User Guide Cancel

Version 7.4 | Substance 3D Painter

  1. Substance 3D home
  2. Home
  3. Getting Started
    1. Getting Started overview
    2. Activation and licenses
    3. System requirements
    4. Project creation
    5. Export
      1. Export overview
      2. Export window
        1. Export window overview
        2. Export settings
        3. Output templates
        4. List of exports
      3. Export presets
        1. Export presets overview
        2. Predefined presets
          1. Predefined Presets
          2. USD PBR Metal Roughness Preset
          3. Default Presets
        3. Creating export presets
    6. Glossary
    7. Performance
  4. Interface
    1. Assets
      1. Assets overview
      2. Navigation
      3. Customizing the layout
      4. Filter by path
      5. Saved searches
      6. Advanced search queries
      7. Adding a new library
      8. Sub-library tab
    2. Substance 3D Assets
    3. Color picker
    4. Display settings
      1. Display settings overview
      2. Environment settings
      3. Camera settings
      4. Viewport settings
    5. History
    6. Layer stack
      1. Layer stack overview
      2. Creating layers
      3. Managing layers
      4. Masking and effects
      5. Blending modes
      6. Layer instancing
      7. Geometry mask
    7. Main menu
      1. Main menu overview
      2. File menu
      3. Edit menu
      4. Mode menu
      5. Window menu
      6. Viewport menu
      7. Plugins menu
      8. Help menu
    8. Project configuration
    9. Properties
    10. Settings
      1. Settings overview
      2. General preferences
      3. Shortcuts
      4. Libraries configuration
    11. Shader settings
      1. Shader settings overview
      2. Updating a shader
    12. Texture Set
      1. Texture Set overview
      2. Texture Set list
      3. Texture Set settings
      4. Texture Set reassignment
    13. Toolbars
    14. Viewport
      1. Viewport overview
      2. 2D view
      3. 3D view
      4. Camera management
    15. Miscellaneous
      1. Sliders
      2. Log
      3. Update checker
  5. Painting
    1. Painting overview
    2. Tool list
      1. Paint brush
      2. Eraser
      3. Projection
      4. Polygon fill
      5. Smudge tool
      6. Clone Tool
      7. Quick mask
      8. Path tool
    3. Straight line   
    4. Lazy mouse 
    5. Symmetry
      1. Symmetry overview
      2. Mirror Symmetry
    6. Fill projections
      1. Fill projections overview
      2. Fill (match per UV Tile)
      3. UV projection
      4. Tri-planar projection
      5. Planar projection
      6. Spherical projection
      7. Cylindrical projection
      8. Warp projection
      9. UV set to UV set projection
    7. Presets
      1. Presets overview
      2. Creating and saving presets
      3. Creating particles presets
        1. Creating particles overview
        2. Installing the particle editor
        3. Overview of the particle editor
        4. Creating a new particle script
      4. Photoshop brush presets (ABR)
        1. Photoshop brush presets overview
        2. Exporting Brush Presets from Photoshop
        3. Importing Photoshop Brush Presets
        4. Photoshop Brush Parameters Compatibility
    8. Dynamic strokes
      1. Dynamic strokes overview
      2. Enabling Dynamic Stroke feature
      3. Dynamic Stroke Performances
      4. Creating custom Dynamic Strokes
    9. Advanced channel painting
      1. Channel painting overview
      2. Ambient Occlusion
      3. Flow Map
      4. Height Map
      5. Normal Map
    10. Vector graphic (.svg & .ai)
    11. Text resource
  6. Effects
    1. Effects overview
    2. Generator
    3. Paint
    4. Fill
    5. Levels
    6. Compare Mask
    7. Filter
    8. Anchor Point
  7. Baking
    1. Baking overview
    2. How to bake mesh maps
    3. Baking visualization settings
  8. Content
    1. Creating custom effects
      1. Creating custom effects overview
      2. Generic filter
      3. Channel specific filter
      4. Generators
      5. Mesh map
      6. Mesh based input
      7. User data
    2. Importing assets
      1. Adding resources via drag and drop
      2. Adding resources via the import window
      3. Adding content on the hard drive
      4. Receiving assets from other Substance 3D applications
  9. Features
    1. Automatic UV Unwrapping
    2. Physical size
    3. Smart Materials and Masks
    4. Subsurface Scattering
      1. Subsurface Scattering overview
      2. Enabling Subsurface in a Project
      3. Subsurface Parameters
      4. Subsurface Material Type
    5. Dynamic Material Layering
    6. UV Reprojection
    7. UV Tiles
      1. UV Tiles overview
      2. Image Sequence
    8. Color Management
      1. Color management overview
      2. Color management with Adobe ACE - ICC
      3. Color management with OpenColorIO
    9. Post Processing
      1. Post Processing overview
      2. Color correction
      3. Depth of Field
      4. Glare
      5. Lens Distortion
      6. Tone Mapping
      7. Vignette
      8. Color Profile
    10. Iray Renderer
      1. Iray Renderer overview
      2. Iray Settings
      3. Viewer and MDL Settings
    11. Plugins
      1. Plugins overview
      2. Autosave
      3. Resources Updater
    12. Sparse Virtual Textures
    13. Custom Shaders
    14. SpaceMouse® by 3Dconnexion
    15. Universal Scene Description (USD)
    16. Send to
  10. Technical Support
    1. Performance Guidelines
      1. Performances guidelines overview
      2. Conflicts and background applications
      3. Mesh and UV setup
      4. GPU Drivers
      5. NVIDIA Drivers Settings
