Adobe Substance Arrives on Meta Quest Headsets

This Tuesday, Adobe partnered with Meta to debut Substance 3D, a modelling software, on the Quest portfolio of virtual reality (VR) headsets. According to Adobe, Substance 3D solves the early Metaverse problem of creating content at scale.

Adobe Substance 3D is a suite of powerful real-time 3D (RT3D) creation tools that enable developers to design Metaverse elements and isolated immersive content. Adobe is debuting the service on Meta Quest Pro and Quest 2 headsets.

Substance for Quest allows RT3D designers to sculpt a virtual object within a VR environment. Additionally, the service lets a Substance designer swap between working in a bespoke virtual environment to using their real-world desktop.

A designer can incorporate the software for various media production pipelines, including gaming, film, and extended reality (XR). Adobe notes that major media production houses use Substance to design RT3D elements for projects like Halo, Flight Simulator, Dune, and Disney’s The Mandalorian.

Extra Tools for Collaboration

Alongside the Substance 3D debut, the firms are also working on a collaborative service for the recently announced Meta Quest Pro. Adobe’s sister application supports virtual and mixed reality (VR/MR) content creation on the Meta Quest Pro.

Like Substance for Quest, the unnamed sister application enables a developer to seamlessly swap between a connected desktop device and a virtual workspace. Also, the application can connect to 2D applications on a user’s desktop.

Adobe is also bringing 2D multitasking tools to Meta’s VR headsets. The firm is bringing Quest-optimised PDF document viewing, editing, and collaboration tools. Additionally, Adobe Acrobat for Quest provides a tailor-made immersive method to enhance document productivity workflows.

An Extensive Library for Low-Barrier RT3D Design

Adobe initially released Substance 3D available to users as a beta. Now, the suite is available to Adobe Creative Cloud users starting at $19.99.

The full suite comprises six programmes for designing any 3D project from start to finish. Adobe includes Stager, a tool that lets developers create XR environments with complex lighting.

Additionally, Substance Sampler creates 3D digital twins of 2D images using artificial intelligence (AI). 3D Painter lets RT3D designers add custom, high-quality textures to RT3D assets.

Adobe Substance also includes a modelling tool similar to ZBrush, where developers can sculpt digital models in real-time using drawing tablets and then seamlessly check their creations in VR space.

Adobe also offers an extensive asset library to lower the barrier to entry for XR design. It increases Substance’s accessibility for novices and professionals, an essential strategy at the company’s core.

Adobe also sustains third-party support by offering Substance as a plug-in for RT3D engines like Unity.