Help How to create Translucency Maps & Substance Painter to Daz3d Workflow?

Dude3DLab

Hello everyone! I'm making this post asking for help because I couldn’t find any information about this anywhere, so here’s my case...

Last week, I embarked on an adventure to create a custom character and custom skin for Daz. I used Blender for modeling and created the normals, etc.

Then I used Substance Painter to paint the skin from scratch for the model.

As for my progress: the modeling is already done. I changed the Genesis 8 figure to my liking and successfully created the morph in Daz.

And the skin? Also a great success! I created it in Substance Painter. It’s not the greatest ever, but I’m happy with it — especially for a first try.

So what's the problem, you ask? Looks like everything’s done, right? I WISH! The easiest part, or so I thought, turned out to be where I got stuck: transferring the textures exported from Substance Painter into Daz3D surfaces.

First, the textures look very different when I just plug in the maps — which is kind of expected, I guess? Different render engines give different results, right?

So here are my two questions, and I’d be incredibly grateful if someone more experienced could help me out:

First, does anyone know some good surface setting tweaks in Daz to make it look closer to how it appears in Substance Painter?

Second (and more importantly) — how do I create the Translucency Map?
I swear I’ve searched everywhere, and the only answer I found was a single comment from three years ago. It said that the translucency map is basically the base color map, but lighted. And I get that — it makes sense looking at other people skins! But how do I light the base map? How much should I light it to get good results, and where should I do this? Photoshop? Somewhere else? I’m honestly really confused about this map 

If someone could share their workflow for creating a translucency map, I’d be very, very, very thankful!

Thanks for taking the time to read my little rant and cry for help  Also, here’s the model and skin I made — it’s my first try, so I’m sure there’s lots of room for improvement!

https://imgur.com/a/R9k4oGu

lilweep

Dude3DLab said:

 

First, does anyone know some good surface setting tweaks in Daz to make it look closer to how it appears in Substance Painter?

Do you think that is the correct approach?

Would it not be better to make maps that look good in Daz Studio instead of making Daz Studio look like Substance Painter viewport (an inferior renderer)?

Many people ask your same question, assuming they are supposed to do look development in Substance Painter, which in my opinion is not correct. In my opinion, it should be done in Daz Studio as that is your final renderer.

See this thread for making a livelink between Substance and Daz Studio: https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/646776/substance-painter-to-daz-studio-skin-textures?srsltid=AfmBOoq_XS7trh9mOeRD3vkrEH5xq44GRqSttikTDEg0m5ycT99wPLUp

Im not saying im correct. Im just saying I wouldnt do it your way at all.

Second (and more importantly) — how do I create the Translucency Map?
I swear I’ve searched everywhere, and the only answer I found was a single comment from three years ago. It said that the translucency map is basically the base color map, but lighted.

It depends on your shader. What shader are you using?

 

And I get that — it makes sense looking at other people skins! But how do I light the base map?

In what software? If in Photoshop, use adjustment layers.

If you are using Substance Painter, you dont have adjustment layers per se, but you have filters. You can add a filter to the layer you want to brighten. If you want to brighten everything beneath a certain layer, you can add a new paint layer and then put the filter on that paint layer and set it to Passthrough.  (I havent used Substance Painter in a long time, but from memory this is how you do it).  

How much should I light it to get good results, and where should I do this? Photoshop? Somewhere else? I’m honestly really confused about this map 

You use your eyes and artistic ability while tweaking it. 
 

If someone could share their workflow for creating a translucency map, I’d be very, very, very thankful!

The brightness of the map will depend on your shader and your Translucency weight setting on the shader.
Some people just use the base color as the Translucency Color map instead of having a separate lightened map.