Adobe previews Substance 3D Designer 16.0
Adobe has previewed some of the new features coming up in Substance 3D Designer, its material-authoring software for game development, visual effects and visualization work.
The next update – which will be Substance 3D Designer 16.0 if Adobe sticks to its current version numbering – will revamp the Shape Splatter node, and extend OpenPBR support.
The new features were announced at this week’s GDC 2026 conference.
New SDF-based workflow for the Shape Splatter node
The next version of Substance 3D Designer will revamp the Shape Splatter node, used for tasks like scattering ground debris over terrain.
The existing version is driven by a heightmap and works with 2D shapes, but version 2 will enable artists to scatter 3D shapes defined as Signed Distance Field (SDF) functions.
The 3D shapes are ray traced and scattered individually in real time, providing per-instance control over properties like orientation and size.
To support the new SDF-based workflow, the update will also introduce new nodes for creating, combining and manipulating custom 3D SDF shapes.
Shape Splatter 2 will also support atlas inputs, making it possible to scatter an unrestricted range of shapes from a single Atlas.
Updates to OpenPBR support, and new ribbon graph samples
Other upcoming changes in Substance 3D Designer include a new OpenPBR material model, and an improved displacement UI
The update will also make it easier for technical artists to create custom tools for Substance 3D Painter, Adobe’s 3D texture painting software, with new ribbon graph samples that can be used as a basis for tools based on Painter’s new Ribbon path system.
Price, system requirements and release date
Substance 3D Designer is compatible with Windows 11, RHEL 8.6/9.2+ Linux and macOS 12.0+.
It is available as a $199.99 perpetual license on Steam, or via Adobe’s 3D and AR subscriptions.
Substance 3D Texturing subscriptions cost $24.99/month or $249.99/year; Substance 3D Collection subscriptions cost $59.99/month or $599.99/year.
The next version will be available “soon”, but Adobe hasn’t given an exact release date.
Read more about the upcoming features in Substance 3D Designer in Adobe’s blog post
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