Content Dev:CC Clothing UV Guidelines
Contents
- 1 CC Clothing UV Guidelines
- 2 Texture Resolution and Specifications
- 3 Texture Standards, Optimization, and Project Verification
- 4 Texture Map Deliverables for CC Cloth Base
- 5 Technical Guidelines for Color ID Map Authoring: FashionGen (2025) Workflow
- 6 Technical Specifications: Edge Integrity & Brush Settings
- 7 Structural Alignment and User Customization
- 8 Design-Driven Segmentation (Color Blocking)
- 9 Implementation Examples
- 10 Technical Integration Summary
- 11 Expanded Creative Strategy
- Main article: CC Asset Development.
CC Clothing UV Guidelines
Aspect Ratio and Resolution
- Default Ratio
- The default aspect ratio is 1:1.
- Non-Standard Ratios
- If a non-standard ratio (e.g. 1:2) is required, provide a clear annotation note.
- Minimum Resolution
- Ensure the shortest edge of the finished texture is no less than 2048 pixels (e.g. 2048×4096).
UV Orientation and Distortion
- Face Direction
- UVs must be oriented positively (front-facing), as shown in Figure A. Reversed or flipped UVs (back-facing), as shown in Figure B, are not permitted.
- Proportions and Stretching
- Maintain square proportions for UVs (Figure A).
- Avoid unnecessary stretching or scaling, as this can affect texture quality or cause deformation artifacts (Figure B).
- UV Space, Layout, and Padding
- Borders: Do not let UV islands touch the edges of the 0–1 UV space.
- Padding (Spacing): Ensure sufficient gaps between UV islands — minimum 20px for 2048×2048 textures, minimum 40px for 4096×4096 textures.
- UV Aspect Ratio: Maintain a 1:1 ratio for length and width. If an exception is required, annotations must be provided.
- Layout Strategy
- Group UVs of the same material or component in the same area wherever possible to facilitate easier painting and modification. However, maximizing UV space utilization remains the primary priority.
- UV Fragmentation
- Avoid excessive fragmentation of UV islands. Overly fragmented UVs can cause visible seams when textures are downscaled or during AO calculation, and are more difficult to modify.
- UV Orientation and Pattern Flow
- Vertical Alignment: UV islands must be oriented vertically (Figure A). Avoid arbitrary angles or unnecessary rotation (Figure B), as these cause visual artifacts when applying textures or patterns in Substance.
- Garment Directionality: When working with clothing, consider the fabric grain flow on sleeves relative to the body to ensure a natural arrangement.
- Standard Layout: Unless otherwise specified, both body and sleeve UVs should be aligned vertically (Figure C).
- UV Seams and Cutting Strategy
- Place UV cuts exactly along the structural seam lines of the high-poly model. As shown below, the yellow line indicates where the actual seam appears in the Normal Map. This prevents unnatural texture seams or visible breaks from appearing on continuous surfaces when applying materials in Substance Painter.
- Handling Symmetrical Objects
- Applicable to symmetrical assets such as shoes, gloves, and armor. UVs for the left and right sides must be unwrapped separately, with each side occupying its own unique UV space. Do not unwrap a single side and overlap (stack) the UVs for both sides.
- UV Alignment and Edge Flow
- Seam Alignment: Wherever feasible, ensure UV seams are aligned across connected parts.
- Edge Parallelism: UV flow at critical areas such as the hemline, cuffs, and collar should remain parallel to the garment edges.
- Tools and Validation
- Recommended Tools: Use UV layout tools or the Maya UV Editor to automatically adjust UV distribution and generate evenly spaced UVs.
- Validation: Verify results using the UV Test Grid in Substance Painter.
- Critical Deformation Areas
- Underarms (Axillary Region)
- Low UV pixel density in the underarm area can cause significant texture stretching when the character raises their arms. Increase both UV space and polygon density in this region to mitigate deformation artifacts, and adjust the UV layout for the shoulders and upper arms to ensure texture density (e.g., stripe spacing) remains visually consistent whether arms are lowered (Figure A) or raised (Figure B). After rigging, apply a stripe or checkerboard map to inspect the mesh and confirm pattern spacing is uniform.
- Natural Cloth Representation
- Introduce slight, intentional distortions in the UV layout at fold or wrinkle areas. Avoid completely flat (planar) projections — a perfectly flat UV map on a wrinkled surface makes patterns appear rigid and artificial, causing the garment to lose the natural, soft aesthetic of real fabric.
- UV Check Files
- Use the provided UV Check files for validation. Figure A is the main UV Check image; Figures B, C, and D simulate the visual effects of enabling Plaid and Patterns in Substance.
