DocumentationSubstance 3DSubstance 3D Painter

Mask Editor

Last update: August 11, 2026
In: mask, generator
Description
The Mask Editor generator is a multi-purpose mask generator that lets you combine Textures, Ambietn Occlusion, Curvature, World Space Normal, Gradient, Thickness, and Micro Details into a single mask.
The Mask Builder generator is very flexible, but due to its complexity, it can impact performance more than most generators.

The Mask Editor generator outputs a monochrome (black-and-white) texture. As a result, it’s useful for generating masks based on the various baked maps.

Baked position, thickness, curvature, ambient occlusion, and world space normal maps are required as image inputs. Learn more about baking here.

Inputs

Input name
Description
Texture Color
Use a custom texture or an anchor point.
Texture (Secondary) Color
Use a custom texture or an anchor point.
World Space Normals Color
Use the baked World Space Normals map.
Position Gradient Color
Use the baked Position map.
Thickness Grayscale
Use the baked Thickness map.
Curvature Grayscale
Use the baked Curvature map.
Ambient Occlusion Grayscale
Use the baked Ambient Occlusion map.
Micro Normal Color
Use a custom normal texture or an anchor point.
Micro Height Color
Use a custom texture or an anchor point.

Parameters

Parameter name
Description
Global Invert
Invert the final result after all layers are combined.
Global Blur
Blur the final mask uniformly after all layers are combined.
Global Balance
Adjust the balance of the final mask after all layers are combined between black or white, like a brightness adjustment.
Global Contrast
Adjust the contrast of the final mask after all layers are combined.
Texture Opacity
Adjust the visibility of the custom texture.
Texture 2 Opacity
Adjust the visibility of the second custom texture.
Ambient Occlusion Opacity
Adjust the visibility of the ambient occlusion details.
Curvature Opacity
Adjust the visibility of the curvature details.
World Space Normal Opacity
Adjust the visibility of the world space normal details.
Position Gradient Opacity
Adjust the visibility of the position details.
Thickness Opacity
Adjust the visibility of the thickness details.

Texture

Parameter name
Description
Invert
Inverts the custom texture.
Grayscale Conversion
Set the method used to convert from full color into grayscale. The Grayscale Conversion generator has more information about how each method works.
Blending Mode
Select which blending mode to use for the current layer.
Scale
Adjust the size of the custom texture.
Contrast
Adjust the contrast/falloff of the custom texture.
Brightness
Adjust the luminosity of the custom texture.
Triplanar

When Use Triplanar is enabled, the texture is projected from three directions (X, Y, Z axes) instead of relying only on UVs.

  • Without triplanar enabled, the texture follows the UV layout.
  • With triplanar enabled, the texture is projected from multiple angles and blended.
Triplanar Contrast
Adjust how smoothly a texture blends when it is projected using triplanar mapping. This adjusts the softness of the blending between the projections from each direction.
Non-Square Tiling
Toggle Non-Square tiling on or off.

Texture 2

Parameter name
Description
Invert
Invert the custom secondary texture.
Grayscale Conversion
Set the method used to convert from full color into grayscale. The Grayscale Conversion generator has more information about how each method works.
Blending Mode
Select which blending mode to use for the current layer.
Scale
Adjust the size of the custom texture.
Contrast
Adjust the contrast/falloff of the custom texture.
Brightness
Adjust the luminosity of the custom texture.
Triplanar

When Use Triplanar is enabled, the texture is projected from three directions (X, Y, Z axes) instead of relying only on UVs.

  • Without triplanar enabled, the texture follows the UV layout.
  • With triplanar enabled, the texture is projected from multiple angles and blended.
Triplanar Contrast
Adjust how smoothly a texture blends when it is projected using triplanar mapping. This adjusts the softness of the blending between the projections from each direction.
Non-Square Tiling
Toggle Non-Square tiling on or off.

Ambient Occlusion

Parameter name
Description
Invert
Invert the Ambient Occlusion and Micro Details layers.
Blending Mode
Select which blending mode to use for the current layer.
Blur
Adjust Ambient Occlusion and micro detail softness.
Balance
Adjust the balance of the Ambient Occlusion and micro details, shifting the midpoint toward black or white like a brightness control.
Contrast
Adjust the contrast/falloff of the Ambient Occlusion and micro details.

Curvature

Parameter name
Description
Invert
Invert the Curvature.
Blending Mode
Select which blending mode to use for the current layer.
Mode

Set the Curvature mode.

