This API allows starting from scratch to create a new .sbs file, including the creation of compositing graphs with basic filters, instance of graphs, reference to bitmaps, pixel processor and the definition of the inputs and outputs.

The input parameters of the graph can also be defined.

The node parameters can be tweaked, and they can be set as dynamic, by creating the function that handles the parameter value.

Function graphs can also be created, and can be referenced in another function or dynamic parameter or Pixel processor function.

Sample 1: Hello World ¶

The sample function demohelloworld.demoHelloWorld() is a good starting point to visualize how to use the API in order to create substances.

It demonstrates the creation of a very simple substance, which defines a material with BaseColor, Roughness and Metallic as three Uniform colors.

Launch the script with this command line, from the folder demos/:

And check the result by opening the generated file sample/resultDemoHelloWorld.sbs:

Sample 2: Full creation demonstration ¶

The sample function demos.demoCreation() is a complete demonstration of what this API allows to create.

Launch the script with this command line, from the folder demos/:

And check the result by opening the generated file sample/resultDemoCreation.sbs:

Here is the detail of the objects created by this script:

• A package (e.g a new substance document: SBSDocument)

• A first graph (SBSGraph), which will be used in the second one, with:

  • The definition of its exposed parameters and the widget associated to them.
  • An input node.
  • Two simple Filters with their parameters (one is dynamic and set as the value of one of the graph input parameters).
  • An output node, with the definition of its usages.
  • The connections for all these nodes.

• A function (SBSFunction), with:

  • The definition of its input parameters.
  • Some function nodes provided by Substance Designer library.
  • A instance of a function (Pi) included in the default package (sbs://).
  • The definition of the connections, and the output node of the function.

• A second graph (SBSGraph), with:

  • An input parameter.
  • A FxMap node, with the definition of the FxMap graph and some dynamic parameters.
  • A gradient filter with the definition of the key values.
  • An instance of the first graph created before, and drive one of its parameter by a function: The function retrieves the value of the graph input parameter and pass as the input value of an instance of the function created above.
  • An instance of the substance Blur HQ provided in the default substance package.
  • A svg node, which references an external resource included in the folder sample/.
  • An output node.

Sample 3: MDL Graph creation ¶

The sample function demos.demoCreationMDL() shows specifically the creation of a MDL Graph using the API.

Launch the script with this command line, from the folder demos/:

And check the result by opening the generated file sample/resultDemoCreationMDL.sbs:

This script creates a new MDL Graph from scratch, mostly identical to a metallic material but with an emissive part:

• It declares some constants as input parameters of the graph.
• It instantiates some native mdl nodes, such as ‘material_emission’ and ‘material_surface’.
• It creates a new light profile resource and uses it to handle the emissive term of the material.

All the objects, libraries and functions related to MDL are included in the module mdl.

Highlights on the most important modules and classes of the API ¶

The objects are created from the parent object that contains them, so the majority of creation methods are located in the following classes:

• SBSDocument: creation of groups (e.g. folders), graphs and functions.
• SBSGraph: creation of compositing nodes and definition of input parameters.
• SBSFunction: creation of function nodes and definition of input parameters.
• SBSDynamicValue: creation of function nodes and definition of input parameters.
• SBSParamsGraph: creation of FxMap nodes.

The module sbslibrary contains the definition of all the content available in Substance Designer:

• a library of Filters, their definition (inputs, outputs, parameters) being defined in module sbslibrary.sbsfilters.
• a library of Functions, their definition (inputs, outputs, parameters) being defined in module sbslibrary.sbsfunctions.
• a library of FxMap, their definition (inputs, outputs, parameters) being defined in module sbslibrary.sbsfxmapnodes.

The module sbslibrary.sbsdictionaries contains the dictionaries allowing the mapping between enumeration values (defined in the module sbsenum) and the associated string.e sbsenum.

This example shows the different creation capabilities: