Adobe has stirred the pot once more with the release of Substance 3D Sampler 5.0, adding a generous dash of new features to its already robust 3D material authoring and capture software.
Path Tracing in the 3D Viewport
The headline feature in this update is the introduction of path tracing within the 3D viewport. This advanced rendering technique allows artists to preview materials with greater accuracy, faithfully replicating properties such as coating, sheen, translucency, and subsurface scattering. The result? What you see is much closer to what you’ll get in the final render, reducing the guesswork and iterative tweaking.
Integration with HP’s Z Captis Material Scanner
For those with Enterprise and Teams subscriptions, Substance 3D Sampler 5.0 now offers native support for HP’s Z Captis material scanner. This integration streamlines the process of capturing real-world materials, enabling users to initiate scans directly from within the software. The captured data is automatically processed into PBR (Physically Based Rendering) channels, ready for immediate use in your projects. It’s like having a magic wand that transforms physical textures into digital assets.
Adobe Standard Material Support and Workflow Enhancements
In a move to promote consistency across applications, the update includes support for the Adobe Standard Material shader when exporting USD (Universal Scene Description) files. This ensures that materials maintain their appearance across different platforms and tools, reducing the need for tedious adjustments.
Additionally, the 3D Viewport has been enhanced with options to display shadows and reflections on the ground plane, along with a grid to indicate the scene’s origin. These visual aids provide better context during the material creation process, making it easier to position and evaluate assets.
Quick Actions and Redesigned Homepage
To further enhance usability, Adobe has introduced ‘Quick Actions’—presets that automatically populate the layer stack for common workflows. This feature accelerates the material creation process, allowing artists to jump-start their projects with predefined settings.
Pricing and Availability
Substance 3D Sampler 5.0 is available via subscription. Individual plans are offered through the Substance 3D Texturing subscription, currently priced at $19.99 per month or $219.88 per year, and the Substance 3D Collection subscription at $49.99 per month or $549.88 per year. The Linux version is accessible through the Creative Cloud for Teams subscription, priced at $1,199.88 annually.
Adobe has announced that, effective March 25, 2025, subscription prices for Substance 3D products will increase. The Substance 3D Texturing plan, which includes Substance 3D Designer, Painter, and Sampler, will rise from $19.99 to $24.99 per month, or from $219.88 to $249.88 annually. The Substance 3D Collection plan, encompassing all applications, will increase from $49.99 to $59.99 monthly, or from $549.88 to $599.88 per year. For teams, the annual subscription will go up from $1,199.88 to $1,439.88. Adobe cites continuous feature updates and product innovation as reasons for these adjustments.
As with any new software release, it’s prudent to thoroughly test these features within your existing workflow before deploying them in live projects. After all, even the most appetizing dishes benefit from a taste test before being served.
