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MSFS20 Substance Painter - Sharing Textures

thetford569

thetford569

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I have 2 models that I have created in Blender that are both going to be textured similarly. I have exported the UV layout from Blender with both models unwrapped onto one layout. For now the two models each have their own Ambient Occlusion map because I have not been able to figure out how to combine the AO bake in one sheet. Anyway, my question is how will this work using Substance Painter? I am assuming that I can paint each model using the same UV Layout in Substance Painter and it will work? Then when the textures are created how do they get combined between the two and on the same texture sheet for 2 models? I"m not sure how this is supposed to work.
 
You can have 1 texture sheet, but you will then need to have the 2 models within the same scene in Blender. OR

1 texture sheet and import each model separately.

You need to export from Blender to either FBX or OBJ. I prefer FBX. If models separately, you will only will doing one of the model's textures at once. Merging them together afterwards using Photoshop or GIMP, which by the way, you will be doing euther way.
 
ok, right now I exported as 2 separate models. I want to be able to place them individually so the same scene I believe would not allow me to do that. So I have 2 models and 1 UV layout. I'm assuming that is all I will need for substance painter. I will texture each model separately in Substance and then combine the textures into one sheet afterwards? And then I just link those textures to both models in Blender before export to MSFS? Do I have this correct?

Brandon
 
Yes... before exporting to Substance Painter though, make sure all of the different areas or different materials have been assigned first.
 
thetford569 said:
I have 2 models that I have created in Blender that are both going to be textured similarly. I have exported the UV layout from Blender with both models unwrapped onto one layout. For now the two models each have their own Ambient Occlusion map because I have not been able to figure out how to combine the AO bake in one sheet. Anyway, my question is how will this work using Substance Painter? I am assuming that I can paint each model using the same UV Layout in Substance Painter and it will work? Then when the textures are created how do they get combined between the two and on the same texture sheet for 2 models? I"m not sure how this is supposed to work.
Click to expand...
To bake AO for multiple objects on one UV in Blender just un-check the "Clear Image" box and bake each object to the same map saving between bakes and after the final bake. Bam, two meshes one map. Works for all the bakes as far as I know.
AO_Bake_Clr_Image.jpg

I'm not familiar with Substance painter but I'd imagine that you would want to make a color ID map to assign materials to your mesh inside Substance. Wouldn't it be possible to export both objects together for import into Substance so both objects can be textured at the same time making it much easier than trying to combine maps down the pipeline?
 
Since both models are separate models and have to be exported to either FBX or OBJ separately to import them into SP, I'm not sure it's possible to load both at the same time, even with a color ID map to each of them. The materials assigned within Blender determine the UV placement of the textures for each of them.

The AO maps can be baked within Substance Painter also... it really depends on the user, what is easier for them.
 
Using my experience with Mixer, I'm able to select multiple separate objects in Blender and export them as a single .obj for import into Mixer. I bake my AO and color ID maps in Blender and import them with my .obj. Works like a charm and multiple assets can be textured at the same time that share UV's. Unless I'm missing something this seems to be exactly what the OP is wanting to do?
 
I don't mind texturing them individually. I'm sure it would be easier to texture them both in the same project though. In the end I just wanted them to share the same texture map and AO map if possible. But I also wanted them to be separate models because I need to place them separately in MSFS. Sounds like I can do that. I have been following along with Bill Womack's video tutorials however he's not using substance painter in the tutorial so I'm trying to take parts of his information and make it work here. I did not assign materials yet in Blender to the models and I was still trying to figure out how to do that yesterday. I have 1 material assigned to the whole model in Blender but what I need to learn now is how to assign a material to each part of the model so I can texture those parts in Substance. I know I will need to do that in order to be able to work with Substance Painter. Lots to learn and I'm sure I will have more questions as I stumble along.
 
Check this post I made here a couple days ago, should cover how to assign multiple materials to a single mesh but I feel you're confusing this with what it is you need to do to get into Substance.

