Gradient Map
Turns grayscale values into color
Also known as: Substance Designer Gradient Map · Designer color ramp · Gradient Map node · Designer color from height · Gradient color
Definition
A Gradient Map is a Substance Designer node that converts a grayscale image into color using a gradient: black maps to the first color in the gradient, white to the last, and the grays in between to the colors along it. It is the standard way to turn height or noise into a base color for rock, soil, wood, leaves and many other materials, with a few colors in the gradient giving a controlled, art-directed result.
In production
Start with a few well-chosen colors, vary their values and hues slightly, and feed the gradient map with a combination of height, ambient occlusion and noise to get natural variation. For stylized work, use fewer, flatter colors. The Gradient Dynamic node can adapt the gradient to the image automatically. In Substance Painter, a Gradient Map filter can recolor materials in the same way.
