Importing Models Into Substance Painter: A Step-By-Step Guide

Importing a model into Substance Painter can be a tricky process. While it is possible to import a model into an existing Substance Painter project, there are some limitations and workarounds that users should be aware of. For example, you cannot load two separate .fbx/.obj files into a single project, but if you export a model and its clothing as a single file, you can work on them simultaneously in Substance Painter. Additionally, issues with UVs and UDIMs can cause problems with importing, even if the model has been successfully imported in the past.

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Importing OBJ files

When importing OBJ files into Substance Painter, there are a few steps to follow. Firstly, open the OBJ mesh file in Substance Painter and activate the "Use UV Tile workflow". This will allow you to work on multiple meshes simultaneously. Once the workflow is activated, select the "Preserve UV Tile layout per material" option. This ensures that the UV tiles remain consistent across different materials in your project.

Next, enable the "painting across files" option. This allows you to paint on multiple meshes at the same time, which can be useful if you have a complex model with many parts. After that, select "OpenGL" as the "Normal Map Format". This ensures that the normal maps, which give your models depth and detail, are displayed correctly in Substance Painter.

At this point, you should check the "Texture Set list" to see if there are multiple UV sets present under "Std_Skin_Head". If there are, it indicates that your UDIM data has been successfully imported. UDIMs are used to handle complex UV layouts and ensure that textures are applied correctly to your model. After confirming the successful import of UDIM data, proceed to import all the textures in the correct order.

Finally, add a "Fill layer" and click on the thumbnail to assign a UV set. Identifying the UDIM number can be done using the UV viewport. This ensures that the correct texture is applied to the corresponding part of your model. To ensure that you can see the effect of your work in Substance Painter, enable viewport semi-transparency for the PBR shader. Regardless of your viewport settings, semi-transparency will always export properly. To do this, click on the button in the upper-right corner of the Shader Settings panel, select the shader name (usually PBR Metal Rough material), and then choose "PBR Metal Rough with Alpha Blending".

It is important to note that some users have reported issues with importing OBJ files into Substance Painter, depending on the software used to export the OBJ file. In such cases, exporting the file in a different format, such as .fbx, and then importing it into Substance Painter may resolve the issue.

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Working with multiple FBX/OBJ files

When working with multiple FBX/OBJ files in Substance Painter, there are a few things to keep in mind. Firstly, Substance Painter can only import one object at a time. This means that if you have multiple sub-objects within your FBX file, you will need to find a way to export them separately. One suggestion is to use one of the main 3D software packages like Maya, Blender, or C4D to prepare your meshes before importing them into Substance Painter.

In Blender, for example, you can create a material per object and name it accordingly. Substance Painter will then automatically separate the UVs according to the material. Alternatively, you can go to FBX ExportImport in ZBrush and select Visible or ALL before clicking Export. This will give each of your Subtools its own TextureSets. If you want to have a different TextureSet for each Polygroup on a Subtool, make sure to activate 'Export Polygroups as Mats' in FBX ExportImport.

However, as one user pointed out, this can get messy because ZBrush doesn't let you name your Polygroups or Mats. This makes it tedious to find the correct TextureSet and rename and reorder them. Therefore, it might be better to use a different software package like Blender to prepare your meshes before importing them into Substance Painter.

When importing OBJ mesh files into Substance Painter, make sure to activate the "Use UV Tile workflow". Select the "Preserve UV Tile layout per material" option and enable painting across files. Choose OpenGL as the Normal Map Format. Multiple UV sets present under Std_Skin_Head in the Texture Set list indicate that your UDIM data has been successfully imported. Import all the textures in order and add a Fill layer.

