In this tutorial, created using the 2019 version of Substance Painter, we'll see how to group a set of Layers into a Smart Material and save that object to the program's Shelf, so that it can be reused with similar 3D models in future Substance Painter sessions.
Video Transcript
Hello everyone! In this tutorial, created using the 2019 version of Substance Painter, we'll see how to group a set of Layers into a Smart Material and save that object to the program's Shelf, so that it can be reused with similar 3D models in future Substance Painter sessions.
I created a Substance project using the PBR – Metallic Roughness (Allegorithmic) template and the other default settings, importing a 3D model of a gift package in particular. The model contains two components: the package itself and the ribbon bow. It consists of a single 3D object and two Texture Sets, meaning two Materials.
It is possible to create several variations of the package and ribbon combination as 3D models, so it makes sense to define two good materials in Substance and save that combination for quick reuse in other projects. This gives us a reliable starting point that has already been tested. That's exactly what we'll do in this tutorial!
First, with the "ribbon_bow" Texture Set selected, I define the material for the bow. In this case, I'm using Substance's "Silk Smooth Red" material, setting the Scale value to 3 in Properties > Fill > Fill and, in the Advanced Parameters section of Properties > Fill > Material, setting the color to RGB 0.57, 0.52, and 0.49.
In the Layers tab, still within the "ribbon_bow" Texture Set, I now add the Material for the package. In my case, I'm adding the "Cardboard Paper" material, again setting the material scale to 3 and changing the color to RGB 0.23, 0.22, and 0.31.
I then add a completely black mask to both Materials by right-clicking the material in the Layers tab and selecting "Add Black Mask". The purpose of this operation is simple: I want to group and permanently save the Material to the Shelf, so I temporarily disable both layers. This way, when I import them into another Texture Set List later, I can create the masks from scratch.
I select both materials in Layers using a multi-selection by left-clicking the first Layer, then holding SHIFT and left-clicking the other Layers to add them to the selection. I then right-click and choose "Group Layers" (shortcut: CTRL+G) to place the Layers inside a folder, which will have the default name "Folder 1".
By double-clicking the folder name, I can rename it, for example to "gift_bag_and_ribbon", using a meaningful name so that I can easily find the material later.
At this point, I right-click the folder and, from the menu that appears, choose "Create Smart Material".
Substance Painter will open the Smart Materials tab in the Shelf, highlighting the object we have just created.
This object will now also be available in future Substance Painter sessions along with the other assets in this category. However, there is an important difference. Substance's native Smart Materials are stored in the program's "resources/shelf/allegorithmic/smart-materials" subfolder, which is typically located inside the Allegorithmic installation directory if you kept the default installation path. Smart Materials created with "Create Smart Material", on the other hand, are stored in "[username]/Documents/Allegorithmic/Substance Painter/Shelf/smart-materials", which means inside the user's Documents folder.
It's useful to know this for backup purposes or simply for copying and sharing a custom Smart Material. Now you know exactly where to find it!
SIDE NOTE: To remove a Smart Material both from the list and from disk, for example because you created a better version or simply want to keep the list organized, right-click the item and choose "Delete". You can also rename a Smart Material by right-clicking it and entering a new name in the "Name" field in the menu that appears.
The Smart Material topic is actually very broad, and Smart Materials are extremely powerful tools. In this tutorial we're looking at a very basic use case. In fact, we're simply using them to store a group of Layers and masks, nothing particularly advanced. In other tutorials I'll show how to use Smart Materials that include masks, filters, and other interesting effects. For now, however, let's stay focused on the topic of this tutorial.
Without even saving the current project, I create a new Substance project using a different source file. In this example, it's a shorter and wider version of the gift package.
I remove the default Layer from the Layers tab for each Texture Set. In this case as well, the object contains two Materials called "paper_bag" and "ribbon_bow". However, instead of searching for materials for the package and the bow from scratch, I remember that I previously created a group of Materials with settings suitable for this project. So I open the Smart Materials tab and start typing, for example, "ribbon".
At this point, I drag the Smart Material into the Layers tab for the two Texture Sets and, using the masks, specifically by setting the mask of the material I want to use for each Texture Set to white, I can apply the desired material to each Texture Set.
The example shown here is fairly simple and, as I mentioned before, Smart Materials can be used to create much more sophisticated materials. However, the underlying concept is still worth noting: group elements, which may include Layers, Fill Layers, and Materials, each potentially containing masks or other effects, into a folder or a hierarchy of nested folders. Then save that group using "Create Smart Material" and quickly reuse the same setup in other projects later on.
Well, that's it for this tutorial! As always, feel free to leave any questions, comments, or requests for clarification in the YouTube video comments. See you next time!