Hi there,

There is a simple way to create global adjustment layers in Substance Painter (which effect the full layer stack).
Usually I use it to modify the strength of the Height and the Normal channel, or as an adjustment for the Metallic channel (for example to clamp the metallic value at 0.95).
You can easily use it as a Smart Material as well (you don’t have to create it again).

How to create:

1. Create a Fill layer at the top of the layer stack.
2. Turn off the unnecessary channels for that layer (in this case: Color, Roughness, Metallic).
3. Set the layer Color Blending mode to Normal on the Height and the Normal channels and Passthrough on the Metallic channel!
4. Adjust the layer’s opacity on the Height and the Normal channels to bring back the original values as you like (0 opacity value means no correction).
   In most cases the Height and Normal values (stored in the maps) together are too strong – you can check this in the “Normal + Height + Base normal” solo mode.
5. To clip the Metallic values add a Levels modifier. Set the Affected channel to Metallic and the Output Maximum – for example – to 0.95.

Save it as a Smart material:

1. Put that fill layer into a new folder and set its Blending modes as well (same as you did for the correction layer).
2. Rename the folder and save it as a Smart material

Cheers, D