Learn 3D Texturing with Substance 3D Painter-Beginner to Pro

Name: Learn 3D Texturing with Substance 3D Painter-Beginner to Pro
Rating: 4.6 (23 reviews)

Mastering the Art of 3D texturing using Substance 3D Painter, a Course for all levels - beginner to pro

Created byWealthCraft Academy

Last updated 1/2024

English

What you'll learn

Understand the fundamentals of 3D texture painting.
Learn how to import and prepare 3D models for texturing.
Familiarize yourself with the Substance Painter interface and tools.
Explore essential brushes and brush settings for painting textures.
Master the art of creating custom materials and using Smart Materials.
Discover advanced techniques such as layer stacking and masking.
Gain hands-on experience in the Physically-Based Rendering (PBR) workflow.
Learn how to bake maps for better detail and realism.
Complete a final project to showcase your newfound skills.

Course content

4 sections • 24 lectures • 1h 42m total length

Overview of the Course2:23
Course Overview
Welcome to the "Adobe Substance 3D Painter for Beginners" course. I am Bowas Muke, your instructor throughout this course. This course will provide you with a solid foundation in 3D texture painting and material creation using Adobe Substance Painter. Whether you're a digital artist, a game developer, or a 3D enthusiast, Substance Painter is a powerful tool that can take your creations to the next level. In this Lecture series, you are going to:
1. Understand the fundamentals of 3D texture painting.
2. Learn how to import and prepare 3D models for texturing.
3. Familiarize yourself with the Substance Painter interface and tools.
4. Explore essential brushes and brush settings for painting textures.
5. Master the art of creating custom materials and using Smart Materials.
6. Discover advanced techniques such as layer stacking and masking.
7. Gain hands-on experience in the Physically-Based Rendering (PBR) workflow.
8. Learn how to bake maps for better detail and realism.
9. Complete a final project to showcase your newfound skills. For your final project, you will be tasked with texturing a 3D model using Substance Painter, applying the skills you've acquired throughout the course. This project will be presented in the final session.
Assessment: Your performance will be evaluated based on your final project, class participation, and optional quizzes/tests.
Additional Resources: We will provide you with recommended reading materials, online tutorials, and resources for further learning.
Prerequisites: This course assumes no prior experience with Substance Painter or 3D texturing. It is designed for beginners eager to explore the world of 3D texture painting.
Overview of Texture painting and role of 3D Painter3:22
Explore 3D texture painting with Substance Painter, applying colors and details to 3D models and exporting base color, metallic roughness, normal, and height maps for Unreal Engine, Unity, or Blender.
Motivation to Learn Substance Painter1:56
Discover why learning Substance 3D Painter motivates you by exploring real projects and renders textured with Substance 3D Painter on Instagram and Google.
Installing Substance 3D Painter3:06
Navigate the Substance Painter website and have a look at other resources,
Download Substance Painter – Purchase it, you can also get a Free trial version and still learn Substance painter.
Physically Based Materials and Rendering1:20
Physically Based Materials
Physically Based Rendering (PBR) is a method of shading and rendering that provides a more accurate representation of how light interacts with surfaces. It allows the graphics designer to work in a consistent workflow for creating maps that will look correct in all lighting conditions. In this course, we shall be using the default shader of Substance painter which consists of Base Color, Metallic, Roughness, Height, Normal and Ambient Occlusion.

Creating a new Substance 3D Painter project4:44
Creating New Substance Painter Project
Once you have Substance Painter Opened, you will need to Create a new project. Go to File - > New to create a New project. A window will appear allowing you to specify settings for your project. These settings can be changed later on. Use the following settings:
1. Template – PBR-Metallic-Roughness
2. File Select – firstaidbox.fbx (Which is attached to this Lecture).
3. Document Resolution – 2048 (Can be changed later on)
Once you have inserted these settings, click Ok to finally create the project.

