The 3D pipeline

The 3D pipeline

Each step in a pipeline defines a task, and which software you'll use to complete that task.

The 3D pipeline we're using is simple:

1. Model: Create a 3D object in Substance 3D Modeler.
2. Texture: Add color and materials to the object with Substance 3D Painter.
3. Import: Bring your object into a final application like UEFN.

Most pipelines include these three steps when working from scratch, but pipelines can vary in complexity depending on what you want to create. If you're creating a character, you may want to add steps for rigging and animation. If you're 3D printing, you can remove the texturing step as it wouldn't affect the printed model. The pipeline all depends on what you want to create.

Sometimes the software that you use affects your pipeline. For example, Substance 3D Modeler and Painter both have automatic UV tools, so we don't need to include a step to manually create UVs.

If you don't know what UVs are, don't worry, you're in the right place. We'll cover UVs and a host of other topics by focussing in on the Model and Texture steps of the pipeline.

Create a model

The modeling step is focused on creating 3D geometry. There are a few main parts to creating a model:

1. Concept: develop an idea of what you want to make. 
2. Block out: Use basic shapes like spheres and cubes to create a simple version of your model.
3. Refine: Add and remove from the model to refine the shape and add details.
4. Review: Spend time looking at the model from different angles to determine if more refinement is needed. 
5. Export: Once no more refinement is needed, export the model to start texturing.

Concept

It's a good idea to think about what you want to create before you start sculpting. Sometimes, you may even want to look for reference pictures or draw some concepts first. For example, if you'd like to create a huge towering robot, images of heavy machinery or mechanisms in the real world can help you to add detail that feels natural and believable even on something that doesn't exist in real life.

Block out

Once you know what you'd like to make, start by using basic shapes like cubes and spheres to create a general approximation.

Refine and review

Add detail and make changes as needed to bring the model more in line with what you want. Try to avoid adding lots of detail in a small area, rather work across the whole model at the same time. This helps the model to feel cohesive and more believable as a result.

While you're sculpting take the time to look at the model from different angles and review your work. This will help you to spot issues sooner and fix them more easily. It's also a good opportunity to feel good about how much you've already done.

Continue adding detail until you feel like you're ready to take your model to the next step.

Export

Once you feel like your model is in a good place, it's time to export it so you can start the texturing process. Modeler includes a preset to help you export to Painter. In the Export window, use the preset dropdown to select Painter, then click Apply Preset.

Add textures to your model

The texturing step lets you add materials and colors to your model. First, it's important to understand what textures and materials are and how they're applied to the model you've created.

What is a texture?

A texture is an image that represents some property of the surface of an object. Textures are sometimes also called maps.

There are dozens of properties that can be represented by textures, but the four most common properties are:

• Base color: Stores the color of the surface.
• Roughness: Determines how shiny or rough a surface is. Smooth surfaces have clearer reflections. 
• Metallic: Determines whether the surface is metallic or not. Metallic surfaces reflect light differently to non-metallic ones.
• Normal: Determines what the angle of the surface is. Normal textures allow us to create the illusion of extra 3D detail, even on a completely flat surface.

What is a Material?

A material is a collection of textures that work together to represent many properties of a surface. By combining the textures above, we're able to create a material. The image below shows this material applied to a rounded cylinder. 

How do 2D textures and materials work with 3D content?

The computer needs a way to understand how to apply the material to the surface of the 3D model. This is what UVs are for.

UVs, often referred to as a UV map, is a way for the computer to map the 2D data to the surface of a 3D object. In other words, UV data tells the computer how to wrap the 2D textures onto the 3D model. A common real world analogy is wrapping paper.

Fortunately, with Substance 3D Modeler and Painter, you don't have to worry about manually creating UVs. Instead both tools have options to automatically generate the UVs for you.

Start texturing

With that knowledge, you're ready to start texturing. Open Substance Painter, and create a new project with your exported model.

We recommend following a tutorial to learn your way around Painter so you can get started on your own creations. If you're comfortable with Photoshop, you should find the layer system very familiar. You can learn more about Painter in the documentation.

Export your model and textures for UEFN

You already exported your model to be able to texture it in Painter, so the last step is to export your textures so you can start bringing them into UEFN and apply them to your model.

To export from Painter:

1. Use File > Export Textures to start the export process.
2. In the Painter export window, set the Output template to Unreal Engine 4 (Packed).
   
3. Change other export settings as needed and click Export.

Your textures are now exported and ready for you to use in UEFN.