
Environmental lighting in Substance Painter can sometimes cause issues with textures and hinder the creative process. To turn off environmental lighting in Substance Painter, you can change the display setting to Base Color instead of the default Material. This will allow you to view the base color applied to the material without any lighting interference. Alternatively, you can change the environment map used to light the model and show reflections by filtering your shelf by environment and dragging a new map into the 3D viewport.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| To view the base color with no lighting | Hit the drop-down in the upper right of the 3D view and change it to "base color" |
| Keyboard shortcuts | Press B to cycle through base channels, C to cycle through material channels, and M to switch back to lit material view |
| Alternative workaround | Add a white fill layer with a light generator facing the back of the object |
| Alternative workaround | Use a toon or cell shader, or a uniform environment HDRI |
| Alternative workaround | Change the environment map used to light the model and show reflections in the surface |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn

Set the viewport display to Base Colour
To set the viewport display to Base Colour in Substance Painter, you can follow these steps:
Firstly, navigate to the upper right corner of the 3D view in Substance Painter. Here, you will find a drop-down menu that allows you to select the display option for the viewport. From this menu, select "Base Colour". This will change the lighting in the viewport and allow you to view the base colour of the material without any lighting influences.
Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut "B" to cycle through the base channels, which will also take you to the "Base Colour" option. This method provides quick access to the desired display setting without having to navigate through the drop-down menu each time.
By setting the viewport display to "Base Colour", you are essentially removing the environmental lighting from affecting the colours displayed. This can be useful when you want to focus solely on the base colours of your materials without any lighting interference. It provides a consistent view of the base colours, regardless of the lighting conditions or angles.
It is worth noting that the "Base Colour" option is different from the default "Material" setting, which includes the environmental lighting. The "Base Colour" setting allows you to view the pure colours applied to the material without any lighting or shading influences. This can be particularly useful when creating cartoon textures or when you want to have more control over the lighting effects separately.
Exploring Ancient Tomb Art: Purpose and Meaning
You may want to see also
Explore related products

Use a toon shader
To turn off environmental lighting in Substance Painter, one option is to use a toon shader. A toon shader is a type of non-photorealistic rendering (NPR) that can be used to create a cartoon-like effect in 3D graphics.
A toon shader can be used to achieve a cel-shaded look, where the lighting and shading are simplified to create a flat, cartoon-like appearance. This can be especially useful if you are creating hand-painted textures or if you want to combine the Opacity channel with the Base Color channel in Substance Painter.
There are several toon shaders available for Substance Painter, including a free option from ArtStation. This toon shader allows you to assign images and materials to BaseColor, User0 (Shadow), User1 (outLine), and User2 (inLine). It is compatible with Substance Painter 2021, 2022, and 2023. However, please note that outlines created in shaders cannot be exported and must be recreated in the destination software.
Additionally, Cubebrush offers a custom toon shader for Substance Painter that includes two types: SimpleLUT2D, which uses a gradient map to add shading, and TwoToneToon, which offers two-color toon in normal and shaded colors. With this shader, you can also adjust the specular settings and the color of the ambient occlusion.
Using a toon shader can be a great way to achieve a unique artistic style in your 3D projects and bypass the environmental lighting in Substance Painter.
Harrisburg Paint Disposal: Safe and Eco-Friendly Options
You may want to see also
Explore related products

Use a cell shader
To turn off environmental lighting in Substance Painter, one suggested method is to use a toon or cell shader. This method allows you to have an unlit material while still being able to work on other channels like opacity.
Cell shading is a technique that uses a limited colour palette and distinct, hard edges between light and shadow to create a comic book or cartoon-like style. It is often used in video games and animations to achieve a unique visual style and simplify the rendering process.
Substance Painter might not be the best tool for cell shading, as it works better with simple, hand-painted textures. However, if you want both cell shading and materials that react to lighting, you can use a PBR lighting model and then apply cell shading to characters only, which can be done with the toon shader in Blender.
To use a cell shader in Substance Painter, you can follow these steps:
- Create or import your 3D model into Substance Painter.
- Apply your desired textures and materials to the model.
- Locate the Display Settings or similar options within Substance Painter, which should control the lighting in the viewport.
- Adjust the settings to use a toon or cell shader. This may involve selecting a specific shader from a list of options or importing a custom shader.
- Preview your model with the cell shader applied to ensure that the lighting has been turned off as desired.
By using a cell shader, you can effectively turn off environmental lighting in Substance Painter while still having control over other aspects of your materials, such as opacity.
Unlocking the Secrets of Opening a 5-Gallon Paint Bucket
You may want to see also
Explore related products