You will now see that Substance Painter has loaded the First Aid Box mesh into the scene. Before we get started with Painting on the mesh, let us make sure that we save the project. Go to File Menu and select Save.
Give your project a name and choose the location where you want it to be saved.
View Navigation in Painter4:33
View Navigation

Once you create a new Project you will be presented with a view containing your mesh. Substance Painter has different view modes and you can switch between different view modes using F1, F2 and F3 Keys
F1 – Allows you to view your 3D mesh and its UVs
F2 – Allows you to View the 3D Mesh only
F3 – Allows you to view the UVs of the Mesh only

For the most part of this course, we shall be working in 3D View, so press F2 to view 3D Mesh.

The Space where the 3D Mesh sits is called the 3D View. Substance painter uses the following Keyboard and Mouse Keys to navigate the 3D View:
1. Orbit/Rotate View – Alt+Left Mouse Button (This key combination used when you want to look at your 3D model from different angles).
2. To Pan View – Alt+Middle Mouse Button (The Key used to bring a different part of the view into Focus)
3. Zooming – Alt_Right Mouse Button and Move the mouse around or just scrolling on the scroll wheel (Used to get closer or away from the 3D Mesh).
4. Focusing the 3D Mesh – F Key (Can be used when you lose track of where you are).
Understanding Substance Painter User Interface6:42
Understand the default Substance 3D Painter UI: dockable panels, menu and toolbar tools, texture set management with the layer editor and settings, and baking maps.
Display Settings2:29
Learn to use Substance 3D Painter display settings to illuminate the 3D view with HDRI, adjust environment opacity and blur, switch environment maps, and rotate the environment.

Understanding Layer System in Substance 3D Painter8:20
Explore Substance 3D Painter’s layer system—paint, fill, and groups—to control base color, height, roughness, and metallic, painting on a mesh with brushes and managing layer order.
Understanding Texture Sets1:30
Texture Set
Texture set represents the materials you assign to the mesh in your 3D application when modeling or sculpting this mesh. Each texture set has a dedicated Layer Stack and Channels. On Export, each texture set will be exported as a set of texture maps based on the channels contained within the texture set.

12. Baking Mesh Maps4:05
Baking
There are two types of Maps. Texture maps and Mesh Maps. Texture maps are the ones which you export after working on the project. Mesh Maps are generated once you bake the mesh and are used to help you in generated texture maps.
So we shall now get started with painting this box. Before we do that, let us bake the mesh maps.
Baking is computing of information from a 3D mesh and saving it into a Texture based on the UV information of a mesh. It allows you to use mesh properties to help you paint realistic paints by mimicking properties of real-world objects.
So we are going to use baking tools to bake mesh maps which will help us in texturing the meshes. Baked Maps or Mesh maps are used with generators and filters when producing various effects such as Edge Wear or Dirt collected in Occluded areas.

To make the mesh maps, open texture set settings and scroll down to click on “Bake Mesh” to open the Bake Window.
In the Bake window,
1. let’s set common parameters, Output size to 2048.
2. Under me Mesh maps, uncheck the Normal and Thickness Bakers.
3. Click the ID Baker and set the Color Source to Vertex Color and click on Apply to All button.
4. Click the Bake Selected textures button to bake the maps.
The process may take a bit long depending on the complexity of the mesh and the number of materials or texture sets the mesh contains.
Creating Material - Steel Layer4:04
Create a steel material for first eight boxes by adding a fill layer, setting base color to gray, metallic to 1, and applying a grunge roughness map with planar projection.
Adding Effects to Steel Layer2:23

Adding Effects to Steel Layer
We are now going to add some effect to this steel layer so that we add some subtle variance to the surface.
1. Ensure that the steel layer is selected and click the add effect button and choose Add filter to apply a filter effect to the layer.
2. Go to the Properties-Filter, click the Filter button and search for MatFinish Galvanized and click it to apply the filter.
3. Set the Scale to 10 and Flakes Intensity to 0.10.

