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user8454698
Participant
March 14, 2025

Imported KeyShot Files Appear Disassembled in Adobe Substance Painter

  • March 14, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 242 views

Issue:
I receive 3D model files from my team, who work in KeyShot, and when I import them into Adobe Substance Painter, the model appears disassembled or not fully put together. The same files seem to work fine in KeyShot and other software like KeyShot Viewer.

Details:

  • The files are exported from KeyShot in FBX, OBJ Files
  • When opened in Substance Painter, the parts seem to be separated or misaligned.
  • I've checked the files ingestaltor.io & KeyShot and they appear fine there.
  • My primary goal is to apply materials and colors for a color study rather than detailed texturing.

Why I’m Using Adobe Substance Painter:
I’ve been using Adobe Dimension and love how easy it is to apply materials and render scenes. However, I’m looking to step up to a more advanced 3D workflow. Is Substance Painter the best tool for this kind of work, or would another Adobe or third-party tool be better suited for color/material studies?

Troubleshooting Steps I've Tried:
✅ Opened the file in another 3D viewer to verify the geometry.

Questions for the Community & Adobe Team:

  1. Are there specific export settings from KeyShot that work best for Substance Painter?
  2. Is there a known issue with FBX/OBJ import hierarchy in Substance Painter?
  3. What is the best workflow to ensure all parts remain assembled?
  4. For color studies and material application, is Substance Painter the right tool, or should I be looking at something else?

Any insights would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance for the help.
MT

1 reply

Cyril Dellenbach
Community Manager
Cyril DellenbachCommunity Manager
Community Manager
March 17, 2025

Hello @user8454698,

 

Thank you for your detailed report.

 

To answer your questions:

 

1. I'm not really used to KeyShot, but all software have export settings that can trouble the import in other software. I'd check for a parameter related to Transformation or Units.

 

2. Not that I know of. That being said, I wouldn't use .OBJ too much. This is an old format, it doesn't contain units information (as instance) and it's not as trustworthy as .FBX is.

 

3. As long as in your 3D viewer all parts are assembled, this is probably only a matter of export parameters.

 

4. From what I understand of your workflow, Substance 3D Painter is perfectly suited for your needs. In fact, Substance Painter even handles Color Management. That being said, this is a very powerful software when it comes to texturing and if you're not used to specific concepts (UVs, UDIM, Material ID, etc.) it can be tedious to prepare your project.

 

Could you send another screenshot of the 3D object in Painter? Considering the low resolution, it's hard to tell, but the issue could come from something else than misaligned meshes.

 

Best regards,

 

Cyril Dellenbach (Micro) | QA Support Artist | Adobe
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