Use a uniform HDRI
If you want to turn off environmental lighting in Substance Painter, one option is to use a uniform HDRI. HDRI stands for High Dynamic Range Imaging, and it is an image format that captures lighting information from the real world. By using a uniform HDRI, you can create a consistent and evenly lit environment for your 3D models.
To use a uniform HDRI in Substance Painter, you can follow these steps:
- Open Substance Painter and create or import your 3D model.
- Go to the environment settings of the software. This is where you can control the lighting in your viewport.
- Look for the HDRI tools or options. These tools are meant for manipulating and creating HDRI images.
- Select or import a uniform HDRI image. A uniform HDRI image will provide even lighting across your scene, effectively reducing the impact of environmental lighting on your model.
- Adjust the settings as needed to ensure the lighting is uniform and meets your desired effect.
Using a uniform HDRI can be particularly useful when creating homemade textures, as it allows you to see the true base color of your model without the influence of complex lighting. This can help you achieve consistent results, especially if you plan to use the same HDRI environment in your final presentation.
Additionally, if you are creating cartoon textures or artwork, you may want to completely turn off the lighting in the Material channel. This can be achieved by using a toon shader or cell shader, which allows the material to appear unlit while still working on other channels like opacity.
VOC Paint in Arizona: What's the Deal?
You may want to see also
Explore related products

Add a white fill layer
To turn off environmental lighting in Substance Painter, you can set your viewport display to "Base Color" instead of the default "Material". This will bypass the environmental lighting that is affecting your model.
Now, to add a white fill layer, you can follow these steps:
- Navigate to the Layer Stack: The Layer Stack in Substance Painter allows you to manipulate the layers of a Texture Set. You can access it by going to Painter > Interface > Layer Stack.
- Understand Fill Layers: A fill layer is different from a regular layer as you cannot directly paint on it. Instead, you can load a material into it to fill the channels. You can also manipulate the transformation to repeat the material.
- Add a White Material: To make this fill layer white, you will need to load a white material into it. You can either create a new white material or use an existing one.
- Adjust Layer Settings: Once you have added the white material, you can adjust the layer settings. This includes options like opacity and blending mode. You can also hide or unhide the layer as needed.
- Apply to 3D Object: Finally, ensure that the layer is applied to your 3D object in the scene. The layer stack follows a specific hierarchy, with the layer at the bottom being drawn first and the top layer being the last item. Make sure your white fill layer is in the correct position within the stack.
By following these steps, you can effectively add a white fill layer to your project in Substance Painter. This will help you achieve the desired effect of bypassing environmental lighting and having more control over the appearance of your 3D model.
Creating Warhol Art with MS Paint: Easy Steps
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
You can turn off the environmental lighting in Substance Painter by changing the display setting to "Base Color" instead of the default "Material". Alternatively, you can use a toon shader or cell shader, or use a uniform environment HDRI.
Turning off environmental lighting can be useful if you want to view the base colour of a material without any lighting effects. It can also be helpful if the lighting settings are causing issues with textures in your game.
Yes, you can press the "B" key on your keyboard to cycle through base channels, which will turn off the environmental lighting.
Yes, you can filter your shelf by environment and then drag a new map into the 3D viewport to change the lighting and reflections.
One workaround is to add a white fill layer with a light generator facing away from the object, which will reduce the impact of the environmental lighting.




















![Touch Bedside Table Lamp, [Sleek Design & RGB Mode] 3 Way Dimmable Small Lamp for Bedroom, LED Lamp with Warm White Lights, Multi-Color Smart Nightstand Lamp for for Living Room Home Gifts](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51F1eWcmohL._AC_UL320_.jpg)






![DORESshop LED Night Light, Night Lights Plug Into Wall [2 Pack] with Dusk-to-Dawn Sensor, Dimmable Nightlights, Adjustable Brightness for Bathroom, Hallway, Bedroom,Kids Room,Stairway,Soft White](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71Y0SEq9m4L._AC_UL320_.jpg)















