New in AE: Add Real Displacement with Substance Materials

Already using Substance 3D materials in After Effects?

Now you can take them even further - with built-in displacement support, allowing your surfaces to have real depth, not just texture.

What can you do with it?

• Add true surface depth using displacement maps from Substance materials

• Go beyond flat textures with physically richer details

• Enhance realism with materials that now affect both appearance and geometry

Put it to use in your workflow

• Create realistic surfaces (brick, fabric, terrain)

• Add depth to product renders

• Build stylized, abstract looks with exaggerated displacement

How to use it (GIF) Apply an SBSAR material to your 3D layer Go to Material Properties Enable or adjust Displacement / Height settings Tweak intensity and scale based on your scene

Pro tips

• Start subtle—small displacement values often look more realistic
• Use good lighting to enhance depth and shadows
• Combine with camera movement to make displacement more noticeable
• Great for close-up shots where surface detail matters most

Have you tried displacement with your materials yet? Where do you see this making the biggest impact?

Share your thoughts—or your renders—below!