We have created the material of the metal.Now on top of this metal, we shall add a material which will make the box look as if it has a paint coat.
Adding Paint Coating Layer5:43
Adding Paint Coating Layer
Add a fill layer and rename it to Paint Coating. Give it a white color. The set the following properties.
Project = Tri-Plannar
Base Color = #ECECEC
Roughness = 0.20
Metallic = 0.30

You have seen that our Paint Coating layer has completely covered the Steel layer underneath. However, we want this Paint Coating to be only in some selected parts of the mesh, exposing the steel underneath. This will give our mesh a look and feel of edge wear.
1. With the Paint Coating layer selected, click the Add Mask button and choose Add Black Mask.
2. Select the newly created mask and click the Add Effect button and Choose Add Generator.
3. In the Properties-Generator, click the empty generator slot and choose the Metal Edge Wear generator.
4. Set the following Generator properties values:
a. Wear Levels = 0.89
b. Wear Contrast = 0.91
c. Grunge Amount = 0.64
Up to this point you will see that we have our mesh looking like some metallic object with a paint coating which is wearing off.
Instantiating Layers across Texture sets3:07
Instantiate layers across texture sets to apply the main box paint with the steel layer underneath to the metal parts. Propagate changes to all instantiated materials from the parent material.
Importing Resources into Substance 3D Painter3:29
Learn to import textures, alphas, and grunge maps into Substance Painter by adding an alpha with medicine and symbol prefixes, and selecting import targets like current session, project, or library.
Art Designing to mesh - Adding Paint Layer to a Fill Layer5:27
Learn how to add a paint layer to a fill layer in Substance 3D Painter and stamp a medicine symbol onto a box using alpha mask, symmetry, and brush controls.
Adding Dirt Material6:26
Apply dirt and dust to a textured object by creating a dirt fill layer, masking, and using generators and grunge settings to achieve occluded, realistic wear.
Painting Hard Surface Details12:07
Create hard surface details by painting on the normal channel, using vent capsules, screws, rivets, and paneling while enabling symmetry and stamping to fake mesh depth.
Enhancing Hard Surface Details with Horizon Based Ambient Occlusion Filter4:03
Enhance hard surface details on the box by adding a horizon based ambient occlusion filter to texture sets, switching the channel source to normal and adjusting depth and blur.
Painting Text4:23
Stamp text on a mesh in Substance 3D Painter by adding a paint layer, choosing a font, and stamping with base color and alpha control.
Exporting Textures from Substance Painter3:53
Export textures from Substance Painter for Blender, Unreal Engine. Choose texture sets and output to PBR roughness, exporting PNG at 4K with color, emissive, height, metallic, normal, and roughness maps.
Rendering your Scene using NVIDIA iRay3:18
Render scenes with Nvidia Iray in Substance Painter, then master applying materials, baking textures, painting, masking, using generators and filters, and exporting textures for final robot projects.

Requirements

Fundamental 3D Concepts - Understand the basics of 3D modeling, including concepts like polygons, vertices, UV mapping, and normals.
Graphics Software Experience - Familiarity with graphic design or 3D modeling software can be advantageous. Software like Adobe Photoshop or other 2D/3D design tools will provide a good foundation.
Computer Literacy - Basic computer skills are essential. You should be comfortable navigating through files, folders, and understanding basic computer terminology
Understanding of Texturing - Basic knowledge of texturing principles, including concepts like diffuse maps, specular maps, and normal maps, will be beneficial.
Introduction to Substance Ecosystem - Familiarity with the Substance ecosystem, including other tools like Substance Designer, can provide a broader understanding of the workflow.
Experience with 3D Software - While not mandatory, having some experience with 3D software such as Blender, Maya, 3ds Max, or others will make it easier to grasp the concepts in Substance 3D Painter.
Basic Artistic Skills - Having a basic understanding of color theory, composition, and artistic principles will enhance your ability to create visually appealing textures.
Hardware Requirements - Ensure that your computer meets the hardware requirements for running Substance 3D Painter smoothly. This may include a decent graphics card, sufficient RAM, and a capable CPU.
Patience and Persistence - Learning any new software takes time and practice. Be patient and persistent in your learning journey.
Online Resources - Familiarize yourself with the available online resources, such as documentation, tutorials, and forums related to Substance 3D Painter. This will be valuable for problem-solving and staying updated on the latest features.

