lookdev
Purpose
Make surfaces true: UVs that don't stretch, maps that carry micro-story, materials that respond to light, organic features that read as alive, or NPR systems that match the style lock. Materials are ~80% of why a model looks real or cheap.
Scope
D25–D36 plus Depth 17 (120+ Principled recipes), Depth 18 (cel/anime/outlines/painterly), Depth 32 (UV strategy, texel density, UDIMs, baking pipeline). Lighting is lighting. Engine choice is decision-engine 5.2.
Activation Conditions
- UV, seams, texel density, UDIM, painting, baking, Principled, SSS, eyes, toon/cel/anime shaders, material recipes
Use lookdev
Non-Activation Conditions
- Mesh still failing bend tests (→ modeling)
- Final grade/LUT (→ render-comp)
- Cloth/hair fibers (→ costume-groom) except strand materials which this skill can support
Instructions
- UV (D25): seams in hidden regions (inner thighs, hairline, under arms). Even texel density (Ch 32.3 table). Pack islands. UDIM for heroes if needed. No lighting in albedo.
- Maps: albedo, roughness (the #1 realism lever), metalness (0 or 1, not 0.5), normal, optional height/displacement, masks (AO, curvature, ID).
- Creation path: paint (D27), photo/projection (D32.8), procedural (D29), bake high→low (D28 / D32.7). Combine.
- Principled BSDF is the universal base (unless NPR). Use Depth 17 recipes for metals, organics, liquids, stone/gems, wood, fabrics, plastics/glass, emissives. Ten node recipes in 17.10.
- Skin (D32): SSS (radius reddish), pore-scale, roughness 0.3–0.5 varied, never plastic. Cheeks/ears/knuckles more red.
- Eyes (D33): sclera + iris disc + cornea (IOR ~1.37), wet gloss, catchlights. Life lives here.
- Teeth/tongue/nails: slight transmission, not bathroom-white teeth, wet tongue.
- NPR: if style lock is toon/anime/cartoon/painterly, use Depth 18 and decisions 5.13 / 5.17. Comp for toon is mandatory (18.7).
- Approve hero close-up under FINAL lighting, not HDRI studio only.
- Lookdev lock.
Procedures
Baking pipeline (32.7)
Cage or extrusion ray; selected-to-active; bake Normal, AO, Curvature, Thickness; 16-bit or EXR; match texel density.
Anime shading (18.3)
2–3 tone ramp via Shader-to-RGB, anime eye, face-shadow trick, selective outline. EEVEE often. Grade with stylized grading (Ch 36.6).
Crystal/gem (for Example A)
Depth 17.5: transmission, IOR, roughness low, volume absorption if needed, Cycles preferred.
Decision Logic
- Style lock drives PBR vs NPR.
- Keep materials PBR-pure if engine might swap.
- Background assets: procedural + shared materials; don't unique-paint everything.
Inputs
- Deformation-ready mesh, style lock, engine, lighting preview, material callouts from sheets
Outputs
- UV layout + texel policy
- Map set
- Material/shader graphs (or NPR system)
- Lookdev stills under final-ish light
- Shared state:
locks.lookdev
Tools
UV Editor, Texture Paint, Shader Editor, bake, Depth 17–18–32 tables. Optional Substance only if it genuinely helps; Blender-centered.
Constraints
Never final-to-compressed-video from lookdev. Never bake lighting into albedo. Never skip seam hiding on heroes.
Edge Cases
- Mixed toon character in PBR world: separate ramps, grade together.
- Wetness from rain: mask/AOV, not a new material per shot.
- Skin in EEVEE: approximate SSS; know the limit.
Failure Modes & Fixes
| FAIL |
FIX |
| Stretching |
Recut seams; relax; check density |
| Plastic skin |
SSS + roughness variation + pore |
| Dead eyes |
Cornea IOR + wet + iris recess + catchlight |
| Seams obvious |
Move to hidden; paint across |
| Toon looks 3D |
Ramp + outline + lighting discipline + comp (18.7/18.8) |
| Fireflies on metal |
Roughness > 0; clamp; Cycles settings via render-comp |
Dependencies
- Needs
modeling UVs on a stable mesh
- Constrained by
character-design callouts and D138
- Affects
lighting and render-comp
- NPR outline methods may use
grease-pencil
Related Skills
modeling, lighting, render-comp, costume-groom, character-design, decision-engine
Delegation Rules
- Engine/samples →
render-comp / decision 5.2
- Mood light →
lighting (lookdev must still preview under it)
- Hair strand shader details also in
costume-groom Depth 33.3 — coordinate
Examples
- Realistic face: UDIM head, 4k albedo/rough/normal, Principled SSS, cornea IOR 1.37.
- Anime girl: Shader-to-RGB 3-tone, face shadow mesh or gradient, inverted-hull outline, EEVEE.
Required Knowledge / Context
knowledge/domains/ch04-lookdev.mdknowledge/depth/ch17-materials-encyclopedia.mdknowledge/depth/ch18-stylized-npr.mdknowledge/depth/ch32-uv-texture-baking.md
References to Shared Resources
checklists/lookdev-handoff.mdworkflows/lookdev-pipeline.md
1---2name: lookdev3description: UV mapping, texture creation/painting/baking/procedural, Principled materials, shaders, organic lookdev (skin/eyes/teeth/tongue/claws), and stylized/NPR shading systems.4---56# lookdev78## Purpose910Make surfaces true: UVs that don't stretch, maps that carry micro-story, materials that respond to light, organic features that read as alive, or NPR systems that match the style lock. Materials are ~80% of why a model looks real or cheap.1112## Scope1314D25–D36 plus Depth 17 (120+ Principled recipes), Depth 18 (cel/anime/outlines/painterly), Depth 32 (UV strategy, texel density, UDIMs, baking pipeline). Lighting is `lighting`. Engine choice is `decision-engine` 5.2.1516## Activation Conditions1718- UV, seams, texel density, UDIM, painting, baking, Principled, SSS, eyes, toon/cel/anime shaders, material recipes19- `Use lookdev`2021## Non-Activation Conditions2223- Mesh still failing bend tests (→ modeling)24- Final grade/LUT (→ render-comp)25- Cloth/hair fibers (→ costume-groom) except strand materials which this skill can support2627## Instructions28291. UV (D25): seams in hidden regions (inner thighs, hairline, under arms). Even texel density (Ch 32.3 table). Pack islands. UDIM for heroes if needed. No lighting in albedo.302. Maps: albedo, roughness (the #1 realism lever), metalness (0 or 1, not 0.5), normal, optional height/displacement, masks (AO, curvature, ID).313. Creation path: paint (D27), photo/projection (D32.8), procedural (D29), bake high→low (D28 / D32.7). Combine.324. Principled BSDF is the universal base (unless NPR). Use Depth 17 recipes for metals, organics, liquids, stone/gems, wood, fabrics, plastics/glass, emissives. Ten node recipes in 17.10.335. Skin (D32): SSS (radius reddish), pore-scale, roughness 0.3–0.5 varied, never plastic. Cheeks/ears/knuckles more red.346. Eyes (D33): sclera + iris disc + cornea (IOR ~1.37), wet gloss, catchlights. Life lives here.357. Teeth/tongue/nails: slight transmission, not bathroom-white teeth, wet tongue.368. NPR: if style lock is toon/anime/cartoon/painterly, use Depth 18 and decisions 5.13 / 5.17. Comp for toon is mandatory (18.7).379. Approve hero close-up under FINAL lighting, not HDRI studio only.3810. Lookdev lock.3940## Procedures4142### Baking pipeline (32.7)43Cage or extrusion ray; selected-to-active; bake Normal, AO, Curvature, Thickness; 16-bit or EXR; match texel density.4445### Anime shading (18.3)462–3 tone ramp via Shader-to-RGB, anime eye, face-shadow trick, selective outline. EEVEE often. Grade with stylized grading (Ch 36.6).4748### Crystal/gem (for Example A)49Depth 17.5: transmission, IOR, roughness low, volume absorption if needed, Cycles preferred.5051## Decision Logic5253- Style lock drives PBR vs NPR.54- Keep materials PBR-pure if engine might swap.55- Background assets: procedural + shared materials; don't unique-paint everything.5657## Inputs5859- Deformation-ready mesh, style lock, engine, lighting preview, material callouts from sheets6061## Outputs6263- UV layout + texel policy64- Map set65- Material/shader graphs (or NPR system)66- Lookdev stills under final-ish light67- Shared state: `locks.lookdev`6869## Tools7071UV Editor, Texture Paint, Shader Editor, bake, Depth 17–18–32 tables. Optional Substance only if it genuinely helps; Blender-centered.7273## Constraints7475Never final-to-compressed-video from lookdev. Never bake lighting into albedo. Never skip seam hiding on heroes.7677## Edge Cases7879- Mixed toon character in PBR world: separate ramps, grade together.80- Wetness from rain: mask/AOV, not a new material per shot.81- Skin in EEVEE: approximate SSS; know the limit.8283## Failure Modes & Fixes8485| FAIL | FIX |86|---|---|87| Stretching | Recut seams; relax; check density |88| Plastic skin | SSS + roughness variation + pore |89| Dead eyes | Cornea IOR + wet + iris recess + catchlight |90| Seams obvious | Move to hidden; paint across |91| Toon looks 3D | Ramp + outline + lighting discipline + comp (18.7/18.8) |92| Fireflies on metal | Roughness > 0; clamp; Cycles settings via render-comp |9394## Dependencies9596- Needs `modeling` UVs on a stable mesh97- Constrained by `character-design` callouts and D13898- Affects `lighting` and `render-comp`99- NPR outline methods may use `grease-pencil`100101## Related Skills102103modeling, lighting, render-comp, costume-groom, character-design, decision-engine104105## Delegation Rules106107- Engine/samples → `render-comp` / decision 5.2108- Mood light → `lighting` (lookdev must still preview under it)109- Hair strand shader details also in `costume-groom` Depth 33.3 — coordinate110111## Examples112113- Realistic face: UDIM head, 4k albedo/rough/normal, Principled SSS, cornea IOR 1.37.114- Anime girl: Shader-to-RGB 3-tone, face shadow mesh or gradient, inverted-hull outline, EEVEE.115116## Required Knowledge / Context117118- `knowledge/domains/ch04-lookdev.md`119- `knowledge/depth/ch17-materials-encyclopedia.md`120- `knowledge/depth/ch18-stylized-npr.md`121- `knowledge/depth/ch32-uv-texture-baking.md`122123## References to Shared Resources124125- `checklists/lookdev-handoff.md`126- `workflows/lookdev-pipeline.md`
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