Released last year, Substance 3D Modeler allows users to create models of organic and solid surfaces in virtual reality or desktop mode using a mouse and keyboard. Similar to its predecessor, Medium, which Adobe acquired in 2019, it uses Signed Distance Fields to represent 3D space instead of viewing 3D geometry as a polygonal mesh. As a result, the workflow combines elements of digital sculpting and boolean modeling: users can sculpt shapes from virtual clay and then merge or cut them using boolean operations.

Substance 3D Modeler 1.5 updates the surface creation toolkit by introducing a new tool called Flatten and enhancing the existing Buildup and Smooth tools. The Flatten tool, as the name suggests, generates a flat surface on virtual clay and is designed for both solid surface modeling and organic modeling. The Smoothing tool now supports movement or velocity-based smoothing for more precise control.

The "Buildup" tool, used for adding or carving clay from the surface, now supports custom alphas and the ability to set the size and rotation of the brush in single-stamp mode. A demonstration of the new workflow in action is depicted in the above gif.
The update also enables a more accurate preview of how the model will appear in other applications, initially supporting Image-Based Lighting (IBL) and Physically Based Rendering (PBR) materials. Users can specify environment images to create highlights and reflections on the model's surface, as shown above, although the current version does not allow for importing custom HDRs.

The current PBR material system is described as "basic" at this stage, allowing users to specify roughness and metallic values for the material layer, and also export material IDs to Substance 3D Painter.

The update also lays the groundwork for export preset systems: users can choose from ready-made presets for common tasks such as 3D printing and real-time rendering. The ability to create and exchange custom presets is planned for a future release.

Among other changes is the ability to open files while working in VR mode, as well as a new Fill button in the Color Picker to fill the current material layer with a solid color.

Substance 3D Modeler 1.5 is compatible with Windows 10 and higher and VR headsets. It's available through the Substance 3D Collection subscription, priced at $49.99 per month or $549.88 per year. Perpetual licenses are available through Steam and cost $149.99.