Should I use Zbrush, Substance 3d or 3D-Coat? I am notlooking at sculpting models from scratch. I need to make changes to 3d models downloaded from say Sketchfab, then paint and import to Character Creator 4. Ihave had a play with ZBrush but it is not intuitive due to its very non-standard interface etc. I can see it being a long learning curve. IsSubstance 3d or 3d-Coat easier to learn / use and would either be suitable for what I am trying to do?

Since Adobe took over Substance 3D it is now a very expensive subscription, so I think 3D Coat is your best option. I've read good things about it on this forum. Hopefully some users can chime in.

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Doesn't one lose a lot of the features of CC when using a non-CC-mesh avatar?



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That is correct, especially as far as clothing is concerned. Animations will still work, but lip-synching may not.

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You can get all Substance programs on Steam with a perpetual license without a subscription. But the new Substance modeller has many missing features compared to Zbrush and 3D Coat and a lot of bugs. That's why it focuses more on VR modelling.
It will probably take another five years at least until it comes somewhat close if Adobe doesn't kill it first which may happen.

I'm not sure if a sculpting app is the right choice to modify 3d models. They are usually optimized to create extremely high poly models and to texture and retopologize them to low poly models to be useable in real-time applications.

Since you already have a finished model that you want to modify, I personally think that Blender would be a much better choice for your case. 

I have ZBrush and a Steam copy of Substance.

I find ZBrush the most useful (Confusingly, I mean that in that it’s the most narrowly useful for some of my favorite use cases - Blender is the most useful as a general statement), and useful for some texture related things, but it would never be my go to for texturing. I’m happy to have Substance available, but it doesn’t come with the materials you get along with a subscription, you have to kind of build that out on your own. And I like having it available. But I end up using Blender way more often. Blender the most out of all of them. Even though ZBrush is my fav. I was just lucky enough to buy it right after they were bought by Maxxon and ended their non promised decade or two of free perpetual updates. Heck, ended their promised one year as well for good measure. Have to love these big companies. Wonderful things. I’m not even Indie, I’m hobby. Put the screws to me. Please.

Where was I? Oh yeah, love ZBrush. Like having Substance available. Can’t say I don’t end up in Blender 90% of the time.