Substance 3D: Major updates to Modeler and Designer

It’s been a great year of releases across Substance 3D — we’ve introduced several new features and functionality into the Substance 3D collection, as well as new workflow enhancements that make the Substance tools better than ever. We’ve also been so energized to see all of the amazing work created by so many talented artists throughout the year.

2023 may be coming to a close, but we’re not done yet — with a final December release just in time for the end of the year.

Substance 3D Modeler 1.5

The latest release of Substance Modeler introduces a variety of improvements and requested features from users. There are new and improved detailing and surfacing modeling tools that let you add details to 3D models, as well as additional options to refine the topology of geometry for a more polished and ready-to-use result. Modeler now includes material assignments, realistic lighting previews and enhanced export presets for a better interoperability experience when using Modeler in a 3D pipeline.

New and improved surface detailing tools

https://main--blog--adobecom.hlx.page/en/assets/video/media_1d53b27d21ae7d5661c831ebb9d79200d130a9bb9.mp4

Modeler’s new and enhanced surface detailing tools allow artists to add precision details to 3D designs for a high-quality result. The new Buildup tool with alpha support is fast and intuitive to use and provides must-have tools for surfacing and detailing a 3D model. The Buildup tool enables artists to intricately build up and refine 3D forms when sculpting on a layer. The Crease tool and Smooth tool have also been improved to run faster and give higher quality results.

New material assignments

It’s easier than ever to prepare 3D models for texturing and painting by assigning materials per layer. This enables you to define and see where materials will appear on your 3D models while sculpting and greatly improves the workflow between Modeler and Substance 3D Painter.

New image based lighting

https://video.tv.adobe.com/v/3426413

Modeler now supports image-based lighting maps giving artists a more photorealistic environment to preview models while they work. It is now possible to make better decisions about the form and materials of a 3D model with full environment lighting and reflections in the Modeler viewport.

Substance 3D Designer 13.1

The latest release of Substance Designer is all about addressing user feedback with usability improvements to the node graph and the addition of AxF export which enables new interoperability within 3D pipelines.

Stay organized with new enhanced Frames

https://video.tv.adobe.com/v/3426408

The look of Frames in the Designer node graph has been modernized and new belonging rules help keep Frames organized. Frames can now be auto sized to their content, and a new hotkey automatically expands Frames when moving nodes within them. Frame descriptions can also include rich text using HTML, and there is improved grid snapping to help keep complex graphs organized and aligned.

Placing nodes in the node graph

https://video.tv.adobe.com/v/3426412
Substance 3D Designer features new node placement tools that keep nodes aligned to the grid and any new nodes will always be created within the current viewport’s visibility. In addition, searching and locating nodes in a large node graph is easier with an improved node search menu. This means artists spend less time having to look for nodes in complex graphs.

AxF Interoperability

https://video.tv.adobe.com/v/3426411

For those of you using AxF files as a data and interoperability format, Designer now has added export support for this format. Artists can import an AxF file into Designer, modify it in the node graph, and export the changes as a new layer within the same AxF file. This ensures material datasets are maintained throughout 3D pipelines.

Kitbashing with Substance 3D Assets

Substance 3D Assets is a library of over 18,000 high quality 3D assets exclusively available as part of the Substance 3D Collection. These are professionally produced high-quality 3D assets that can be used in 3D projects of all types including kitbashing.

Kitbashing is a process of taking multiple parts of 3D models and combining them to create a completely unique new object. This is a great technique for experimentation and iteration in 3D and the Substance 3D Assets library provides plenty of 3D models for a variety of kitbashing use cases.

https://video.tv.adobe.com/v/3426410
New additions to the library, such as mech parts, enable creators to piece together unique creatures, robots, or any kind of design for games or visual effects.

https://video.tv.adobe.com/v/3426409

In ecommerce, the same technique applies to setting up the right environment to display a product. By selecting from a range of 3D models, designers can efficiently create scenes that present their product in a variety of realistic and marketing contexts.

Learn more about kitbashing with Substance 3D Assets here.

Happy New Year from Substance 3D!