- UV and Texture Validation
- (A) Check UV orientation (front/back) and stretching.
- (B) Check results when applying Plaid horizontal lines in Substance.
- (C) Check results when applying Plaid vertical lines in Substance.
- (D) Check results when applying Pattern dots in Substance.
Texture and Material Guidelines
- Basic Material Settings
- Configure the material shader parameters as follows:
- Ambient Color: 255, 255, 255
- Diffuse Color: 255, 255, 255
- Specular Color: 255, 255, 255
- Specular Level: 500
- Glossiness: 10
Texture Resolution and Specifications
| Category | Description / Examples | Resolution Specs | Texture Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Body Style A | Distinct waist separation/seam (e.g. coats with belts, segmented jumpsuits); no distinct waist separation/seam (e.g. beltless coats, jumpsuits) | Working: 4096 × 4096 | 1 |
| Upper Body Garments | Garments ending above the knee (e.g. T-shirts, shirts, jackets, blazers, short coats) | Working: 4096 × 4096 | 1 |
| Lower Body Garments | Bottoms of varying lengths (e.g. skirts, trousers, pants) | Working: 4096 × 4096 | 1 |
| Shoes | All footwear types (e.g. shoes, ankle/knee-high boots) | Working: 4096 × 4096 | 1 |
| Gloves | — | Working: 4096 × 4096 | 1 |
Texture Standards, Optimization, and Project Verification
Creation vs. Release Workflow
- Creation Phase: Unless specific requirements dictate otherwise, create all textures at 4K resolution in PNG format.
- Product Optimization: For commercial release, convert texture formats to JPEG at 4K resolution using 2D software to significantly reduce file size.
- Quality Control: Manually verify that visual quality remains up to standard after format conversion and compression.
ccCloth File Size Guidelines
A single .ccCloth file — containing all maps within Texture Settings (Base Color, Normal, AO, Metallic, Roughness, Opacity) and Resource Maps (Height, Normal, Color ID, WS Normal, AO, Curvature, Position) — must adhere to the following limits:
- Maximum: Under 20MB.
- Optimal Range: 10MB – 15MB.
- Rationale: Adhering to these limits is critical to prevent excessive burden on real-time rendering performance.
Project-Specific Verification
Texture formats, resolution, and file size requirements may vary by project. You are strictly required to verify specifications against individual project needs and confirm final standards with your Reallusion Point of Contact (POC) or Project Manager (PM).
The red box above indicates where CC object textures are assigned. The quantity and technical specifications required vary by project — follow the Project Requirements accordingly. The CC file size refers to the final saved file after all required textures have been correctly assigned to their respective Material channels. For confirmation regarding texture specifications, consult the Project Manager (PM) or Art Lead (AL).
Texture Map Deliverables for CC Cloth Base
Every CC Cloth Base asset must include the specific texture maps outlined below.
Requirement Legend
- ★ (Mandatory): Must be produced and included in the final file delivery.
- Unmarked (Optional): Produced only if required by the outsourcing brief or project scope.
Visual Fidelity & Details
These textures define the final look in CC and must comprehensively capture all surface details — including wrinkles/folds, seam lines, fabric weave, and patterns — to fully represent the material quality and design intent of the garment.
PBR CC Cloth
| Category | Naming Convention | Necessity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Color | ObjectName_BC | ★ | |
| Opacity | ObjectName_O | ||
| Normal | ObjectName_N | ★ | *Note 2 |
| AO | ObjectName_AO | ★ | *Note 1 |
| Metallic | ObjectName_M | ★ | |
| Roughness | ObjectName_R | ★ | |
| Color ID | ObjectName_ID | ★ | *Note 3 |
| Curvature | ObjectName_Curvature | *Note 4 |
Note 1: Ambient Occlusion (AO) Baking Tools
Tools such as 3D-Coat, Substance Painter, and ZBrush can all generate AO maps, though 3D-Coat offers relatively limited parameter control. If results are unsatisfactory, use 3ds Max for baking, which provides a broader range of adjustable parameters for precise control.
Note 2: Normal Map Format (Substance Painter)
When texturing in Substance Painter, ensure the Normal Map format is set to OpenGL. This is crucial to prevent inverted normal details (flipped Y-axis) in the final output.
