Faster Bakers, Automatic 2D to 3D Conversion, Better Transformation Tools and More Make Up the Second Update of 2018
The new API, based on Python (version 3.6.5) is the first step toward granting users the ability to control every aspect of Substance Designer through scripting. Today, users can access, save and export runtime data from the graph, introducing the ability for individual users or fully staffed studios to build their own customized quality checks. Users can also create their own plugins using the scripting tool, or modify existing plugins to meet individual needs.
Future updates will expand the API to include direct customization to a Substance Designer graph, as well as the introduction of full automation.
The Summer Release also features a redesigned UI containing the ability to organize and align nodes vertically, horizontally or snap them to the grid. Additional nodes allow for the conversion of 2D shapes to 3D using the Shape Extrude ability, while the Shape Splatter node creates new opportunities for spreading a pattern throughout a map.
Additional new features include:
“Today, we begin to turn our users’ ideas for a more open Substance Designer into a reality,” said Sebastien Deguy, President and founder at Allegorithmic. “As the API evolves, they’ll be able to tailor Substance Designer to their unique needs, expanding the possibilities of what they create and how they do it.”
Along with the new features, the Summer Release includes improvements to a handful of existing features, starting with enhancements to the Material Transform node used to process the normal map more accurately. The release also introduces an experimental in-context edition of the subgraph, where image and parameter inputs set on node instances are automatically injected into the subgraph when the user opens the reference. The update introduces faster auto-levels, as well as a significant improvement to bakers, which are up to five-times faster than before.
To celebrate the Summer Release, Allegorithmic’s Integrations Product Manager, Wes McDermott, will host a livestream discussing the history of Substance Designer and the people behind it. The stream will be hosted on Allegorithmic’s YouTube page at 11 a.m. PST on July 26.
The new update to Substance Designer is available today at no cost to current subscribers. Following the trial period, individual users will be able to subscribe to the Indie or Pro plans. Subscriptions to Substance Indie cost $19.90/month; Pro plans cost $99.90/month. Substance Designer is also available for individual-license purchase, which includes 12 months of maintenance. Enterprise and education pricing is available upon request. Students and teachers can request a license at no cost.
Allegorithmic is the industry leader in 3D texture and material creation technologies. More than 150,000 users in the domains of games and entertainment, film and VFX, architecture, and design rely on Allegorithmic’s award-winning Substance texture and material authoring software for developing the next generation of digital content. Clients include: Naughty Dog, Activision, Sony Computer Entertainment, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Double Negative, MPC, Foster + Partners, Gensler, Louis Vuitton, Mercedes-Benz and IKEA. Founded in 2003, Allegorithmic is based in France with offices in Clermont-Ferrand, Lyon and Paris, and has global offices in Los Angeles, Cleveland, Montreal, Singapore and Seoul.