Check this YouTube video on how to bake color ID maps with "Textools". Download and install Textools if you don't have it (absolute must have for UV mapping and baking). What you need is to bake a color ID map that you'll import into Substance that will allow you to assign multiple different materials to a single mesh. I personally make a copy of the mesh I'm working on (after UVmapped) and name it meshname_colorID and use this mesh for the colorID bake, just makes things easier if I need to go back and make changes later.

When multiple MSFS materials are needed like standard and glass on the same mesh then that's when you want multiple materials assigned in Blender for export, etc.
 
YohanNaz said:
Check this post I made here a couple days ago, should cover how to assign multiple materials to a single mesh but I feel you're confusing this with what it is you need to do to get into Substance.

Check this YouTube video on how to bake color ID maps with "Textools". Download and install Textools if you don't have it (absolute must have for UV mapping and baking). What you need is to bake a color ID map that you'll import into Substance that will allow you to assign multiple different materials to a single mesh. I personally make a copy of the mesh I'm working on (after UVmapped) and name it meshname_colorID and use this mesh for the colorID bake, just makes things easier if I need to go back and make changes later.

When multiple MSFS materials are needed like standard and glass on the same mesh then that's when you want multiple materials assigned in Blender for export, etc.
Click to expand...

Ok so I think what you are saying is that for my models currently that are just going to be metal buildings with no other types of materials (i.e. no glass) then just having one material assigned to the entire model will work? I just need to make a color map to bring it into Substance Painter to use? If I had a building that had glass windows then I would need to assign multiple materials in blender for that correct? One for the glass surfaces and one for the other surfaces of the model?

Then I would link up the MSFS Materials in blender to those surfaces?

Brandon
 
thetford569 said:
Ok so I think what you are saying is that for my models currently that are just going to be metal buildings with no other types of materials (i.e. no glass) then just having one material assigned to the entire model will work? I just need to make a color map to bring it into Substance Painter to use? If I had a building that had glass windows then I would need to assign multiple materials in blender for that correct? One for the glass surfaces and one for the other surfaces of the model?

Then I would link up the MSFS Materials in blender to those surfaces?

Brandon
Click to expand...
Sounds good. Once you get into it you'll see what were talking about for sure. This will be a good test to get into Substance Painter, look forward to seeing your progress.
 
Thinking materials as just colors is not the best way to describe it.

Think of materials in the context of what the material is and the color of it. Bare metal is describe as the color of the metal. If you have 2 models that are same but different colors then color them differently.
 
YohanNaz said:
Sounds good. Once you get into it you'll see what were talking about for sure. This will be a good test to get into Substance Painter, look forward to seeing your progress.
Click to expand...

Ok, so I have a hangar that is basically a metal building but it has hangar doors, walk-in doors, and I also added a couple of security cameras and a vent pipe coming out of one of the walls. These are all going to be MSFS Standard Materials as there is no glass or any other types of MSFS Material correct? If I have my thought process correct then for the color map I would give a different color to each of these pieces of the entire model. For example the base metal of the building would be one color, the hangar doors will be another color, the walk-in doors would be a color, and then finally the security cameras and the vent would also be another color to separate these parts out for painting? I am assuming this is what the color map does is separate all of the different pieces of the model that you are painting on? Do I have this correct in my mind?

I had no time this weekend to try to mess with any of this but this week I am full steam ahead. I am just doubling back continuing to read and learn!

Brandon
 
Yes, you are correct in your thinking. Though, if any of the materials are the same as the other, you could count them as one material or color. For instance, the walk-in doors and hangar doors, they could be the same.
 
thetford569 said:
Ok, so I have a hangar that is basically a metal building but it has hangar doors, walk-in doors, and I also added a couple of security cameras and a vent pipe coming out of one of the walls. These are all going to be MSFS Standard Materials as there is no glass or any other types of MSFS Material correct? If I have my thought process correct then for the color map I would give a different color to each of these pieces of the entire model. For example the base metal of the building would be one color, the hangar doors will be another color, the walk-in doors would be a color, and then finally the security cameras and the vent would also be another color to separate these parts out for painting? I am assuming this is what the color map does is separate all of the different pieces of the model that you are painting on? Do I have this correct in my mind?

