Smart Material Looks Wrong on a New Model
Wear and dirt missing after dropping on another asset
Also known as: Painter smart material not working · Smart material different result · Painter smart material no wear · Substance Painter smart material edges missing · Smart material needs bake
Quick answer
A smart material looks different on a new model because it reads that model's own baked mesh maps. If the new model has not been baked, the edge wear, dirt and dust that depend on curvature and ambient occlusion are missing or flat. Bake the mesh maps for the new Texture Set first, then adjust the generator and filter settings to suit the size and shape of the new model.
How to fix it
Compare the mesh maps of the two models: a different scale, different UV density or a bake with other distance settings changes how generators behave. Size-dependent parameters such as grunge scale and edge width may need changing, and the UV scale of a material may differ. Keep the smart material as a starting point and plan to tweak it, then paint over the masks by hand where the generators miss.
