This is a Look Development test to prototype a Modular Shader workflow for Weapons, Props and Characters.

Using the Layer System in UE5. My approach is using smaller Tileable Materials with a few Macro Bake Maps (ID, AO, Normal and a custom RGB mask for Wear, Dirt, Damage and Smudges) Each TIleable has controls for various Material adjustments as well as their own Custom RGB mask to help add specific tile details with the Macro Masks.

To add extra details to the Asset, we use an Atlas Sheet with POM for details such as Screws, Nut, Bolts and Engraved Text as if these details were added to the Macro map, they would be Mipped out even at a larger Texture size. The Macro textures are at 1024px for a Texel Density of 5.12px per CM. The TIleables are at 512px. The Decal Sheet is also at a 512 px size.
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Inside of Substance Painter, I have a few special Smart Materials that help with the Mask generation while also allowing Artists to Preview what the Materials may look like. It isn't exact as the Mask adjustments are done in the Layer Stack in UE5. The masks that are exported allow for the masks to grow or shrink given the proper paramater values. This is a newer way to handle assets without relying on Large Texture Maps that mip out the Small and Micro details while also creating a more fluid way of Material Authoring and Adjustment.
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For the Rendering, I'm working with Lumen for both GI and Reflections while also using some CVARs to disable Lumens Short Range AO as SSAO allows for access to Material AO and Bent Normal maps generated from Substance Painter.