Isabella Flores
Geometry masks in Substance Painter are used to hide certain parts of an imported object. This feature can be accessed through the Mask Icon on any layer towards the right. To exit the geometry mask mode, you can simply click on another part of the layer, such as the content or the paint mask. Alternatively, you can disable a mask temporarily by doing Shift + Left Mouse Click on its thumbnail.
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What You'll Learn
Accessing hidden parts before importing the model
When working with Substance Painter, you may sometimes need access to occluded or hidden parts of a 3D model. The easiest way to deal with such hidden parts is by making them accessible before importing the model. For example, you can open the lid of a chest or the mouth of a figure, or even "explode" an object to make all its surfaces accessible. This won't affect the textures of the model, but it may not always be possible or could be too cumbersome.
In some cases, you may need to paint specific areas of a model that are hidden or obscured by other parts. For instance, painting the teeth and gums inside the mouth of a dog model, where the mouth is inside the body mesh. In such cases, you can use mesh fill/UV island fill to create a mask that separates the parts you need to paint. Then, add an opacity fill to the area you want to hide temporarily. Remember, 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 toggle the opacity fill channel and delete it.
Additionally, Blender can be used to access hidden parts before importing the model into Substance Painter. When importing an OBJ file, any Vertex/Face/Polygroups that are set up on the object can be turned into separate objects by selecting the "Split by Group" option (File – Import – Wavefront OBJ). After import, the object will have multiple parts, allowing you to work on individual sections. You can also separate parts of your mesh by selecting them in edit mode and then choosing "Split by Selection." Export your object, and Substance Painter will recognize the separate pieces as Mesh Parts.
Another approach is to utilize the Geometry Mask feature in Substance Painter. This tool lets you hide certain parts of an imported object. To access it, look for the Mask Icon on any layer towards the right. Clicking on it will display two Mask Types: UV Tiles and Mesh Names. UV Tiles restrict the layer's capabilities to a UDIM Tile, while Mesh Names refer to parts of a mesh that are split into multiple pieces upon import. For instance, a character model can be split into arms, legs, and body. Choose either mode, then hover over each tile or name to highlight the corresponding section on the mesh.
It's important to note that you can't add new meshes to an existing project in Substance Painter. However, if you export your original mesh along with the new mesh as a single OBJ or FBX file, you can go to Edit > Project Configuration and reimport them together. This way, Substance Painter will retain your previous paint work and apply it to the new mesh within the same textureset.
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Using the Mask Icon to hide parts of an object
The Geometry Mask is a useful tool in Substance Painter that allows users to hide certain parts of an imported object. This tool can be accessed by clicking on the Mask Icon on any layer towards the right. The Mask Icon is indicated by a "crossed-out eye" symbol.
Upon clicking the Mask Icon, users will be able to select a Mask Type: UV Tiles or Mesh Names. UV Tiles restrict the layer's capabilities to a UDIM Tile. Mesh Names refer to parts of a mesh that has been split into multiple pieces upon import. For example, a character model may be split into arms, legs, and body.
Once the desired Mask Type is selected, users can hover over each tile or name to highlight the corresponding area on the mesh. This allows for precise control over which parts of the object are hidden. It is important to note that the Geometry Mask can be modified by clicking on the dedicated icon or right-clicking on the icon in the layer stack.
Additionally, the Geometry Mask offers several advantages over the paint mask. It is generally faster to set up and use, especially with viewport selection modes. It also provides better performance as the hidden geometry can be completely discarded when generating textures. This non-destructive approach ensures that changes to the 3D model after re-import will update the Geometry Mask accordingly. Furthermore, the Geometry Mask allows users to paint geometry that is underneath the masked area, enabling the painting of hidden parts. Similar to the paint mask, the Geometry Mask can be applied to a group to affect multiple layers simultaneously.
