DocumentationSubstance 3D

Custom Filters

Last update: Wed Mar 04 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Substance Custom Filters

You can import filters made with Adobe Substance 3D Designer via the Import button in the Layer Stack actions.

Create a Substance Filter

Filters must be built in a specific way in Designer to work correctly once imported in Sampler.

The input and output nodes of the filter must have the identifier or usage defined.

NOTE
It is possible to use either the usage or the identifier (the usage has the priority).

Format

Export your filter as a Substance Archive file (.sbsar)

NOTE
You can expose filter parameters to control the filter directly in Sampler. See how-to here

Create a filter to modify images

Images name
Usage
Scan1
scan1
Scan2
scan2
…
…

Create a filter to modify channels

Channel name
Usage
Base Color
basecolor
Diffuse
diffuse
Specular
specular
Specular Level
specularlevel
Metallic
metallic
Roughness
roughness
Glossiness
glossiness
Normal
normal
Height
height
Ambient Occlusion
ambientOcclusion
Opacity
opacity
WARNING
When creating a custom filter for Sampler, you need to add the following userdata in your Substance graph:
alchemist::type=filter;
WARNING
If in your package, you have one graph to process images (scan1 to scanX) and one graph to process material (PBR channels), Sampler is able to choose the correct graph depending where the filter is inserted in the layer stack.
On your “image” graph, add the following userdata:
alchemist::type=filter;alchemist::type=multi
On your “material” graph, add the following userdata:
alchemist::type=filter;alchemist::type=material

Specific parameters

Specific parameters are globally managed by the application. It’s a way to use global parameters of the application, the project, the layer stack in your custom filters.

Normal format

Control of the normal format over the application. Set to DirectX in Sampler

parameter identifier: normalformat, normal_format, $normalformat, $normal_format

Input Count

When you want to modify images (scan1 to scanX), you can use the number of images in the layer stack by using the Image Count parameter.

parameter identifier: input_count

parameter type: integer1

Material Input

If you want to display a material slot in the layer stack like the atlas scatter or the splatter:

  • Add a new set of Input nodes (Base Color, Normal, … )

  • All Input nodes of the background (bottom material in the layer stack) should be in the Group Material1

  • All Input nodes of the first material you want to add on top should be in the Group Material2and etcetera if you want several material slots.

  • Add a material input parameter:

    • parameter identifier: material_input
    • parameter type: integer1

Workflow Type

If you want to display/hide some parameters based on the workflow of your project (PBR Metalic/Roughness or PBR Specular/Glossiness), you can the Workflow Type parameter

parameter identifier: workflow_type

parameter_type: integer1, dropdown list

options:

  • 0: PBR Metallic/Roughness
  • 1: PBR Specular/Glossiness

{width="300px"}

recommendation-more-help
cfc4e62b-a372-4470-ab96-9509c6c56b57