User Guide Cancel

Export mode | Substance 3D Modeler

Search
Substance 3D Modeler

Substance 3D Modeler

Open app
  1. Substance 3D home
  2. Home
  3. Getting started
    1. Install Substance 3D Modeler
    2. System requirements
    3. Public Beta
    4. Supported VR headsets
    5. Desktop and virtual reality
    6. Quick start guides
      1. Desktop quick start guide
      2. VR quick start guide
    7. Controls
      1. Desktop shortcuts and controls
      2. VR shortcuts and controls
    8. Reference images
    9. Join the Community
    10. Glossary
    11. FAQs
  4. Interface
    1. Interface overview
    2. Viewport
    3. The Palette
    4. Actions menu
    5. The Top bar
      1. Top bar overview
      2. Color picker
      3. Materials panel
      4. Assets panel
      5. Environment panel
      6. Viewport panel
      7. Outliner
      8. Node properties panel
    6. The Bottom bar
    7. Preferences
  5. Create with Clay
    1. Tools
      1. Tools and Subtools
      2. Select tool
      3. Clay tool
      4. Erase tool
      5. Split tool
      6. Crop tool
      7. Warp tool
      8. Elastic tool
      9. Smooth tool
      10. Raise tool
      11. Buildup tool
      12. Inflate tool
      13. Crease tool
      14. Flatten tool
      15. Paint tool
    2. Brushes
    3. Brush shapes
    4. Placement modes
    5. Angle and grid snap
  6. Create with Primitives
    1. Get started with primitives
    2. Primitive parameters
      1. Parameter overview
      2. Shape parameters
      3. Combine parameters
    3. Organize primitives
      1. Primitive containers
      2. Manage primitive order
      3. Primitive groups
      4. Repetition
  7. Organize your scene
    1. Scope and scene structure
    2. Layers
    3. Groups
    4. Advanced scene assembly
      1. Instances
      2. Symmetry and repetition
      3. Booleans
    5. Import meshes
  8. Render mode
    1. Render mode overview
    2. Work with cameras
  9. Export Mode
    1. Export your creations
    2. Export presets
  10. Technical support
    1. Technical requirements
    2. How does Modeler work?
    3. Performance
    4. Troubleshooting
    5. Supported file formats
  11. Release notes
    1. V1.18 (Current Release) 
    2. V1.17
    3. V1.15
    4. V1.14
    5. Public Beta V1.18.50 (Current Release)
    6. Public Beta Archive
      1. Public Beta V1.17.50
      2. Public Beta V1.16.50
      3. Public Beta V1.15.50
      4. Public Beta V1.14.50
      5. Public Beta V1.12.50
      6. Public Beta V1.11.50
      7. Public Beta V1.10.50
      8. Public Beta V1.9.50
      9. Public Beta V1.8.50
    7. V1 Archive
      1. V1.13
      2. V1.12
      3. V1.11
      4. V1.10
      5. V1.9
      6. V1.8
      7. V1.7
      8. V1.6    
      9. V1.5
      10. V1.4
      11. V1.3
      12. V1.2
      13. V1.1 
      14. V1.0 
    8. V0 Archive
      1. 2022/08/02 V0.17.0
      2. 2022/06/22 V0.14.1
      3. 2022/05/13 V0.10.2

Export your creations

This page explains how to export your creations for use in other applications, such as Adobe Substance 3D Painter or Stager for texturing and rendering.

Note:

It is not currently possible to export a scene while in VR mode. To export, you will need to switch to desktop from VR.

You can enter Export mode with the Export button in the top bar, or with shortcut ctrl + shift + e.

Export settings

An image of Modeler in Export mode.

Export presets make it possible to quickly update export settings for a given application. The settings for each preset are specified here. You can select a preset from the dropdown without affecting your current export settings. Export presets only update export settings on clicking Apply preset.

Note:

It is possible to cancel an in progress export with the ESC key.

Note:

While many export settings are shared between formats, some options may be exclusive to the format you're exporting to.

Output
Format
  • FBX - can store various types of commonly used 3D objects like meshes, lights, and cameras.
  • GLTF/GLB - An open standard that can store 3D data like meshes, lights, cameras, and materials. Additionally, can reference external files.
  • OBJ - Stores simple geometry data and is very widely supported.
  • STL - Commonly used in 3D printing and CAD, STL only stores geometry data, and does not support color or textures.
  • USD - Stores most data types, including meshes, lights, cameras, materials, and more. This makes USD a useful format to use across a pipeline.
    • USDA/USDZ/USDC - Variations of the USD format that change how data is stored within the file.
  • VDB - Stores volumetric information, VDB is often used in generating simulations.
Unit scale Set the physical size of the exported object. This can be helpful if your scene appears too large or small when imported to other software.
Up axis Set which axis is up for the scene. This should be set depending on which piece of software is next in your pipeline.
Use local space This option appears when one or more objects are selected. When toggled on, objects will be positioned so that the origin of the exported file is at the center of the bounding box of all selected objects.
Topology
Polygon type
  • Raw triangles: Export the mesh exactly as it appears in Modeler
  • Triangles: Automatically retopologize to a target triangle count.
  • Quads: Automatically retopologize to a target quad count.
  • UV-mapped triangles: Automatically retopologize to a target triangle count and automatically generate UV maps.
Adaptive topology Change how the exporter distributes polygons. A high adaptive factor means the exporter will increase polygon density in areas with lots of detail. A low adaptive factor will attempt to maintain a consistent polygon density across the exported mesh.
Global adaptivity When toggled on, global adaptivity adjusts polygon density based on global detail levels instead of on a per-layer basis.
Target polygon count
 Set the number of polygons for automatic retopology to aim for. This value acts as an estimate for the export polygon count.
UV Mapping
Generate UVs Toggle whether UVs are automatically generated as part of the export process.
Generate UV tiles Only appears if Generate UVs is checked. Toggle whether generated UVs can make use of UDIMs, which allows UVs to spread across multiple tiles.
Max UV Tiles Only appears if Generate UV tiles is checked. Set the maximum number of UDIMs or tiles across which UVs can be spread. Requires Generate UDIMs to be toggled on.
Additional Options
Export hidden content

Includes layers that are currently invisible in the export.
Flatten hierarchy Remove all groups and hierarchy from the exported scene.
Vertex color Toggle if vertex color information is included in the export. If you don't apply color to sculpts in Modeler, we recommend leaving this unchecked.
Vertex color encoding Choose whether to use Linear or sRGB encoding for vertex colors.
Instancing

Change how Modeler treats existing duplicates and components in your scene.

  • Existing plus copies: Exports all components and unedited duplicates as instances. Refer to the note under this table for more information.
  • Preserve existing: Exports components or linked objects as instances.
  • None: Do not create instances in the exported file.
Positive transforms only Some applications have trouble understanding negative transforms. If meshes appear to be inside out or have other normal issues, try toggling this setting.
Log settings Save a text file that logs the selected export settings in addition to the exported file.
Note:

When you duplicate an object in Modeler, Modeler treats the duplicate and original as instances of each other until you edit either object. Only once one of the objects is edited will it become a completely unique and independent object. This helps to save memory and improve performance. At export time,  you can choose to have these objects continue to behave as instances in the exported file, even though they are not explicitly instances inside your Modeler scene.

Get help faster and easier

New user?

Quick links

View all your plans Manage your plans
View quick links
Hide quick links

Legal Notices    |    Online Privacy Policy