Substance Designer Reviews

“Ideal software

Pros

Substance Designer allows me to create an endless range of procedural materials and combinations for my 3D projects. As it is specifically designed for game artists offering the flexibility to create unique materials customized to our needs.

Cons

For beginners the complexity of the nodes can be challenging since this software relies on a node based workflow. Also it can feel quite laggy at times which I believe depends on the system configuration.

“Very user-friendly

Pros

It is very user friendly and I find it simple to create textures with it.

Cons

The complexity of the nodes at the start is a bit of a hurdle but after I spend some time using the app, it becomes easier to understand.

“Has a lot of different options

Pros

The ready made alpha library is really helpful for starting with a solid base and the thing I like the most is that the dynamic nodes offer a wide range of material options.

Cons

Only issue I have come across is the unclear connection problem without a helpful tip message but apart from that it works the best.

“Better than many

Pros

What I like most about Substance Designer is how easily you can create stunning textures with less hassle compared to other software. It gives us all the texture maps we need or the complete material for Substance Painter right away.

Cons

The only thing that might be a bit off putting at first is the complexity of the nodes but after spending some time with the app, I realized this is not a major drawback. Plus the incredible possibilities this app offers far outweigh the downsides. After just a few days of use you will be amazed and you will find yourself smiling at the results.

“I highly recommend it

Pros

As an environment artist it is very important to have the right materials which are all around us in the world. But when you cannot access them Substance Designer is the perfect solution as it allows you to create a wide variety of materials using the node system and customizable settings. As an artist I highly recommend this software and it's a key part of my toolkit.

Cons

It has been a while since any new and exciting nodes were added to the program. And it's a bit disappointing to me that there are not enough lessons from the creators of the software themselves.

“Tough to learn but rewarding in the end

Pros

I love the variety of ways you can achieve certain effects in Designer. When creating materials I usually have a few ideas in mind for specific details but after watching other artists on YouTube, I often find their methods are completely different yet still lead to similar high-quality results. Overall this flexibility is amazing and opens up so many creative possibilities.

Cons

What I disliked the most was the steep learning curve. It took quite a while to learn Designer well enough so that I no longer needed tutorials to create materials.