Adobe has introduced a significant change to its subscription plans for the Substance 3D applications, offering all subscribers unlimited access to the online Substance 3D Assets library. This update allows users to access over 19,000 materials, 3D models, and HDR lights without restrictions, representing a major advantage for those involved in creating art for video games, visual effects, motion graphics, and visualization.
What is the Substance 3D Assets Library?
The Substance 3D Assets library began as a project by Allegorithmic, the original creators of the Substance 3D applications, in 2016 under the name Substance Source. Initially, the library only included parametric materials in the Substance 3D SBSAR and SBS formats, but in 2021 it expanded to include 3D models and HDRIs (high dynamic range images).
Currently, the library contains more than:
- 13,000 materials, organized into categories such as surfaces, decals, and atlases
- 6,000 3D models in FBX and GLB formats
- 99 HDR lights in EXR and SBSAR formats
These assets are created by professional artists, either manually or through 3D scanning. Previously, Allegorithmic regularly hired prominent artists to contribute content to the library.
Previous Access to the Library
Before the recent change, the library operated on a download points system, where users accumulated download credits as part of their subscriptions to the Substance applications. Depending on the plan, subscribers had a monthly download limit.
The plans were as follows:
- Individual Substance 3D Texturing subscription: 30 materials per month.
- Substance 3D Collection subscription: 50 materials per month.
- Team subscription: 100 materials per month.
How Has Access to the Library Changed?
Now, Adobe has introduced unlimited access to the Substance 3D Assets library, allowing all subscribers to download any asset without needing to manage points. Although the Adobe website still mentions download limits, the company has confirmed these no longer apply, and the site will be updated soon.
The Substance 3D product director, Jérémie Noguer, confirmed via Twitter that this change allows subscribers to have unlimited access to assets, facilitating direct downloads from the Substance 3D Assets web portal or from within Substance 3D Painter.
Can I Download Substance 3D Assets for Free?
For artists who have free Adobe accounts but not an active Substance 3D subscription, Adobe offers a selection of assets from the Substance 3D library for free. Currently, there are 175 free assets available, although this selection has not been updated for a couple of years.
Cost of Substance 3D Subscriptions
The Substance 3D subscription plans for individuals are:
- Sub