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Isolating parts of the model for painting
Substance Painter is a universal material editor that allows you to create effects that will look identical across render engines. It is like Photoshop for 3D models, where you can paint your models by hand and combine them with procedural tools for edge wear.
To isolate parts of a model for painting in Substance Painter, you can use the Geometry Mask tool. This tool lets you hide certain parts of an imported object. To access the Geometry Mask, click on the Mask Icon on any layer towards the right. You can then select a Mask Type: UV Tiles or Mesh Names. UV Tiles restrict the layer to a UDIM Tile, while Mesh Names refer to parts of a mesh that are split into multiple pieces on import. For example, a character model can be split into arms, legs, and body.
Another way to isolate parts of a model for painting is by making them accessible before importing the model. For instance, you can "explode" an object to make all its surfaces accessible. This method won't affect the textures of the model but may not always be possible or could be too cumbersome.
Additionally, you can use Blender to separate parts of your mesh by selecting them in edit mode and then choosing "Split by Selection." Export your object, and the separate pieces will be recognized in Substance Painter as Mesh Parts.
You can also isolate parts of a model for painting by using masks. To do this, go to Masks and select Add Black Mask. The black mask hides the physical characteristics of the layer, allowing you to paint over it. With the mask selected, click the Wand icon and choose Add Generator to access a set of generators that can be used for specific effects, such as Metal Edge Wear.
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Visualising the mask
Another way to visualise the mask is by using the Geometry Mask. This feature lets you hide certain parts of an imported object. It is accessible through the Mask Icon on any layer towards the right. Click on it to display a Mask Type: UV Tiles or Mesh Names. UV Tiles will restrict what this layer can do to a UDIM Tile. Mesh Names refer to parts of a mesh that are split into multiple pieces on import. You can then select either mode and hover over each tile/name to highlight the mesh.
Additionally, you can also visualise the mask in the UV viewport by alt-clicking on the group's mask. This will display the mask in the viewport. If you want to see a black and white procedural applied in your viewport, you can add a Fill layer in the group mask with a specific procedural, then alt-click on the group mask.
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Disabling and enabling the mask
To disable or enable a mask in Substance Painter, you can perform the following steps:
- Access the Layer Stack: Navigate to the "Painter" tab, then select "Interface," and finally, choose "Layer Stack."
- Identify the Mask Icon: On the right side of the layer, you will find the Mask Icon. Clicking on this icon will allow you to modify the Geometry Mask of that particular layer.
- Modify the Geometry Mask: By clicking on the Mask Icon, you can toggle between two modes: UV Tiles and Mesh Names. UV Tiles restrict the layer's capabilities to a UDIM Tile, while Mesh Names refer to individual parts of a mesh that has been split into multiple pieces upon import.
- Highlight the Desired Area: Once you have selected the appropriate mode, hover your cursor over each tile or name to highlight the corresponding area on the mesh.
- Disable or Enable the Mask: To disable the mask temporarily, use the keyboard shortcut "Shift + Left Mouse Click" on the mask's thumbnail. Repeating this action will enable the mask again. Alternatively, you can access the right-click menu and select "Toggle Mask" to disable or enable the mask.
It is important to note that masks in Substance Painter always appear in grayscale, regardless of the content used for painting. Additionally, you can visualize the mask by holding down the "Alt" key and clicking the left mouse button on its thumbnail, providing an isolated view of the mask from that layer.
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Frequently asked questions
To disable a mask, do SHIFT + Left mouse click on its thumbnail. Redo the same operation to enable it again. Alternatively, you can disable it via the right-click menu ("toggle mask").
To exit the editing mode, simply click on another part of the layer such as the content or the paint mask.
To visualize the mask itself, do ALT + Left mouse click on its thumbnail. It will switch the viewport to an isolated view of the mask from this layer.
Right-click and select "Invert mask background".
The geometry mask is usually faster to set up and use with viewport selection modes. It offers better performance as geometry can be completely discarded when generating textures.