Note 3: Legacy Material Support (MAT3/5/7) & Mesh Data
If utilizing legacy MAT3/5/7 Color-Adjustable Materials, the CC Appearance Editor requires the following maps (collectively referred to as Mesh Data Maps):
| Category | Naming Convention | Requirement | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal | ObjectName_N | ★ | |
| World Space Normal | ObjectName_WN | ★ | |
| Color ID | ObjectName_ID | ★ | |
| Displacement (Height map) | ObjectName_H | ★ | |
| AO | ObjectName_AO | ★ | |
| Curvature | ObjectName_Curvature | ★ |
Note 4: FashionGen (2025) Compatibility
To ensure compatibility with FashionGen (2025), include the following Mesh Data during garment creation:
| Category | Naming Convention | Requirement | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Color ID | ObjectName_ID | ★ | |
| Curvature | ObjectName_Curvature |
A detailed explanation of the Color ID map is provided in the next chapter.
Technical Guidelines for Color ID Map Authoring: FashionGen (2025) Workflow
To fully leverage the AI-driven material synthesis of FashionGen (2025) while maintaining backward compatibility with Legacy Material Support (MAT3, MAT5, and MAT7), strictly adhere to the following Color ID authoring standards.
1. Technical Specifications: The 7-Color Standard
Color ID maps are limited to 7 specific colors to ensure cross-compatibility between FashionGen and Legacy Material Support.
- Crucial Warning
- RGB Precision
- Do NOT use the Eyedropper Tool: Sampling colors directly from reference images (Image A) often results in RGB value deviations.
- Manual Input Required: Manually input the exact RGB integers from the table below (Image B) to ensure the engine recognizes IDs correctly.
Image A: Visual reference for the 7 standard Color IDs.
| Black | Red | Green | Blue | Yellow | Magenta | Cyan |
Image B: Required RGB Parameter Table — enter these values manually.
| Label | Mask Definition | Mask Color | R | G | B |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red | Custom | Color ID | 255 | 0 | 0 |
| Green | Custom | Color ID | 0 | 255 | 0 |
| Blue | Custom | Color ID | 0 | 0 | 255 |
| Yellow | Custom | Color ID | 255 | 255 | 0 |
| Cyan | Custom | Color ID | 0 | 255 | 255 |
| Magenta | Custom | Color ID | 255 | 0 | 255 |
| Black | -------- | Color ID | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Technical Specifications: Edge Integrity & Brush Settings
When painting the Color ID map, boundaries between color blocks must be precise and solid:
- 100% Opacity: Boundaries must be solid — no semi-transparency or gradation at edges.
- Hard Brushes Only: Set brush Hardness to 100%. Soft, feathered, or anti-aliased brushes create intermediate colors that the engine cannot interpret, causing artifacts.
Image C: Correct Color ID Map Example.
Image D: Brush Settings — ensure hard edges to prevent anti-aliasing.
Structural Alignment and User Customization
Color IDs must be meticulously painted along UV layout and garment seam lines. The primary goal is to anticipate the end-user's workflow within FashionGen, ensuring the procedural material engine can accurately identify and apply textures to specific functional regions.
Design-Driven Segmentation (Color Blocking)
For garments with specialized aesthetic designs or unique color-blocking, assign dedicated Color IDs to allow FashionGen (2025) to execute precise localized material overrides, even in areas without physical mesh seams.
Implementation Examples
Example 1: Jumpsuit (Functional & Safety Details)
Assign Color IDs to the collar, pockets, cuffs, and reflective strips. This ensures FashionGen (2025) can automatically apply specialized shaders (such as high-visibility or reinforced fabrics) to these regions, while still allowing manual material assignment in MAT7 legacy modes.
Example 2: Polo Shirt (Pattern-Level Flexibility)
Assign Color IDs to the core fabric patterns (front/back bodice, sleeves). This granular segmentation provides FashionGen (2025) the data needed to apply varied knit directions or procedural aging, significantly increasing creative flexibility compared to MAT3/5 workflows.
Example 3: Crew Neck Short-Sleeve Shirt (Aesthetic Blocking)
Even without physical seams — such as a shirt with a distinct center color block — a specific Color ID must be defined for that zone. This allows the FashionGen (2025) generative engine to isolate the area for unique graphics or contrast fabrics without affecting the base garment structure.
Example 1:
Example 2:
Example 3:
Technical Integration Summary
By prioritizing FashionGen (2025) standards in Color ID mapping, assets utilize the latest procedural fabric technology and AI-assisted texturing while remaining fully accessible to users operating within the Legacy Material Support (MAT3/5/7) framework.
Expanded Creative Strategy
Developers and content creators are strongly encouraged to design multiple Color ID zoning variations for a single garment, as demonstrated in Examples 1–3. Packaging these variations as additional Material Plus presets gives customers immediate access to alternative styles.
Ensure each Material Plus preset embeds its corresponding Color ID within the Resource Maps. This empowers end-users to leverage both the FashionGen (2025) workflow and Legacy Material Support (MAT3/5/7) to maximize stylistic customization.
