Blog

Considering of entering into 3D design? Among the finest methods to start out is with Adobe Substance 3D Viewer, a beginner-friendly instrument for enjoying with 3D fashions, textures, and supplies in actual time. No difficult setup wanted—it is only a easy, enjoyable strategy to see your designs come to life.

On this information, we’ll undergo all the things you’ll want to know to get began, from getting across the interface to loading current scenes. So whether or not you are a designer, an artist, or just curious, this can be a good spot to start out!

1. What’s Adobe Substance 3D Viewer?

Adobe Substance 3D Viewer is knowledgeable but beginner-friendly app that can assist you visualize and experiment on 3D fashions, textures, and supplies in actual time. I see it as a stage the place your digital creations come to life, letting you check them with completely different lighting and environments to see how they maintain up.

At the moment it is obtainable as a beta launch and a part of Adobe’s Substance 3D suite that may combine seamlessly with different apps like Adobe Photoshop (Beta).

This makes life simple for 3D artists and graphic designers. Now a 2D artist can decide a 3D mannequin, drag it into Photoshop, and straight edit it. From there, you may change the lighting, supplies, viewing angles, and extra! 

2. Key options of Adobe Substance 3D Viewer

• Actual-time 3D visualization: You’ll be able to see the modifications you make dwell as you tweak textures, alter lighting, or refine issues like materials properties.  No extra ready for ages as rendering processes. 
• Integration with Adobe Photoshop: Substance 3D Viewer has been constructed to work seamlessly with Adobe Photoshop (Beta). You’ll be able to merely drag and drop 3D fashions into Photoshop, they usually turn out to be editable Sensible Objects immediately, making cooperation between graphic designers and 3D artists simple.
• Atmosphere and lighting customization: Use HDRI (Excessive Dynamic Vary Imaging) environments to check the conduct of real looking lighting. Set gentle depth and instructions with shadows so the fashions look good in any setting, from outside scenes to studio setups.
• Materials and texture testing: Substance 3D Viewer permits you to apply and fine-tune the PBR (Bodily Primarily based Rendering) primarily based supplies on any mannequin. For real looking textures, you may simply alter properties equivalent to metallic and roughness to create issues like reflective matte surfaces.
• Extensive file format assist: You’ll be able to import a 3D mannequin utilizing in style and customary obtainable codecs equivalent to OBJ, FBX, or GLTF, which makes it extremely versatile.
• Intuitive interface: Simple navigation controls make panning, zooming, and rotating fashions simple, preserving your consideration in your designs somewhat than getting misplaced in difficult menus. 

3. The right way to obtain and set up Adobe Substance Viewer

Getting began with Adobe Substance 3D Viewer is fast and simple. Observe these easy steps to obtain, set up, and arrange the software program.

Step 1: Obtain and use Adobe Inventive Cloud

To entry Substance 3D Viewer, you’ll want an energetic Adobe Inventive Cloud account.

1. Go to the Adobe Inventive Cloud web site and obtain the Inventive Cloud desktop app if it isn’t already put in.
2. Open the Inventive Cloud desktop app and log in to your Inventive Cloud account.

Step 2: Set up the software program

1. Navigate to the Apps tab within the left-hand menu.
2. Click on on the Beta button on the prime, which can then present you all of the obtainable beta apps which can be obtainable to you in your account. From there, discover and set up each Photoshop (Beta) and Substance 3D Viewer (Beta).

4. The right way to open and discover the pattern 3D scene

Should you’ve by no means used Adobe Substance 3D Viewer, the Pattern 3D Scene is an effective way for budding 3D artists to get began! This can be a ready-made 3D mannequin full with textures and supplies, so you may play with all of the instrument’s options with out creating something. Here is how one can open and begin experimenting.

• Step 1: Launch Adobe Substance 3D viewer. 
• Step 2: Discover the Get began with a pattern 3D scene button on the prime of the display screen.
• Step 3: Navigate and discover the scene.

The pre-made 3D mannequin will robotically be loaded into the viewport. This mannequin has already utilized textures, supplies, and lighting and allows you to bounce instantly into the exploration.

Navigation controls

On the backside of the display screen, the navigation bar exhibits what every mouse button does primarily based in your gadget (three-button, two-button, or trackpad). For a three-button mouse, right here’s easy methods to navigate:

• Orbit (Proper mouse button): Click on and maintain the precise mouse button, after which drag to rotate round your 3D object. This lets you view your mannequin from any angle.
• Pan (Center mouse button): Maintain the center mouse button and drag to maneuver the view aspect to aspect or up and down.
• Dolly (Scrolling up and down with the mouse wheel): Use the scroll wheel in your mouse to zoom nearer to or additional away out of your mannequin.

Lighting controls

Lighting performs an important function in showcasing your 3D fashions, and Adobe Substance 3D Viewer provides easy-to-use instruments to regulate lighting and create real looking previews:

• Step 1: Choose the Atmosphere (E) button on the left to open the lighting choices.
• Step 2: Regulate the Brightness and Rotation of the sunshine utilizing the sliders.
• Step 3: Alternatively, you may select a Mild Preset. Every map supplies a singular lighting setup, equivalent to studio lighting settings or outside lights.

