Priya Kapoor
Autodesk Maya is the world's leading 3D software, and Substance Painter is a popular tool for texturing 3D models. When working with these two programs, it is essential to understand how to export textures from Substance Painter into Maya. This process involves specific steps and considerations to ensure the desired outcome. Users have reported issues with textures not appearing correctly or being separated into multiple maps, requiring manual merging, which can be challenging. However, there are guides and tutorials available to help users navigate this process successfully.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Default shaders in Maya | Lambert, Phong |
| Shaders in Substance Painter | BaseColor, Metallic |
| Shaders in Arnold | Diffuse, Specular, Roughness |
| Steps to export Substance Painter textures to Maya | Go to file/export textures, select Arnold as the system configuration |
| Steps to ensure textures are interpreted as sRGB | Add a gamma correction node and set gamma correction to 1.0 |
| Steps to export a model from Maya to Substance Painter | Check out guides by JL Mussi and Brent LeBlanc |
| Steps to export textures from Substance Painter to Maya | Export all the maps for each texture set, then assign those maps for each material in Maya |
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What You'll Learn
- Ensure your Substance Painter export settings match Maya's shader requirements
- Convert textures for the Arnold shader
- Use gamma correction controls to work in a linear workflow
- Export all the maps for each texture set and then assign them in Maya
- Use a plugin to export a substance network straight into Maya
Ensure your Substance Painter export settings match Maya's shader requirements
When exporting textures from Substance Painter to Maya, it's important to ensure that your Substance Painter export settings align with Maya's shader requirements. Here are some detailed steps to help you achieve this:
Firstly, understand the default shaders in Maya. Maya's default shaders, such as Lambert and Phong, are older and not designed for physically based rendering (PBR). However, newer versions of Maya include a stingray PBS shader that can be used.
Next, examine the shader requirements of your chosen shader in Maya. For example, if you're using the Arnold shader, it follows a Diffuse, Specular, Roughness workflow. On the other hand, Substance Painter uses a BaseColor, Metallic workflow. Therefore, you'll need to convert your textures accordingly during export.
When exporting from Substance Painter, go to the "File" menu, select "Export Textures," and then choose the "Export" tab. Here, you'll need to select the appropriate system configuration. If you're exporting to Arnold, select Arnold as the system configuration. Additionally, pay attention to the gamma correction controls. Assume that all textures should be interpreted as Linear, and add a gamma correction node for specific textures that need to be interpreted as sRGB.
Another important consideration is the UV mapping. When exporting your model from Maya to Substance Painter, ensure that you have properly unwrapped and laid out your UVs. This will ensure that your textures align correctly when imported back into Maya.
Furthermore, if you're working with smoothed edges in Maya, be aware that these settings might not carry over to Substance Painter. To address this, consider duplicating your mesh in Maya, smoothing it, and then exporting it. Alternatively, you can subdivide the actual mesh by going to "Mesh > Subdivide" in Maya.
Lastly, remember that Substance Painter exports the textures, but you'll need to build the shaders in Maya. After importing your textures, use the renderer of your choice in Maya to build and adjust the shader attributes.
By carefully following these steps and considering the shader requirements of both Substance Painter and Maya, you can ensure a seamless transfer of textures between the two programs.
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Convert textures for the Arnold shader
When exporting textures from Substance Painter to Maya, you may encounter some challenges due to the differences in shaders between the two software. To successfully convert textures for the Arnold shader in Maya, follow these steps:
Understanding the Workflow Difference
Substance Painter uses a Base Color, Metallic workflow, while Arnold uses a Diffuse, Specular, Roughness workflow. This means that the textures created in Substance Painter need to be converted for compatibility with the Arnold shader.
Export Settings in Substance Painter
When exporting textures from Substance Painter, go to the "File" menu and select "Export Textures". In the export tab, ensure that you select "Arnold" as the system configuration. This will help ensure that the exported textures are compatible with the Arnold shader in Maya.
Gamma Correction
Gamma correction is an important aspect to consider when converting textures for Arnold. It helps users work in a radiometrically linear space, also known as a "linear workflow". You can assume that all textures should be interpreted as linear and add a gamma correction node for specific textures that need to be interpreted as sRGB. The Gamma Correction for Textures is typically set to 1.0.
Texture Sets and UV Maps
When exporting texture sets from Substance Painter to Maya, ensure that you export all the maps for each texture set. In Maya, you will then need to assign those maps to the corresponding materials. Make sure your UV maps are correctly set up, as UV mapping plays a crucial role in determining where the exported textures will be applied on your model in Maya.
Shader Settings in Maya
In Maya, navigate to "Arnold -> Shader -> Surface -> aiStandardSurface" to access the Arnold shader settings. Plug in the textures accordingly, ensuring that non-color textures (such as roughness and normal maps) are set to RAW. Additionally, enable the "Alpha is Luminance" option.
By following these steps, you should be able to successfully convert and utilize textures created in Substance Painter within the Arnold shader in Maya. Remember that there may be some differences in the appearance of textures between the two software due to their distinct rendering engines, but with careful adjustments, you can achieve the desired results.
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$12.94
Use gamma correction controls to work in a linear workflow
When exporting textures from Substance Painter to Maya, it is important to consider the different shaders and texture requirements of each software. One key aspect to ensure consistent results is to use gamma correction controls to work in a linear workflow.
