Color Selection Not Working in Substance Painter
The ID-based mask picks nothing
Also known as: Painter color selection · Painter ID map mask · Painter color ID not working · Substance Painter mask by color · Painter material ID mask
Quick answer
The Color Selection mask in Substance Painter needs a baked Color ID map, which stores a color for each part of the model. Bake the Color ID mesh map in Texture Set Settings, using vertex colors, polygroups or material IDs as the source, and then add the Color Selection effect to a mask and pick the colors. If it still selects nothing, the colors were not assigned in the original mesh.
How to fix it
Assign flat colors to each part in your 3D tool or ZBrush before export, using vertex color or polygroups, and make sure the export includes them. In ZBrush, polygroups can be converted to polypaint and exported as vertex color. Use the picker in the Color Selection effect, and add several colors if a material covers more than one part. Rebake the ID map after any change to the mesh.