      6. GPU VRAM amount and bandwidth
      7. GPU VRAM and other applications
      8. Texture Sets amount
      9. Layer management
      10. Channels management
      11. Substance filters and materials
      12. Viewport display
    2. Configuring Pens and Tablets
    3. Exporting the log file
    4. Exporting a DXDiag
    5. Technical issues
      1. GPU Issues
        1. Crash when working with overclocked GPU
        2. Forcing the external GPU on Mac OS
        3. GPU drivers compatibility
        4. GPU drivers crash with long computations (TDR crash)
        5. GPU has outdated drivers
        6. GPU is not recognized
        7. GPU is not recognized and is mentionned as GDI Generic
        8. Issues with Nvidia GPUs on recent Mac OS versions
        9. Multi/Bi-GPU
        10. Running on integrated GPU
        11. Painter doesn't start on the right GPU
      2. Startup Issues
        1. Application failed to start because of Qt
        2. Crash or freeze during startup
        3. Software conflicts
      3. Rendering Issues
        1. Artifacts and glitches on Mac OS with Custom GPUs
        2. Blocky artifacts appear on textures in the viewport
        3. Mesh appears pink in the viewport
        4. Mesh flash to white when moving camera
        5. Some HDPI scaling values are not working
      4. Stability Issues
        1. Crash during export
        2. Crash when opening or saving a file
        3. Crash while baking
        4. Crash with low virtual memory
        5. Windows Blue Screens
      5. Miscellaneous Issues
        1. Corrupted texture error message
        2. Shelf resources are gone after 7.2 update
        3. Error there is no disk in the drive
        4. Error with missing api-ms-crt dll
        5. Impossible to drag and drop files into the shelf
        6. Impossible to use the ALT keyboard shortcut on Linux
        7. Assets (or shelf) previews are empty
    6. Workflow Issues
      1. Export Issues
        1. My exported opacity map is totally black
        2. Texture dilation or Padding
      2. Tools Issues
        1. Normal map looks incorrect when loaded in layer or tool properties
        2. Paint Tool bleeds on other UV islands
      3. Project Issues
        1. A project has been processed as a text file and is now corrupted
        2. Loading files from a network
        3. Preserve brush strokes setting stays disabled
        4. Projects are really big
      4. Library Issues
        1. Thumbnails in the shelf look incorrect
        2. Error when importing a Font
      5. Viewport Issues
        1. Mesh faces disappear when looking at them from behind
        2. Viewports and textures are blurry or lack sharpness
      6. Plugins Issues
        1. Substance Source plugin doesn't load
      7. License Issues
        1. Maintenance is expired dialog on startup
  11. Pipeline and integration
    1. Installation and preferences
      1. Preferences and application data location
      2. Automated installation
      3. Retrieving the installation path
    2. Configuration
      1. Command lines
      2. Environment variables
      3. Firewall Configuration
      4. Querying Current Software Version
      5. Remote Desktop
    3. Resource management
      1. Shelf and Assets location
      2. Resource paths
        1. Adding resource paths by editing preferences manually
        2. Editing resource paths manually
        3. Editing the Shelf Preferences with Python
      3. Adding saved searches manually
      4. Preferences and content migration
      5. Excluding resources in a resource path
  12. Scripting and development
    1. Scripts and plugins
      1. Creating a Javascript plugin
      2. Remote control with scripting
    2. Shader API Reference
      1. Shader API overview
      2. Changelog - Shader API
      3. Libraries - Shader API
        1. Lib Alpha - Shader API
        2. Lib Bayer - Shader API
        3. Lib Defines - Shader API
        4. Lib Emissive - Shader API
        5. Lib Env - Shader API
        6. Lib Normal - Shader API
        7. Lib PBR - Shader API
        8. Lib PBR Aniso - Shader API
        9. Lib Pom - Shader API
        10. Lib Random - Shader API
        11. Lib Sampler - Shader API
        12. Lib Sparse - Shader API
        13. Lib SSS - Shader API
        14. Lib Utils - Shader API
        15. Lib Vectors - Shader API
      4. Parameters - Shader API
        1. All Custom Params - Shader API
        2. All Engine Params - Shader API
        3. All Rendering States Params - Shader API
        4. Layering Bind Materials - Shader API
        5. Layering Declare Stacks - Shader API
      5. Shaders - Shader API
        1. PBR Material Layering - Shader API
        2. PBR Metal Rough - Shader API
        3. Pixelated - Shader API
        4. Surface Shader - Shader API
        5. Toon - Shader API
  13. Release notes
    1. Release notes overview
    2. All Changes
    3. Version 10.1
    4. Version 10.0
    5. Version 9.1
    6. Old versions
      1. Version 9.0
      2. Version 8.3
      3. Version 8.2
      4. Version 8.1
      5. Version 7.4
      6. Version 7.3
      7. Version 7.2
      8. Version 2021.1 (7.1.0)
      9. Version 2020.2 (6.2.0)
      10. Version 2020.1 (6.1.0)
      11. Version 2019.3
      12. Version 2019.2
      13. Version 2019.1
      14. Version 2018.3
      15. Version 2018.2
      16. Version 2018.1
      17. Version 2017.4
      18. Version 2017.3
      19. Version 2017.2
      20. Version 2017.1
      21. Version 2.6
      22. Version 2.5
      23. Version 2.4
      24. Version 2.3
      25. Version 2.2

