How to organize multiple UV maps?

Hi there,

I am modeling this super high poly car, and also would like the textures to be super hi-res and realistic.

So after the UV’s are done, I’m planning to take the model to substance painter. It got me thinking how would you organize different UV-maps of complicated objects, as in this case a car, that has a lot of parts. Obviously if I pack all the faces in one UV map, the 4k texture would not be high enough, even if I placed the duplicated objects in top of each other.

Should maybe the leather and metallic paint be in own separate UV’s? Or perhaps interior in own or how. I’m bit lost here and would like to know your workflow and recommendations.

It is not coming to game engine, just for still renders.

if just for renders, there is absolutely no reason at all to try and make your highly detailed car model into one mega-object with one UV. As a matter of fact, you are best off keeping all the parts separate, with their own materials.

Even for game engines, although one model/mesh/UV is preferred, it is not absolutely necessary.

you should only need UVs to use image files. I would highly suggest avoiding UVs for a hi-res model, unless you absolutely must pack it down, (for a game, or maybe an animation that would take forever if not baked down to a lower poly model). perhaps uv map out the control panel object, and maybe the tire objects, but everything else will do just fine with modeling, sculpting, and materials.

Thanks for reply!
Well yeah, actuallly first I thought that I might go with procedural materials, and use image textures just in the places where its absolutely necessary. But the thing is that I only have some experience of procedural materials in Blender, but I would like to set it up for render in multiple rendering engines. Then those textures would come handy. Or I might just learn procedural materials in arnold, etc… too.

You can always bake your procedurals to UV maps.
You dont really need complex procedurals, or many at all. Just for the leather, and maybe carpet.

Keep The various car parts in separate objects.
(the body as one object, the wheels as one or four objects, the seats as multiple objects, the windows as separate objects, etc. )