Edit supplies

The Look panel, which is positioned on the precise, supplies highly effective instruments to change the supplies of your 3D object, permitting you to customise its feel and appear. You’ll be able to fine-tune your textures or select from materials presets:

• Step 1: Click on on the a part of the 3D object the place you need to change the fabric. The chosen half might be highlighted within the 3D View, and its corresponding materials might be displayed within the Look panel.
• Step 2: From there, use sliders and enter fields to tweak key properties equivalent to base coloration, metallic, roughness, and translucency.
• Step 3: Alternatively, you may select a Materials Preset, which is a listing of ready-made supplies that simulate real-world supplies like metals, plastics, materials, and extra. 

5. The right way to obtain ready-made 3D belongings

Beginning your 3D tasks doesn’t imply you must create all the things from scratch. Prepared-made 3D belongings are a incredible strategy to save time and get impressed. Listed here are two nice sources to obtain high-quality 3D fashions.

Downloading from Envato

There’s a treasure trove of belongings to find at Envato. It has all the things you want, together with 3D fashions, textures, and templates. Here is easy methods to search and obtain from Envato:

Step 1

Go to Envato and use the search bar on the prime of the homepage to pick out 3D from the dropdown menu. You’ll be able to really search by particular belongings equivalent to “3D characters,” “furnishings,” or “props”. For this tutorial, we’ll search for “robotic” and see what comes up.

Step 2

As soon as you’ve got discovered your 3D mannequin, all you’ll want to do is click on on the Obtain button. Make sure to look by the file extensions and make it possible for they work with Substance 3D Viewer (test for OBJ, FBX, or GLTF).

Downloading from Substance 3D Belongings

The Substance 3D Belongings library is tailor-made for customers of the Substance 3D suite and could be accessed straight out of your Adobe Inventive Cloud app.

Step 1

Go to Substance 3D Belongings and log in together with your Adobe Inventive Cloud account. This library is included as a part of a Substance 3D subscription.

Step 2

Discover the library by class, equivalent to 3D fashions, supplies, or HDRI environments. You can too use the search bar to seek out particular objects, equivalent to “wooden textures” or “footwear”.

Step 3

Click on on an asset to view its particulars and ensure it matches your venture wants. When you’re prepared, click on Obtain, and the file might be saved to your pc.

6. The right way to work together with your 3D belongings between Photoshop and Substance Viewer

Probably the most thrilling options of Adobe Substance 3D Viewer is its seamless integration with Photoshop (Beta), permitting you to mix 2D and 3D workflows effortlessly. Right here’s how one can transfer your 3D belongings between these two instruments to reinforce your artistic course of:

Step 1: Obtain a 3D mannequin

First we’ll want a 3D mannequin to work with. For this tutorial, we’ll be utilizing this robotic from Envato:

Step 2: Import your 3D mannequin into Photoshop

Open up your venture in Adobe Photoshop (Beta) and drag and drop the 3D file into Photoshop. The 3D mannequin will robotically seem in your canvas as an editable Sensible Object.

Step 3: Ship your 3D mannequin to Substance 3D Viewer

To fine-tune the main points of your 3D mannequin, you may simply open it in Substance 3D Viewer (Beta) straight from Photoshop. Right here’s how:

• Possibility 1: Double-click the Sensible Object thumbnail within the Layers panel.
• Possibility 2: Choose the layer and click on Edit Contents within the Properties panel.

Step 4: Edit your 3D mannequin 

Substance 3D viewer will now open, and your 3D mannequin will seem immediately. From there, you may edit the lighting, look, and viewing angle of your robotic to your liking.

Step 5: Ship your 3D mannequin again to Photoshop

When you’re pleased with the edits, it’s time to ship the up to date 3D mannequin again to Photoshop! Click on the To Photoshop button in Substance 3D Viewer.

Step 6: Proceed enhancing in Photoshop

From there, you may proceed to edit your Photoshop file as regular. By combining the strengths of Photoshop and Substance 3D Viewer like this, you may create beautiful designs that merge 2D and 3D components seamlessly.

7. Conclusion

I simply love how Adobe Substance 3D Viewer makes working with 3D really feel really easy and enjoyable! It is the right instrument for inexperienced persons or these trying to begin designing in 3D. You’ll be able to experiment with supplies, gentle, and 3D fashions with out being overwhelmed, and the straightforward integration with Photoshop (Beta) works wonders in terms of including remaining tweaks and creating issues rapidly.

This connection between 3D and 2D feels nice and actually helps velocity up workflows. So whether or not you’re a designer, artist, or simply beginning your 3D journey, Adobe Substance 3D Viewer is the right app so as to add to your toolbox. And it is a enjoyable approach for anybody to leap in and discover the world of 3D. So go forward and experiment! Create new tasks and have enjoyable taking your designs to the following dimension.