Sneak peek: Substance 3D Sampler’s 3D scanning tools
Adobe’s September 2022 livestream announcing upcoming features in its Substance 3D software. The section on Substance 3D Sampler and its new photogrammetry toolset starts at 00:23:30 in the video.
Adobe has previewed the new photogrammetry toolset in development for Substance 3D Sampler, its material authoring software, previously known as Substance Alchemist.
The “best-in-class” toolset, due in open beta soon, will automatically convert photos of real-world objects imported into Sampler into textured 3D models with “no fiddling with sliders or tweaking values”.
An (almost) one-click workflow to turn photos into 3D scans of real-world objects
Substance 3D Sampler can already convert photos to 3D materials or to HDRI-based lighting set-ups so, according to Adobe, converting them to 3D models was the next logical step.
The firm describes Sampler’s new photogrammetry toolset as providing “fast, best-in-class reconstruction” and, crucially, a highly automated, artist-friendly workflow.
Users will be able to import a series of photos of a real-world object and have the software automatically generate masks isolating the object from the background of the images.
Sampler will then generate a preview of the 3D scan showing all of the reconstructed camera positions, with users able to export the scan as a point cloud, high-poly model, or decimated low-poly geometry.
According to Adobe, there will be “no fiddling with sliders or tweaking values: you bring your photos into Sampler, click a button, and that’s it”.
Release date, pricing and system requirements
Substance 3D Sampler’s new photogrammetry toolset is currently in private beta. It will enter open beta “soon”, although Adobe hasn’t given an exact date.
The current stable release, Substance 3D Sampler 3.4, is available for Windows 10, CentOS 7.0+/Ubuntu 18.04+ Linux and macOS 10.14+.
New perpetual licences, available via Steam, cost $149.99.
The Windows and macOS editions are also available via Adobe’s Substance 3D Texturing subscriptions, for $19.99/month or $219.88/year; or Substance 3D Collection subscriptions, for $49.99/month or $549.88/year.
The Linux edition is available via Creative Cloud for Teams, priced at $1,199.88/year.