  • Edges: Masks the edges (convex areas)
  • Cavities: Masks the cavities (concave areas)
  • Dual: Masks concave and convex areas.
  • Unprocessed: Normal Curvature mask.
Sharp
Adjust the visibility of the sharp curvature details.
Fine
Adjust the visibility of the fine curvature details.
Soft
Adjust the visibility of the soft curvature details.
Medium
Adjust the visibility of the medium curvature details.
Large
Adjust the visibility of the large curvature details.
Big
Adjust the visibility of the big curvature details.
Huge
Adjust the visibility of the huge curvature details.
Contrast
Adjust the contrast/falloff of the Curvature.
Brightness
Adjust the luminosity of the Curvature.

World Space Normal

Parameter name
Description
Invert
Invert the world space normals.
Blending Mode
Select which blending mode to use for the current layer.
Blur
Adjust the world space normal softness.
Balance
Adjust the balance of the world space normals, shifting midpoint toward black or white like a brightness control.
Contrast
Adjust the contrast/falloff of the world space normals.
Brightness
Adjust the luminosity of the world space normals.
Right to Left
Adjust how the effect is applied from left to right across the Mesh.
Top To Bottom
Adjust how the effect is applied from top to bottom across the Mesh.
Front to Back
Adjust how the effect is applied from front to back across the Mesh.

World Space Normal/Right to Left

Parameter name
Description
Invert
Invert the Right to Left direction.
Blending Mode
Select which blending mode to use for the current layer.

World Space Normal/Top To Bottom

Parameter name
Description
Invert
Invert the Top To Bottom direction.
Blending Mode
Select which blending mode to use for the current layer.

World Space Normal/Front to Back

Parameter name
Description
Invert
Invert the Front to Back direction.
Blending Mode
Select which blending mode to use for the current layer.

Position Gradient

Parameter name
Description
Invert
Invert the position gradient layer.
Balance
Adjust the balance of the position gradient layer, shifting midpoint toward black or white like a brightness control.
Contrast
Adjust the contrast/falloff of the position gradient layer.
Brightness
Adjust the luminosity of the position gradient layer.
Blending mode
Select which blending mode to use for the current layer.
Right to Left
Adjust how the effect is applied from left to right across the Mesh.
Top To Bottom
Adjust how the effect is applied from top to bottom across the Mesh.
Front to Back
Adjust how the effect is applied from front to back across the Mesh.
TIP
The Position gradient is made up of up to three gradients, right-to-left, top-to-bottom, and front-to-back. Each of the sub gradients has their own blending mode that can be used to create different effects or mask out different areas of the model. The blending modes for these gradients only interact with each other to create a final Position gradient layer, they do not interact directly with other layers in the generator outside the position gradient.

Position Gradient - Right to Left

Parameter name
Description
Invert
Invert the Right to Left gradient direction.
Blending Mode
Select which blending mode to use for right to left gradient.

Position Gradient - Top To Bottom

Parameter name
Description
Invert
Invert the Top To Bottom gradient direction.
Blending Mode
Select which blending mode to use for the top to bottom gradient.

Position Gradient - Front to Back

Parameter name
Description
Invert
Invert the Front to Back gradient direction.
Blending Mode
Select which blending mode to use for the front to back gradient.

Thickness

Parameter name
Description
Invert
Invert the thickness.
Blur
Adjust the softness of details in the thickness layer.
Contrast
Adjust the contrast/falloff of the thickness layer.
Brightness
Adjust the luminosity of the thickness layer.

Micro Details

Parameter name
Description
Micro Height
Toggle usage of a custom Micro Height map on or off.
Micro Normal
Toggle usage of a custom Micro Normal map on or off.
Curvature Type

Set the Curvature type.

  • Standard: Produces a usually quite sharp result, but can lack wider details.
  • Sobel: Produces similar results compared to standard, but slightly blurrier because it evaluates the normal map using a Sobel filter.
  • Smooth: Produces different levels of blur (like mipmaps) to accumulate information. This usually provides smoother curves, but details can get lost.
Curvature Intensity
Adjust the intensity of the Curvature in Standard and Sobel Curvature mode.
Height Details Intensity
Adjust the intensity of the Micro Height details.
AO Radius
Adjust the radius (range) of the Ambient Occlusion in micro details.
AO Depth
Adjust the depth (intensity) of the Ambient Occlusion in micro details.
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