How to use A23D 3D Models in KeyShot

This guide explains how to import 3D models from A23D into KeyShot and set them up for photorealistic rendering.

1. Download and Extract the Model

  1. Sign in to your A23D account.
  2. Browse to the asset you want to use.
  3. In the Software dropdown on the asset page, select KeyShot.
  • A23D automatically delivers the model in the format best suited to KeyShot (.fbx) - no manual format selection required. Keep the .fbx file and texture files together because the model references its dependent files.
  1. Click Download and save the .zip to a known location on your computer.
  2. Extract (unzip) the archive to access the .fbx model and the accompanying texture folder.

2. Import the Model into KeyShot

Method A - File > Import

  1. Open KeyShot.
  2. Go to File > Import (or press Ctrl+I / Cmd+I).
  3. In the import dialog, navigate to the A23D model file (.fbx, .obj, or .glb) and click Open.
  4. The Import Options dialog appears. Configure the settings:
  • Units: Set to Meters (A23D models are built in real-world meter scale). If your KeyShot scene uses different units, adjust accordingly.
  • Up Axis: Confirm Y-up for FBX files (most DCC applications export FBX in Y-up orientation).
  • Keep Individual Parts: Leave enabled to preserve the model's part hierarchy for per-part material assignment.
  • Import Materials: Leave enabled. KeyShot reads materials from the FBX and creates basic placeholder shaders.
  1. Click OK. KeyShot imports the geometry and places it at the scene origin.

Method B - Drag and Drop

  1. Open Windows Explorer or macOS Finder and navigate to the extracted model file.
  2. Drag the .fbx, .obj, or .glb file directly into the KeyShot viewport. KeyShot auto-triggers the Import dialog.

3. Navigate the Scene and Position the Model

  1. Use the Camera controls to orbit and zoom around the imported model:
  • Orbit: Alt + Left-drag (Windows) / Option + Left-drag (Mac)
  • Pan: Alt + Middle-drag
  • Zoom: Scroll wheel
  1. Select the model in the Scene panel (right side of the KeyShot interface, under Scene > Models).
  2. With the model selected, use the Move, Scale, and Rotate tools in the toolbar (or the Position fields in the Item Properties panel on the right) to place the model correctly.
  3. Click Edit > Fit to View (or press F) to frame the entire model in the camera.

4. Materials and Textures

When the FBX imports, KeyShot automatically creates materials with all A23D PBR texture maps already linked - albedo, normal, roughness, metalness, and other maps are connected from the references embedded in the file. KeyShot creates these as its own native material format, so no conversion is needed. However, the default material type may be set to a basic preset - switch it to Advanced to expose the full PBR workflow:

  1. In the Scene panel, double-click a part or its material to open the Material Editor.
  2. At the top of the Material Editor, click the Type dropdown and select Advanced (or Metal / Plastic depending on the surface type). This exposes the Roughness, Metalness, and Normal map inputs.
  3. Verify each texture slot is populated - KeyShot should have already linked the textures from the FBX. If any slot is empty, click the slot thumbnail and navigate to the texture in the accompanying texture folder.
  4. The Material Graph (accessible via the graph icon in the Material Editor) shows the full node network - Image Texture nodes should already be wired to Base Color, Roughness, Metallic, and Normal inputs.

KeyShot reads embedded FBX material references automatically on import. As long as the texture folder remains in the same relative location as the FBX file, all maps link without any manual reassignment.

Additional Resources

KeyShot Manual - Import
KeyShot Manual - Supported File Formats
KeyShot Manual - Materials

Need some help?

Contact our team at support@a23d.co