Gamma correction controls are essential for users to ensure they are working in radiometrically linear space, also known as a "linear workflow". This linear workflow guarantees that all elements in a scene, such as light colours, textures, and shader colours, correspond accurately with the actual amounts of light. As a result, the renderer can perform precise light computations in a physically correct manner. This is crucial because light behaves linearly in the physical world; if the number of photons is doubled, the colour values also double.
To achieve this linear workflow, users can assume that all textures should be interpreted as sRGB. Additionally, a gamma correction node can be added for specific textures that need to be interpreted as linear. In this case, the gamma correction for textures should be set to 2.2. Alternatively, if the textures are assumed to be linear, a gamma correction node can be added for textures requiring interpretation as sRGB, and the gamma correction for textures should be set to 1.0.
The make tx tool allows users to convert textures to linear space, ensuring that all textures are linear before rendering. Users can choose between linear, sRGB, and Rec709 options. For example, the command "maketx --colorconvert sRGB linear C:/Program Files/Autodesk/Arnold/maya2023/crayons.jpg" converts the crayons.jpg image colour space. The TX Manager also facilitates converting textures to the .tx format, providing an options box to customise the conversion process.
Furthermore, when exporting textures from Substance Painter, it is important to consider the entire model's texture requirements in Maya. For instance, when creating a clock model, each screw, face, and hand may have distinct materials in Maya. However, in Substance Painter, it is preferable to have a single set of maps covering the entire clock. This can be achieved by applying a single material in Maya and then exporting it to ensure the clock has a unified texture set in Substance Painter. Subsequently, each part can be painted on the same texture set.
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Export all the maps for each texture set and then assign them in Maya
When exporting textures from Substance Painter, you will need to export all the maps for each texture set and then assign those maps for each material in Maya. For instance, consider a model of a clock where all the screws, face, hands, etc. have different materials in Maya, but the UVs for these objects occupy the same 0-1 UV space without any overlaps. In this case, you would want a single set of maps covering the entire clock in one go, instead of individual maps for each piece.
To achieve this, you need to apply a single material in Maya and then export to ensure the entire clock has a single texture set in Substance Painter. Subsequently, you can paint each part on the same texture set in Substance Painter. Creating an ID mask can simplify this process. If you skip this step, you will have to manually merge all the texture sets in Photoshop, which can be cumbersome.
Additionally, when bringing Substance Painter files into Maya, you may encounter issues with the bump map appearing too extreme and requiring adjustments. This is because Maya's default shaders like Lambert and Phong are outdated and not designed for PBR. However, newer versions of Maya include a stingray PBS shader that can be utilised. Ensure that your Substance Painter export settings align with how this shader accepts textures. Alternatively, you can create your own preset in Substance Painter for greater flexibility.
Furthermore, when plugging textures in Maya, remember to set non-colour textures like roughness and normal maps to RAW and enable "Alpha is Luminance". It is also important to understand that Substance Painter does not recognise different materials as distinct objects. Each material is treated as a separate texture set. Hence, ensure that anything laid out into a single UV map shares the same material.
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Use a plugin to export a substance network straight into Maya
When exporting textures from Substance Painter to Maya, you will need to export all the maps for each texture set and then assign those maps for each material in Maya. This is because Maya's default shaders (Lambert, Phong, etc.) are not designed for PBR. As such, you will need to ensure that your Substance Painter export settings match those of the stingray PBS shader included in newer versions of Maya.
To do this, you can follow these steps:
- Go to "Arnold -> Shader -> Surface -> aiStandardSurface".
- Plug the textures accordingly, setting non-colour textures (roughness, normal maps, etc.) to RAW and enabling "Alpha is Luminance".
- Make sure your Substance Painter export settings match the way Maya wants to take textures.
- You can also make your own preset in Substance Painter (SP).
Additionally, Substance offers a plugin that can help with this process. This plugin allows you to export a substance network straight into Maya. While this can be a helpful tool, it is important to note that Painter and Maya have completely different shaders. As such, you may need to do some additional research and experimentation to achieve the desired results.
When exporting a model from Maya to Substance Painter, it is important to have a clear workflow in place. You will need to export models, UV them, texture them, and then bring them back into Maya for rendering with Arnold. It is also important to note that textures made in Substance Painter using the BaseColor, Metallic workflow will need to be converted for the Arnold shader. This is because Arnold uses a Diffuse, Specular, Roughness workflow.
Overall, while it is possible to export textures from Substance Painter to Maya, it may require some adjustments to your export settings and workflows to achieve the desired results.
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Frequently asked questions
First, ensure that the Substance plugin is enabled. Then, export all the maps for each texture set from Substance Painter and assign those maps for each material in Maya.
Arnold uses a Diffuse, Specular, Roughness workflow, so textures made in Substance Painter using the BaseColor, Metallic workflow must be converted for the Arnold shader. Set the gamma correction for textures to 1.0 and ensure that your Substance Painter export settings match Maya's shader requirements.
When exporting a model to Substance Painter, you will get a texture set made for each Maya material. You may need to manually merge all the texture sets in Photoshop, or apply a single material in Maya and then export to ensure that your model has a single texture set in Substance Painter.
