Import an SBSAR file into your project.
Last updated on
Apr 15, 2026
Learn how to apply Substance 3D Materials (.sbsar files) to 3D models and parametric meshes to explore a wide range of visual styles and achieve stylized looks.
Substance Materials (.sbsar files) are dynamic, customizable materials that can give 3D models and parametric meshes a wide range of visual styles, from photorealistic textures to highly stylized looks.
These materials offer flexibility, allowing you to easily adjust the properties of 3D models and parametric meshes, such as color, texture, and pattern, to suit your creative needs. With exposed material controls, you can experiment and fine-tune the appearance of your assets without having to rebuild them from scratch.
Think of SBSARs as the 3D equivalent of MOGRTs (Motion Graphics Templates) in After Effects. Just as MOGRTs let you customize motion graphics using the exposed controls, SBSARs enable parametric controls that you can apply to 3D materials and customize within After Effects.
Before you begin:
- Browse and download available SBSAR files from the Adobe Substance 3D Community Assets page.
- If you're already working in After Effects, browse and download free SBSARs by selecting your 3D model in the Composition panel, then go to the Properties panel > Material > Panel menu > Get Substance Community Assets. You can also access the command from the Layer > Material menu.
Once you import a Substance Material into your project, it's ready to use. They do not have to be added to the Timeline panel.
Select a 3D model or parametric mesh layer from the Timeline or Composition panel.
Use the following Material Assignment controls for the selected 3D object to specify how a texture or material is applied to the surface:
- Projection Mode: Determines how the texture is mapped onto the object.
- Stretch: Stretches the texture to fit the entire surface.
- Proportional: Scales the texture uniformly, preserving its original aspect ratio.
- Texture Offset: Moves the texture across the surface of the 3D model or mesh.
- Rotation: Rotates the texture around the surface of the 3D model or mesh.
- Scale: Determines how many times the texture is tiled across the surface.
Customize the material properties in the Properties panel.
If you have applied a SBSAR that has presets, you will find them in the Presets dropdown menu under Materials in the Properties panel.
Any changes you make here are global changes and will affect every instance of that material in your project.
Use the following options in the Displacement Options section to refine the material applied to the parametric mesh:
- Intensity: Adjust Intensity to change how much the material’s height is pushed in or out of the shape to create added detail. This property can be animated.
- Subdivision Count: Raise the value to increase displacement detail, which changes how many times the model’s geometry is subdivided before it is displaced. Higher values can use more memory, so keep this value as low as you need for acceptable visual results.
Important things to consider
- Because displacement affects a parametric mesh’s geometry, displaced materials respond to scene lights and shadows like any 3D model.
- Displacement can also be used to create effects. Precompose your 3D scene, then apply a 3D Channel effect such as Fog 3D or Depth of Field to directly access the scene’s depth data.
- Substance 3D materials that include emissive textures produce visible glow effects. The material appears illuminated but does not cast light onto other objects in the scene.
An example showing how displacement alters a parametric mesh’s geometry and its response to lights and shadows, while emissive textures create visible glow effects.
You can use the exposed controls to customize any material or preset applied to the 3D model or parametric mesh. If you'd like to experiment, use the Random Seed icon to introduce variation by changing the Random Seed parameter, helping you explore diverse visual outcomes.
Any changes made under the Material section of the applied SBSAR, such as Color, Roughness, and Metallic, are global and will affect every instance of that material in your project.
If you'd like to customize just one instance, select Duplicate and Assign Material from the Material section menu, then make your changes. This command duplicates the material in the Project panel, then reassigns it to the selected 3D object.
Note
When you assign a SBSAR with patterns to animated shapes, by default, the textures will maintain proportions. However, if you animate the parametric meshes, that may cause the texture to slide around the shape. Switch the Projection Mode from Proportional to Stretch to make it stick to a mesh even as it changes size. In Stretch mode, you may need to adjust the Repeat to match the texture’s proportions.
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