Substance 3D Designer, I think it is more important to understand the overall flow of a graph than to memorize every function or parameter of each node. I also believe that regularly studying strong artwork is essential. I constantly look at the work of other artists, game art, architecture, and craftsmanship to find new ideas.

Exposure to a wide range of references, along with actively exchanging feedback with others, can make a significant difference in an artist's growth. Substance 3D Designer can feel difficult at first. However, by learning its principles step by step and consistently completing even small projects, you will eventually be able to recognize how much you have improved.

Finally, I would like to thank my mentor, PIXELHORIZON, for introducing me to new perspectives and workflows and for always providing thoughtful feedback. That guidance helped me keep studying during challenging periods and continue moving toward my goal of becoming a 3D Environment Artist.

I would also like to sincerely thank 80 Level for giving me this interview opportunity. I hope to continue learning, creating new projects, and growing as an artist. I will continue sharing new work on my ArtStation, and I would be grateful if readers took the time to check it out.

Jinho Yum, 3D Environment Artist

Interview conducted by Stephanie Almogabar