Version 7.4

Substance 3D Painter 7.4 adds support for OpenColorIO with the introduction of the new Color Management workflow.

Release date: 24 November 2021

Major features

New color management

This version introduces color management with the support of OpenColorIO (OCIO for short) version 2.

This new workflow allows to manage and calibrate colors from import to export and inside the viewport as well, allowing to match any content across different applications more easily.

  • Project settings
    When creating a new project it is now possible to enable color management. Existing project can also enable color management via the project settings.
    To enable color management, switch from Legacy (default) to OpenColorIO and use one of the default configurations or a custom one.

  • Viewport display settings
    At the top of the 2D and 3D views are two controls for color management:
    Color button: enable or disable the color transformation of the viewport.
    Display transform dropdown: select which display transform to use to convert the colors.

  • Color picker settings
    When color management is enabled, the color pickers offers new controls. Color are edited in the working color space specified by the configuration.
    Below the HSV/RGB sliders is displayed the final color value, transformed from the working space to the display color space.

  • Import bitmaps and Substance materials with custom color space
    Dedicated settings are available to specify how resources should be handled, including how Substance materials output should be interpreted.
    It is also possible to know which color space a resource is using by parsing its filename.

  • Export settings
    When exporting textures, color managed channels will display in their filenames the name of the color space used with the help of the new keyword $colorSpace.


Note:
To learn more about how color management works inside the application, see the dedicated page.

New undock of 2D and 3D viewport

The 2D and 3D view can now be undocked to be moved elsewhere. For example by having the 3D view on a main screen while the 2D view sits on another screen.

Working with an undocked view is easier to organize the layout of the application and to keep a eye on things without loosing too much painting area.

  • Undock a view
    To undock a view, simply open the view menu and choose one of the two options. Each option opens a new window with the its view inside, while the other view remains docked inside the main interface.

  • Swap even with an undocked view
    While a view is undocked, the swap action from the view menu can be used to exchanged them.

  • Compatible with color management
    The undocked view has its own color management display transform, making it easier to manage in different monitors.

New support for SpaceMouse® by 3Dconnexion

The SpaceMouse® is a device by 3Dconnexion that allows to manipulate the 3D viewport camera in a more intuitive and friendly way. It is now supported natively and directly plug and play with Painter.

