How to use A23D PBR Textures in Maxwell Render

This guide explains how to configure A23D PBR texture maps in Maxwell Render. Maxwell materials are layered, physically based materials built from BSDFs and material components, so PBR maps should be translated into Maxwell's material controls rather than treated as a one-click metallic/roughness shader.

1. Download and Extract the Texture Set

Sign in to your A23D account.
Browse to the texture you want to use.
In the Software dropdown on the asset page, select Maxwell Render. A23D automatically delivers the PBR texture set in the format best suited to Maxwell Render (PNG maps) - no manual format selection required.
Click Download, save the .zip, and extract (unzip) the archive. You will find maps such as:

A23DTEX_Albedo.png - Base color
A23DTEX_Normal.png - Tangent-space normal map
A23DTEX_Roughness.png - Surface roughness
A23DTEX_Metalness.png - Metallic values
A23DTEX_AmbientOcclusion.png - Ambient occlusion
A23DTEX_Height.png - Height / displacement
A23DTEX_Opacity.png - Opacity where applicable
A23DTEX_Emissive.png - Emission where applicable

2. Create a Maxwell Material

Open the Maxwell material editor in your host application or in Maxwell Studio.
Create a new Maxwell material.
Start with a simple dielectric material for non-metal surfaces such as wood, plaster, stone, plastic, fabric, or paint.
Use a metal/conductor setup for metal surfaces.

3. Load A23D Maps into Maxwell Material Channels

Maxwell Material Control	A23D Map	Notes
Reflectance / Color	`A23DTEX_Albedo.png`	Main surface color. Load as color / sRGB data.
Roughness	`A23DTEX_Roughness.png`	Load as linear data. White = rough, black = smooth.
Normal / Bump Normal	`A23DTEX_Normal.png`	Use the normal-map input or normal mode in the bump section where available.
Displacement	`A23DTEX_Height.png`	Use when real surface relief is needed. Tune the amount to scene scale.
Opacity / Clip Map	`A23DTEX_Opacity.png`	Use for cutouts, decals, foliage, mesh screens, and patterned transparency.
Emitter / Emission Mask	`A23DTEX_Emissive.png`	Use when the material should appear self-illuminated. Use Maxwell emitter materials for surfaces that should light the scene.

4. Handle Metalness Correctly

Maxwell does not use the same simple metallic/roughness shader model found in many real-time engines. Treat the A23D Metalness map as a material mask:

Build the non-metal part as a dielectric Maxwell material.
Build the metal part as a metal/conductor Maxwell material.
Use A23DTEX_Metalness.png as a mask or layer weight between the dielectric and metal responses.
If the asset is entirely metal or entirely non-metal, use the Metalness map only as a guide and build the appropriate Maxwell material directly.

5. Add Ambient Occlusion

Maxwell computes physically based lighting and contact shadows, so the AO map is optional.

Use A23DTEX_AmbientOcclusion.png only when you want additional baked contact shadow:

Multiply the AO map with the Albedo map in the host material/node system or in an external image editor.
Connect the multiplied result to the material's Reflectance / Color input.
Keep the AO contribution subtle so it does not fight Maxwell's physically calculated lighting.

6. Use Height Maps for Displacement

Use displacement when the surface needs real relief in close-up renders.

Load A23DTEX_Height.png into the material's displacement control.
Start with a small displacement amount in scene units.
Render a close-up test before using displacement in a large scene.
For distant surfaces, prefer Normal or Bump because true displacement increases render cost.

7. Color Space and Gamma

Use standard PBR color handling:

Albedo / Reflectance Color: sRGB / color data
Normal, Roughness, Metalness, AO, Height, Opacity: Linear / non-color data

Incorrect color space on roughness, metalness, normal, or height maps can make materials appear too glossy, too flat, or physically inconsistent.

Additional Resources

Maxwell User Manual
Maxwell Materials
Maxwell Studio