Importing Remshed Objects Into Substance Painter: A Step-By-Step Guide

There are several ways to import a remshed object into Substance Painter. One way is to open the OBJ mesh file and activate the Use UV Tile workflow. You can also import assets by going to Painter > Content > Importing Assets, or by using the Import window in Painter or placing the assets manually in the desired location on the disk. If you are importing a mesh into an existing project, you can export your original mesh with your new mesh as one OBJ/FBX file, then go to Edit > Project Configuration and reimport from there. It is important to note that you cannot load two separate .fbx/.obj files into a Substance Painter project.

Importing multiple objects

If you are using ZBrush, go to Zplugin, then FBX Export/Import, and select Visible or ALL. Click on Export, and your Subtools will each have their own TextureSets. However, this method has been described as messy and tedious, as ZBrush won't let you name your Polygroups or Mats, making it difficult to find the correct Texture set.

A recommended workflow is to prepare the meshes in one of the Main 3D Software Packages like Maya, Blender, or C4D. In Blender, create a material per object, name it as desired, and then Substance Painter will automatically separate the UVs according to the material.

If you are working with an existing Substance Painter project and want to add a new object, you can do so by going back to your 3D app (Maya, 3DS Max, etc.) and re-exporting your whole scene with the new object added. Make sure the new object shares the same UVs and/or textures as the original mesh. Then, go to Painter: Edit -> Project Configuration and import your new project mesh. As long as you didn't move any part of the original mesh, everything will work fine, and you'll be able to keep your previous paint work.

It's important to note that you cannot load two separate .fbx/.obj files into a Substance Painter project. If you have multiple objects, they need to be exported together as a single file.

Importing OBJ mesh files

When importing an OBJ mesh file into Substance Painter, it is essential to ensure that UV mapping is applied to the mesh. This can be done by activating the "Use UV Tile workflow" option in Substance Painter. With this enabled, you can import the OBJ file, retaining its layers and materials.

If you are using ZBrush, go to Zplugin, then FBX Export/Import, and select "Visible" or "All" before clicking "Export." This will ensure that each Subtool has its own Texture Set. If you want each Polygroup within a Subtool to have a different Texture Set, make sure to activate the "Export Polygroups as Mats" option before exporting.

For those using Maya or Blender, it is recommended to prepare the meshes within these programs. In Blender, create a unique material for each object and name it accordingly. Substance Painter will then automatically separate the UVs based on the material. In Maya, you can move specific parts of the mesh, such as clothing, to make painting easier. After making adjustments, re-export the FBX file and update it in Substance Painter.

When importing an OBJ file, Substance Painter may split the object into layers based on its materials. If your OBJ file consists of a single material, it will appear as one layer. To resolve this, you can assign more materials to the model or import it into Substance Stager, which displays layers correctly.

Additionally, when importing an OBJ mesh file, you can select the "Preserve UV Tile layout per material" option and enable painting across files. Choose OpenGL as the Normal Map Format. If you see Multiple UV sets under "Std_Skin_Head" in the Texture Set list, it indicates that the UDIM data has been successfully imported.

By following these steps, you can successfully import OBJ mesh files into Substance Painter, ensuring that layers and materials are preserved and utilizing various software tools to prepare and adjust your meshes.

Exporting from ZBrush

When exporting from ZBrush to Substance Painter, you will first need to retopologize and UV map your high poly sculpt. Select the entire mesh and export it.

In Substance Painter, import the mesh into a new project, then bake all the maps from your high poly mesh. Each different material assigned to the mesh in something like Maya will create a new texture set in Substance Painter. You can also use 3DS Max instead of Maya.

To import the OBJ file, open the OBJ mesh file and activate the Use UV Tile workflow. Select the Preserve UV Tile layout per material and enable the painting across files option. Select OpenGL as the Normal Map Format. Multiple UV sets present under Std_Skin_Head in the Texture Set list indicate that UDIM data has been successfully imported.

Import all the textures in order by clicking the Import resources button. Set the loaded files as Texture. After all textures are loaded, you can see the textures in the shelf. Select a target texture set from the list. Add a Fill layer. Click on the thumbnail to assign a UV set (you can rename the layer if you want to).

If you are importing into an existing project, you will need to export your original mesh with your new mesh as one OBJ/FBX file. Then, go to Edit -> Project Configuration and reimport from there. Substance Painter will keep all your previous paint work and apply it to the same texture set of the newly imported mesh.

Importing a reference image

First, you need to have a reference image in mind that you want to import. This could be a photo, a sketch, or any image that serves as a reference for your project.

Next, open your 3D application (such as Maya, 3DS Max, Blender, etc.) and create a simple plane or mesh. This will serve as the canvas for your reference image. Give this plane a new material and apply your reference image to it.

Now, export this plane with your reference image applied. It's recommended to export it in the FBX format, which can be done by going to File > Export > FBX or using a similar pathway depending on your software. Ensure that your original mesh and the reference image plane are included in the export.

Once you have your FBX file, open Substance Painter. Go to the Edit menu and select "Project Configuration." From here, you can import your FBX file. Your original object will remain untouched, and you will now have the reference image plane with its own Texture Set.

With the reference image in place, you can easily pick colors and paint directly in Substance Painter without having to switch between different screens or applications. This streamlines your workflow and keeps your focus on a single screen.

Additionally, if you are using Substance 3D Modeler, you can import reference images by opening the File menu and selecting "Import Reference Images." Navigate through your files, select the desired image(s) and click "Open" to bring them into the Modeler. These images will be saved along with their positions in VR, so you can easily resume your work later.

Adding new objects to an existing project

To add new objects to an existing project in Substance Painter, you must first ensure that the new object is exported as a single .obj or .fbx file along with the original mesh. This can be done by going back to your 3D application (such as Maya, 3DS Max, or Blender) and re-exporting your entire scene with the new object added.

Once you have the new object and the original mesh exported as a single file, you can import it into Substance Painter. Go to "Edit" > "Project Configuration" and import your new project mesh. As long as you haven't moved any part of the original mesh, your previous paint work will be retained and applied to the same textureset of the newly imported mesh.

If you are working with multiple objects that have their own UV maps, it is possible to import them into Substance Painter, but it is not recommended as it can become messy. One way to do this is to merge the objects so that they share a single UV map, but this may not be desirable if you want to keep the UV maps separate.

Another way to add new objects to an existing project is to use the Import window in Painter or by placing the assets manually in the desired location on your disk. This allows you to add resources to your libraries and the Assets window.

Additionally, if you want to add a reference image to your existing project, you can do so by creating a simple plane in your 3D application and giving it a new material with your reference image. Export this FBX file along with your original mesh and import it into Painter through "Edit" > "Project Configuration". This will allow you to easily pick colors from the reference image while staying within Substance Painter's main interface.

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