For more information, see the dedicated documentation page.

Note:
  • Available with version 7.4.2 and above.
  • Make sure to install the latest SpaceMouse® drivers to benefit from the Painter control scheme.

New content

A new set of assets has been added to the default content available with the application:

  • New decals, tool presets and filter (by Käy Vriend):
    • Decals
      • Scar Plain Straight
      • Pocket Patch Regular
    • Presets
      • Zipper Advanced Tape
      • Zipper Advanced Stop
      • Zipper Advanced Slider
      • Tightening Cord Lace
      • Tightening Cord Eyelet
      • Glitter Stars Golden
      • Glitter Party
      • Glitter Dots Pastel
    • Generator
      • Inflate Shrink/Wrap
  • New grunge bitmaps (by Emiel Sleegers):
    • Grunge Plaster Paint
    • Grunge Plaster Faded
    • Grunge Paint Peeled
    • Grunge Humidity
    • Grunge Fluff
    • Grunge Cobweb
    • Grunge Bush
    • Grunge Wood Soft
    • Grunge Paper Ripped
    • Grunge Cracked Deep
    • Grunge Brushed Dust

Improved automatic UV unwrapping

The automatic UV unwrapping has been updated with a new option that to improve the support of 3D models with extended surfaces.

This new setting named Avoid elongated UV islands take better advantage of the UV space by splitting UV islands that could be too long.

Below is an example of this new settings without using it vs using it:

Improved Python scripting

The Python API has a new method which allows to call the Javascript API.

This new method make it easier to migrate old plugins toward the new Python API. It also unlock some features such as Baking and Shader management that haven't been exposed in Python yet.

To run a Javascript command from Python, use the evaluate() function form the new js submodule. More information can be found inside the API documentation (available via the Help menu of the application).

Release Notes

7.4.2

(Released March 08, 2022)

Added:

  • [SpaceMouse][Windows] Support of the 3Dconnexion SpaceMouse in the 3D Viewport for navigation
  • [SpaceMouse][Windows] Basic shortcuts/keys for Pro and Enterprise SpaceMouse models in the 3D Viewport
  • [SpaceMouse][Windows] Dedicated rotation center icon in the 3D Viewport
  • [Color Management] Use roles from OCIO configuration to change default settings
  • [Color Management] Color manage the properties window for color widgets
  • [Color Management] Color manage the properties window for material preview
  • [Color Management] Color manage swatches in color picker
  • [Color Management] Add a setting to define the standard sRGB color space
  • [Color Management] Add the Standard sRGB color space from OCIO config in color picker Display selector list
  • [Color Management] Improvements for color space override menu
  • [Color Management] Allow to override the environment map color space in Display Settings
  • [Color Management] Draw color picker gradients based on current Display
  • [Color Management] Clamp HDR values by default in color editor
  • [Color Management] Use passthrough (no color space) for filters in Legacy mode
  • [Color Management] Limit gradients display in color editor to match [0-1] range
  • [Color Management] Hide Display selector in color picker in Legacy mode
  • [Color Management] Make color picker hexadecimal field always in sRGB color space
  • [Color Management] Disable color picker Display dropdown for data channels
  • [Optimization] Warp grid recomputes only covered UV tiles
  • [Export] Allow to export UV Tile projects for Sketchfab, USD and glTF
  • [Scripting][Python] Allow to change tonemapping function

Fixed:

  • [Sketchfab] Updating existing model ends up creating new model
  • [Sketchfab] Crash when searching for previously updated model
  • Crash when exporting to USD
  • Crash when creating a new shader instance in Geometry Mask or when geometry is hidden
  • [Import Asset Window] Crash when changing the type of imported resources
  • Normal mesh maps are inverted when used in layer stack
  • [Substance] User data blending mode is not taken into account
  • [Color Management] Bitmaps with color space in filename are imported as UV Tile sequences
  • [Color Management] Color managed outputs of Substance graph are in wrong color space
  • [Color Management] Polygon Fill tool displays the wrong color
  • [Color Management] ACES tonemapper is applied to channels in solo mode
  • [Color Management] Tool preview sphere lighting is not color managed
  • [Color management][Export] Converted maps applies an incorrect conversion
  • [Scripting][Python][Color Management] Projects created with template & OCIO environment variable are in Legacy mode
  • [Scripting][Python] Cannot use the JavaScript evaluate function on startup
  • [3D Adobe Offer] Can not launch Painter when using regional settings with languages not supported by default