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Using Edit > Project Configuration

When importing a model into Substance Painter, you can utilise the "Edit > Project Configuration" feature to successfully incorporate your desired changes. This method is particularly useful when you want to add new elements to an existing project without losing your previous work. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to use "Edit > Project Configuration" effectively:

Firstly, it's important to understand that Substance Painter requires 3D meshes to initiate a new project. These meshes are constructed from polygons, which are formed by connecting vertices and edges to define faces. Before importing, ensure your meshes are prepared for optimal results.

Now, let's say you have an existing project with a character model, and you want to add teeth as a separate OBJ or FBX file. In this case, you cannot simply load two distinct .fbx/.obj files into the same project. Instead, you need to merge your original mesh with the new mesh (teeth) into a single obj/fbx file.

Once you have merged the meshes, go to "Edit" in the top menu bar and select "Project Configuration". This will allow you to reimport your merged mesh while retaining all your previous paint work. The application will apply your existing paint work to the new mesh, ensuring consistency across the textures.

It's important to be mindful of potential issues, such as UV coordinates spilling outside the UDIM (a workflow for creating multiple textures). If this occurs, Substance Painter may not allow the import due to UVs extending beyond the specified boundaries. Ensure your UVs are contained within the UDIM to avoid such issues.

By following these steps and utilising the "Edit > Project Configuration" feature, you can successfully import additional elements into your existing Substance Painter project while preserving your previous texturing and painting work. This process empowers you to create intricate and detailed models by seamlessly integrating new components.

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Adjusting UVs and meshes

When adjusting UVs and meshes in Substance Painter, it is important to note that you cannot load two separate .fbx/.obj files into a project. If you have separate files for different parts of the same model, you must export them together as a single .fbx/.obj file to work on them simultaneously in Substance Painter.

To separate different meshes for convenience, you can use mesh fill/UV island fill to create a mask that will differentiate the parts you need. You can then add an opacity fill to any sections you want to hide temporarily. Remember that it won't become transparent with the default shader; you'll need to select a shader that supports alpha channels. Once you're done, you can delete the opacity fill.

Additionally, when reimporting a mesh, Substance Painter attempts to paint where the mesh was located before the reimport. If the mesh has moved, there is no way to properly reproject the changes. To make your project reprojection-proof, rely on masking by an ID map and other types of selection and painting in the 3D View instead of the 2D View.

Changing the units of your 3D mesh can also lead to UV reprojection issues. Even if the topology remains unchanged, the old and new meshes can be interpreted as having different scales. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid changing your unit setup.

When importing a new mesh, you can uncheck the "preserve stroke" option to renormalize the bounding box to the new mesh. Substance Painter computes the bounding box to register the space and define a relative scale for tools like the paintbrush and particles.

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Importing character models

Importing OBJ Files:

To import an OBJ file into Substance Painter, start by opening the file in the software. Activate the "Use UV Tile Workflow" option, which allows you to work with UV tiles as a single big virtual texture. Select the “Preserve UV Tile layout per material” option to ensure that the UV tiles are properly aligned with the corresponding materials. Enable the "Painting across files" option, which lets you paint across multiple files simultaneously. Set the “Normal Map Format" to OpenGL, which is the standard format for normal maps in Substance Painter.

Importing FBX Files:

When importing an FBX file, you can follow similar steps as with OBJ files. However, with FBX files, you may encounter issues if your project includes multiple materials or UV tiles. In such cases, it is recommended to separate the model into different materials or create a new project without the UDIM workflow. This is because Substance Painter treats each FBX file as a single object, and you cannot load two separate FBX files into the same project.

Importing Meshes:

To import meshes into an existing project, you need to combine all the required meshes into a single FBX or OBJ file. You can then go to "Edit > Project Configuration" in Substance Painter to import the combined file. This will preserve your original work and apply the textures to the newly imported mesh.

It's important to note that issues may arise during import due to UV mapping. Ensure that your UVs are properly configured and do not extend beyond the UV space or spill out of the UDIM. If you encounter problems, consider adjusting your UVs or exporting your model with updated UVs before re-importing it into Substance Painter.

Frequently asked questions