How to use A23D 3D Models in Substance 3D Painter

This guide explains how to import A23D 3D models into Adobe Substance 3D Painter as the base mesh for PBR texture painting.

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 Substance 3D.

• A23D automatically delivers the model in the format best suited to Substance 3D Painter (.fbx) - no manual format selection required. Keep the .fbx file and texture files together because the model references its dependent files.

4. Click Download and save the .zip to a known location on your computer.
5. Extract (unzip) the archive to access the .fbx model and its accompanying texture folder.

2. Create a New Project and Import the Mesh

1. Open Adobe Substance 3D Painter.
2. Go to File > New... to create a new project.
3. In the New Project dialog:

• Template: Choose a preset that matches your target render engine (e.g., PBR - Metallic Roughness for most workflows).
• Mesh: Click the folder icon next to the Mesh field and navigate to the extracted A23D .fbx file.
• Document Resolution: Set your texture resolution - 4096 x 4096 (4K) for hero assets, 2048 x 2048 (2K) for general use.
• Normal Map Format: Set to OpenGL (A23D normal maps use OpenGL convention - green channel up).

4. Click OK. Painter imports the mesh and creates a Texture Set for each material group in the FBX.

3. Review Texture Sets and UV Layout

1. In the Texture Set List panel (right side of the interface), you'll see one entry per material group imported from the FBX.
2. Click a Texture Set to make it active. Painter shows the UV layout for that material group in the UV Chart view (toggle with UV in the viewport toolbar).
3. If the model has multiple Texture Sets (e.g., separate material groups for body, glass, metal), work on each one independently by selecting it in the Texture Set List.

4. Check and Add Texture Channels

Each Texture Set has a set of PBR channels that Painter will paint into. To verify or add channels:

1. In the Texture Set Settings panel (right side), review the active channels.
2. Standard PBR channels (Base Color, Roughness, Metallic, Normal, Height, Opacity) should be present by default if you chose the PBR - Metallic Roughness template.
3. To add a missing channel (e.g., Emissive), click the + button in the Texture Set Settings and select the channel type.

5. Position the Model in the Viewport

Painter's viewport is camera-only - the mesh is fixed in place and you orbit the camera around it. To adjust the viewport:

• Orbit: Alt + Left-drag (Windows) / Option + Left-drag (Mac)
• Pan: Alt + Middle-drag
• Zoom: Scroll wheel

To fit the full mesh in view at any time, press F.

Additional Resources

Substance 3D Painter - Texture Set Settings
Substance 3D Painter - Texture Set List
Adobe Substance 3D - Import and Export Formats