Known Issues:

  • 3Dconnexion SpaceMouse not supported on MacOS
  • [UI] Horizontal scroll bar with color management appearing in some cases in new project window
  • [Bakers] "Average normals" setting has no effect in UV Tile projects
  • [Mac M1] Smart materials are not displayed correctly
  • [Color Management] Resources used in projection mode are not color managed in the overlay

7.4.1

(Released December 14, 2021)

Added:

  • [Color Management] Use data role in exported filenames
  • [Color Management] Expand the section Color Management, by default, when OCIO is selected in new project and project settings windows
  • [Color Management] Add ACES tonemapper in legacy mode
  • [Color Management] Adjust default configuration settings
  • [Color Management][Export] Fill $colorSpace in filenames for data channels
  • [Export] Export UV Tile project to Stager
  • [Interoperability] Not available for Steam and Substance editions
  • [Interoperability] Allow to send a UV Tile project to Stager

Fixed:

  • [MacOS][Crash] Painter does not start with Catalina
  • [Color Management][Crash] Random crash when playing with data type/color management on user channel
  • [Color management] Resources used as grayscale in mask display color space new menu
  • [Color Management] User channel is darker in the viewport in legacy mode + solo view
  • [Color Management] Env map is always linear when used in iRay
  • [Color Management] Color picker does not pick the right value for data channel in legacy mode
  • [Color management] Color picker is broken inside of a Substance in legacy mode
  • [Color management] Switching between solo channel views in the viewport does display with the right color space when using the dropdown menu
  • [Color Management] Export applies the wrong conversion on color managed user channels in legacy mode
  • Strokes made in solo view mask are not shown when switching back to material view
  • [Export] Converted maps are not exported as color managed channels
  • [Texture Set] Tooltip with original name is missing on renamed user channels
  • [Steam] Files missing when checking file integrity with Steam

Known Issues:

  • [Mac M1] Smart materials are not displayed correctly

7.4.0

(Released November 24, 2021)

Added:

  • [Color Management] Support of Color Management OpenColorIO version 2
  • [Color Management] Add color management settings to project settings
  • [Color Management] Warning window about Color Management configuration changes when opening a project
  • [Color Management] Display an error message if an invalid OCIO config file is selected
  • [Color Management] Allow to override configuration with OCIO environment variable
  • [Color Management] Multiple OCIO configurations integrated by default with the application
  • [Color Management] Extract color space name from imported bitmap filename
  • [Color Management] Allow to override the color space with one color space from the configuration in Properties window
  • [Color Management] Add color management options in Texture Set Settings
  • [Color Management][Viewport] Allow to color manage 2D and 3D views separately
  • [Color Management] Load and convert environment map to the working color space
  • [Color Management] Adjust color picker and editor with current color space
  • [Color Management] Allow to select the display transform color space in the viewport with a new dropdown menu
  • [Color Management] Apply display transform with Iray rendering results
  • [Color Management] Export textures with different color spaces
  • [Color Management][Python] Apply color management settings from Environment variable (OCIO) to new projects
  • [Viewport] Allow to undock the 2D or 3D viewport
  • [Auto Unwrap] New option to avoid elongated islands
  • [Scripting Python] Call JavaScript functions from Python API
  • [New Project Window] Make the imported maps section collapsible
  • [Projection][Warp] Allow to hide normals as an option in the Warp settings
  • [Content] 11 new grunge maps
  • [Content] 8 new tool presets (zipper, tightening cord, glitter)
  • [Content] 8 new materials (scar, pocket, ...)
  • [Content] 1 new generator (inflate shrinkwarp)

Known Issues:

  • [Mac M1] Smart materials are not displayed correctly
  • [Color Management][Crash] Random crash when playing with data type/color management on user channel
  • [Color Management] Color picker does not pick the right value for data channel in legacy mode
  • [Color management][Iray] Saving the render in EXR or TIFF while Color Management is activated in the viewport will always save in linear
  • [Color management] Resources used as grayscale in mask display the wrong Color Space menu
  • [Color Management][Iray] Env map is always linear when used in Iray
  • [Color Management][Export] Converted maps are not exported as a color managed channels
  • [Color Management][Export] Export ignores if user channel is color managed or not with legacy mode

 Adobe

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