How to use A23D PBR Textures in Marmoset Toolbag

This guide explains how to apply A23D PBR texture maps to materials in Marmoset Toolbag using the Standard PBR shader.

1. Download and Extract the Texture Set

  1. Sign in to your A23D account.
  2. Browse to the texture you want to use.
  3. In the Software dropdown on the asset page, select Marmoset. A23D automatically delivers the PBR texture set in the format best suited to Marmoset Toolbag (JPG maps) - no manual format selection required.
  4. Click Download, save the .zip, and extract (unzip) the archive. You will find:
  • A23DTEX_Albedo.jpg - Base color / diffuse
  • A23DTEX_Normal.jpg - Tangent-space normal map
  • A23DTEX_Roughness.jpg - Surface roughness
  • A23DTEX_Metalness.jpg - Metallic values
  • A23DTEX_AmbientOcclusion.jpg - Ambient occlusion
  • A23DTEX_Height.jpg - Height / displacement

2. Select the Material in Marmoset

  1. After importing your A23D model (see the 3D Models guide), look in the Scene panel on the left.
  2. Expand the model hierarchy and click the Material assigned to the mesh object.
  3. The Material Properties panel opens on the right side of the screen, showing the full list of PBR shader channels.

3. Set the Shader Type

  1. At the top of the Material Properties panel, find the Shader dropdown.
  2. Confirm it is set to Standard (the default PBR metallic-roughness shader in Marmoset).
  • Other shader types (Foliage, Hair, Glass) are available for specific material categories but Standard covers the majority of A23D assets.
  1. If using Toolbag 4, you can also choose the Micro-Surface option for the Specular channel for extra physical accuracy.

4. Assign A23D PBR Texture Maps

For each channel, click the texture slot (the small rectangle icon or the "+" button next to the channel name) to open the file browser.


Marmoset Toolbag ChannelA23D Map to UseNotes
AlbedoA23DTEX_Albedo.jpgLoad as the diffuse base color. Do not use maps with baked lighting in this slot.
NormalA23DTEX_Normal.jpgLoad as the tangent-space normal map. Marmoset auto-detects OpenGL vs. DirectX normal convention - verify the Z channel (green = positive = up in OpenGL, inverted in DirectX).
Roughness (Microsurface)A23DTEX_Roughness.jpgMarmoset's Microsurface slider controls roughness. Load the Roughness map here. Ensure Gloss is unchecked (use Roughness, not Gloss mode).
MetalnessA23DTEX_Metalness.jpgLoad into the Metalness slot. White = fully metallic conductor; Black = dielectric.
Ambient OcclusionA23DTEX_AmbientOcclusion.jpgLoad into the AO slot. Marmoset multiplies AO onto the surface to add depth in crevices and contact shadows.
HeightA23DTEX_Height.jpgLoad into the Height/Displacement slot. Marmoset supports tessellation-based displacement in Toolbag 4.

Normal Map Convention: Marmoset uses OpenGL normal maps by default (green channel = positive Y / up). A23D maps use OpenGL convention. If the surface shading looks inverted on bumps, flip the G channel in the Normal properties, or enable the Y- option in the normal map slot.

5. Configure the Microsurface (Roughness) Channel

Marmoset labels its roughness control as Microsurface:

  1. In the Material Properties, locate the Microsurface section.
  2. Click the texture slot to load A23DTEX_Roughness.jpg.
  3. Ensure the Gloss toggle is unchecked (disabled). This tells Marmoset to interpret the map as a Roughness map (white = rough, black = smooth) rather than a Gloss/Smoothness map (which would be the inverse).
  4. The Microsurface Intensity slider scales the effect. Keep it at 1.0 for physically correct behavior.

6. Enable Reflections

  1. In the Reflectivity section of the Material Properties, set the mode to Metalness.
  2. With Metalness mode active, the reflective behavior is driven by the Metalness texture rather than a manual reflectivity value.
  3. Marmoset automatically computes the correct specular response (F0) based on the metalness value:
  • Non-metals: F0 ≈ 4% reflectance (dielectric).
  • Metals: F0 driven by the Albedo map (conductor reflectance).

Additional Resources

Marmoset Toolbag Documentation - Materials
Marmoset Toolbag Documentation - Albedo
Marmoset Toolbag Documentation - Roughness
Marmoset Toolbag Documentation - Metalness

Need some help?

Contact our team at support@a23d.co