: Go to the Bake Mesh Maps window. Baking "Ambient Occlusion" and "Curvature" is essential, as these maps drive the smart effects in SimpleDiffuse.
What are you targeting? (e.g., hand-painted RPG, low-poly retro, flat mobile) Which game engine will you import this asset into?
For most simple diffuse workflows, Option 1 is the better choice — it keeps your texture clean and free from baked‑in lighting artefacts.
Add color variations (gradients) from the bottom up to add flavor and make the model stand out. simple diffuse substance painter
Once you're comfortable with simple diffuse painting, you might want to expand your skillset. Substance Painter's full PBR pipeline opens up incredible possibilities — but the foundation you've built here will serve you well.
For those working on legacy projects or mods for older games that only accept a single diffuse map with baked lighting, Substance Painter can convert all PBR maps (Base Color, Roughness, Metallic, AO, Normal) into one diffuse map.
Key insight: Keep the opacity of this mask low (between 10% and 30%). You want hue variation , not stark contrast. A simple diffuse should look like natural wood grain, not a zebra. : Go to the Bake Mesh Maps window
Set the layer blending mode to and lower the opacity to create a gentle shift from dark at the base to light at the top. Exporting for Unlit Shaders
Before diving deeper into SimpleDiffuse, it's important to understand what a diffuse map actually is in the context of Substance Painter.
The tool is built to bypass the repetitive manual setup of multiple layers and masks for base texturing. Automated Lighting & Volume Once you're comfortable with simple diffuse painting, you
Do you need to create a look or a realistic look? Share public link
Pick a slightly darker or lighter version of your base color.
, allowing artists to quickly establish vertical color transitions common in stylized characters. Stylized Effects : Features built-in parameters for fake volumetric brush strokes