I had no time this weekend to try to mess with any of this but this week I am full steam ahead. I am just doubling back continuing to read and learn!

Brandon
Click to expand...
Sounds good, might even go further and make the camera lens it's own color maybe? Thinking about trying Substance now, been holding out but just might jump on the bandwagon. :D

Assuming Substance is similar to Mixer regarding the handling of the color ID map, it's also good practice to keep surfaces aligned that will share the same color ID. Walls for instance, when unwrapping the UV's keep all the walls the same orientation especially if you're planning to do any tiling of textures. After a painfully long unwrap I ran into issues where I ran out of colors due to Mixer's limitations and could have consolidated my Color ID's down had I thought about this prior.

**edit
Started getting into some Substance tutorials and it looks like it accepts .fbx exports with materials so based on that you really don't need the color ID map? Just assign materials from the 3D program you're in and Substance will Identify them like a color ID map.
Check this video:
 
Last edited:
YohanNaz said:
Sounds good, might even go further and make the camera lens it's own color maybe? Thinking about trying Substance now, been holding out but just might jump on the bandwagon. :D

Assuming Substance is similar to Mixer regarding the handling of the color ID map, it's also good practice to keep surfaces aligned that will share the same color ID. Walls for instance, when unwrapping the UV's keep all the walls the same orientation especially if you're planning to do any tiling of textures. After a painfully long unwrap I ran into issues where I ran out of colors due to Mixer's limitations and could have consolidated my Color ID's down had I thought about this prior.

**edit
Started getting into some Substance tutorials and it looks like it accepts .fbx exports with materials so based on that you really don't need the color ID map? Just assign materials from the 3D program you're in and Substance will Identify them like a color ID map.
Check this video:
Click to expand...

I saw that also in the tutorial videos the other day and yes it will make it's own color map if you bake it. You can also import your own so I guess it's just up to whatever is quicker in the workflow or how people get used to their own processes. It leads to some questioning from me though as someone new to the programs on what is the best way to go about it. It would seem to me that it is the same either way. You're either assigning a color in Blender to the different faces that you are grouping together or you are assigning a material. Either way you bring in a color map or you have to bake one in Substance Painter.
 
thetford569 said:
I saw that also in the tutorial videos the other day and yes it will make it's own color map if you bake it. You can also import your own so I guess it's just up to whatever is quicker in the workflow or how people get used to their own processes. It leads to some questioning from me though as someone new to the programs on what is the best way to go about it. It would seem to me that it is the same either way. You're either assigning a color in Blender to the different faces that you are grouping together or you are assigning a material. Either way you bring in a color map or you have to bake one in Substance Painter.
Click to expand...
Honestly, the color ID map from Blender is working really nicely for me so what ever way ends up working for you will be the best way. Look forward to seeing how you get along, I'll answer any questions I can as I'm going to be taking full advantage of this 30 day trial. Looks like I'm full fledged going down this rabbit hole. Time to install Substance on the ole laptop. Happy painting!
 
YohanNaz said:
Honestly, the color ID map from Blender is working really nicely for me so what ever way ends up working for you will be the best way. Look forward to seeing how you get along, I'll answer any questions I can as I'm going to be taking full advantage of this 30 day trial. Looks like I'm full fledged going down this rabbit hole. Time to install Substance on the ole laptop. Happy painting!
Click to expand...

Ha Ha! Yes and thanks. I am about to just go ahead and make a color map in Blender and import it with my model into Substance Painter and try to see what I can do with this first building. A day of trial and error is ahead for sure!
 
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