Description

Welcome to the world of Substance 3D Painter, where imagination meets realism through the art of texturing. This beginner's course is your gateway to mastering the powerful tools and techniques within Substance 3D Painter, a leading software in the realm of 3D texturing and material creation.

Throughout this course, you'll embark on an exciting journey into the fundamentals of texturing, learning how to breathe life into your 3D models with detailed and realistic textures. Whether you're a seasoned 3D artist looking to expand your skill set or a newcomer eager to explore the realm of digital art, this course is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to create stunning textures for a variety of applications, from game development to architectural visualization.

Starting with the basics, you'll familiarize yourself with the Substance 3D Painter interface and workflow, learning how to navigate its powerful features with ease. From there, you'll dive into the core principles of texturing, gaining a deep understanding of material properties, texture maps, and the art of layering to achieve realistic results.

As you progress, you'll explore a wide range of texturing techniques, from creating simple materials to tackling complex surfaces like metal, wood, and fabric. Through hands-on projects and practical exercises, you'll learn how to unleash your creativity and bring your artistic vision to life in stunning detail.

Key topics covered in this course include:

Introduction to Substance 3D Painter: Interface overview and workflow fundamentals.
Understanding Material Properties: Exploring the intricacies of materials and shaders.
Texture Mapping Essentials: Mastering UV mapping and texture coordinate systems.
Creating Base Materials: Building a foundation with essential materials like metals, plastics, and glass.
Advanced Texturing Techniques: Delving into procedural texturing, smart materials, and material blending.
Realistic Surface Detailing: Techniques for adding surface imperfections, scratches, and wear.
Texture Export and Integration: Optimizing textures for use in various 3D rendering engines and game engines.

By the end of this course, you'll have the confidence and expertise to tackle any texturing challenge with Substance 3D Painter, unlocking new possibilities for your 3D projects and unleashing your creativity like never before.

Join us on this exhilarating journey into the world of Substance 3D Painter and take your texturing skills to new heights!!

Who this course is for:

3D Artists and Modelers - Professionals or enthusiasts involved in 3D modeling and animation who want to enhance the visual appeal of their models with detailed and realistic textures.
Game Developers - Game designers and developers who aim to create immersive and visually stunning game environments by applying high-quality textures to their 3D assets.
Graphic Designers - Graphic designers looking to expand their skill set into the realm of 3D texturing for various purposes, including advertising, product visualization, and more.
Architectural Visualization Artists - Those involved in architectural visualization who want to add realistic textures to 3D models of buildings, interiors, and landscapes.
Product Designers - Individuals in product design who want to create lifelike prototypes or visualizations by applying detailed and realistic textures to their 3D models.
Students and Educators - Students studying computer graphics, game design, or related fields, as well as educators teaching these subjects, can benefit from learning Substance 3D Painter as part of their curriculum.
Hobbyists and Enthusiasts - Individuals who have a passion for 3D graphics and digital art as a hobby and want to explore the creation of detailed textures for personal projects.
Digital Artists - Digital artists interested in expanding their skills into 3D texturing, especially those who create concept art or digital illustrations that involve 3D elements.
Anyone Interested in 3D Texturing - The course is open to anyone curious about 3D texturing, regardless of their background, as long as they have the basic prerequisites and a willingness to learn.

Learn 3D Texturing with Substance 3D Painter-Beginner to Pro

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction5 lectures • 12min

Starting Substance 3D Painter4 lectures • 18min

All About Layers2 lectures • 10min

Painting a First Aid Kit13 lectures • 1hr 2min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: