Bake ID Masks (Material Index Colors)

Create instant selection masks for fast texturing and paintovers.

The Workflow

1. Assign a different material to each logical part (metal, rubber, plastic, leather).
2. Create an Emission shader for each material with a unique flat color.
3. In Render Properties, switch to Cycles (baking works best here).
4. Add a new Image Texture node (blank image) to the target material and select it.
5. Bake type: Emit → click Bake.
6. Save the baked image as your ID map.

The Usage

ID maps turn texturing into “click to select.” In Blender, Photoshop, or Substance, you can isolate parts instantly, add wear to only metal, recolor straps in seconds, and iterate like a pro.