Exporting Textures: Substance Painter To Marmoset

Exporting textures from Substance Painter to Marmoset Toolbag can be a tricky process. The first step is to set the path and resolution for your textures, then export them to disk. When exporting textures from Substance Painter to Marmoset, the texture file names may not match the slots in Marmoset, which can be confusing. For example, the base colour texture from Substance Painter goes into the albedo slot in Marmoset, and the metallic texture goes into the metallic slot, but first, the reflectivity model must be changed from specular to metalness. This article will provide a step-by-step guide on exporting textures from Substance Painter and importing them into Marmoset, ensuring they are correctly mapped and configured for use in the Marmoset rendering engine.

Base colour goes in the albedo slot

When exporting textures from Substance Painter to Marmoset, you may encounter a problem where the texture areas have different names, and you're unsure where your textures should go. If you have the following texture files: Base Colour, Height, Metallic, Normal, and Roughness, then the Base Colour goes in the Albedo slot.

The Metallic texture goes in the metallic slot, but first, you need to change the reflectivity model from specular to metalness. The Normal texture goes in the normal map slot in the surface. The Roughness texture goes in the gloss map slot. If you're using roughness where white equals most rough and black equals most glossy, click the invert box. Where you put your height map depends on what the content is meant for.

To export all your project maps to the disk, set the path where they will be exported, set the maps' resolution, and press Export All. You can modify and preview all your maps before exporting them in Output Maps. You can also add extra maps, change map settings, or export each map separately.

If you're having trouble with the textures or lighting in Marmoset, it could be due to the Albedo material setting having a colour value (grey). Change that to white to brighten your albedo.

Metallic goes in the metallic slot

When exporting textures from Substance Painter to Marmoset, you may encounter differences in the naming and placement of textures. For example, the "Metallic" texture in Substance Painter corresponds to the metallic slot in Marmoset. However, before placing the "Metallic" texture in the designated slot, it is important to make a crucial adjustment. You need to change the reflectivity model from "specular" to "metalness". This step ensures that the metallic aspect of your textures is accurately represented in the Marmoset environment.

In addition to the placement of the "Metallic" texture, there are a few other considerations to keep in mind when exporting textures from Substance Painter to Marmoset. Firstly, the "Base color" texture should be placed in the "albedo slot". Secondly, the "Normal" texture belongs in the "normal map slot" within the surface settings. As for the "Roughness" texture, it should be placed in the gloss map slot. If you are working with a roughness map where white represents the most rough and black represents the most glossy, don't forget to click the "invert" option.

The placement of the "Height" map depends on the intended content and purpose. If it is meant for parallax, you should change the normal map surface model to parallax and load it into the parallax slot. On the other hand, if it is intended for displacement, you should add a height input in the displacement module and load it there. Additionally, it is recommended to include a tessellation method in the sub-division module.

It is worth noting that Substance Painter tools typically default to UE4's material setup. Marmoset Toolbag2 offers a UE4 material preset that you can select for a seamless transition. By aligning the material setup, you can ensure that your textures are interpreted accurately in Marmoset. This includes ensuring consistency in the interpretation of the albedo, which can impact the overall lighting and appearance of your textures.

To export your textures from Substance Painter to Marmoset, you can follow these general steps: set the export path, adjust the maps' resolution, and then initiate the export process. You have the flexibility to modify and preview your maps before finalizing the export. Additionally, you can choose to export each map separately or combine and export maps in different channels, depending on your specific requirements.

Normal goes in the normal map slot

When exporting textures from Substance Painter to Marmoset, it is important to ensure that each texture is placed in the correct slot. The normal map slot in Marmoset is specifically designed for normal maps, which provide information about the surface normals of an object. Normal maps are essential for adding depth and detail to 3D models and enhancing the lighting and shading of the object.

In the context of exporting textures from Substance Painter, the normal map is one of the key outputs. When working within Substance Painter, artists have the ability to create intricate details and complex surfaces by utilizing tools such as height maps and normal maps. The normal map captures the direction and intensity of lighting, allowing for realistic shading and surface details.

To ensure a seamless transfer of textures from Substance Painter to Marmoset, users should pay close attention to the export settings and file formats. Substance Painter offers the option to create custom export profiles, enabling artists to define the specific channels and file names for their textures. This simplifies the process of loading textures into Marmoset Toolbag.

When importing textures into Marmoset, the normal map slot should be used specifically for the normal map exported from Substance Painter. This ensures that the surface details and lighting information created in Substance Painter are accurately transferred to the Marmoset environment. By placing the normal map in the designated slot, artists can expect the 3D model to exhibit the desired shading and lighting effects.

It is worth noting that some users have reported issues with normal map triangulation when transferring textures from Substance Painter to Marmoset. These issues can manifest as odd triangulation artefacts that were not present in Substance Painter. To address these issues, it is recommended to experiment with different export settings, such as modifying frontal and rear distance values, and utilizing features like "compute tangent space per fragment" in Painter's open dialog. Additionally, ensuring proper split/hard edges placement and vertex normals shading can help mitigate triangulation problems.

Change the surface module from normal map to parallax map

When exporting textures from Substance Painter to Marmoset, you may need to change the surface module from "normal map" to "parallax map". This is because Substance materials use parallax when referring to "height" maps, and changing the surface module will allow you to load both normals and height.

To do this, open your project in Substance Painter and navigate to the "Surface" module. From the drop-down menu, select "Parallax Occlusion Map". This will ensure that your height maps are interpreted correctly in Marmoset.

It's worth noting that Marmoset Toolbag bakes in OpenGL format by default, but you can change this in the settings. Additionally, you may need to adjust the tangent space settings to match those of your renderer to avoid shading artifacts. This can be done by enabling the Compute Tangent Space Per Fragment option when creating a new file in Substance Painter.

By following these steps, you can ensure that your textures are exported correctly from Substance Painter and interpreted accurately in Marmoset, allowing for a seamless workflow between the two software tools.

Modify and preview maps before exporting

When exporting textures from Substance Painter to Marmoset, you may encounter some differences in the original map. This can be due to changes in UV or the presence of hidden faces during unwrapping. It is important to ensure that there are no hidden faces when unwrapping to avoid issues.

Before exporting, you can modify and preview your maps in Marmoset Toolbag. This allows you to make any necessary adjustments to ensure your textures are exported correctly. You can add extra maps, change map settings, or export each map separately. For grayscale maps, you have the option to combine and export maps in different channels.

If you encounter issues with your normal map appearing flipped, you may need to isolate the G channel and invert it in a program like Photoshop. Additionally, ensure that you have Alpha turned on in Marmoset to avoid strange texture issues.

When working with height maps, Substance materials use parallax, so it is recommended to change the surface module from "normal map" to "parallax map" to correctly load normals and height. You might also consider changing the reflection mode from Blinn-Phong to GGX for improved results.

By following these steps and making the necessary adjustments, you can ensure that your maps are correctly modified and previewed before exporting from Substance Painter to Marmoset.

Frequently asked questions