How to use A23D PBR Textures in Substance 3D Modeler

This guide explains how to apply A23D PBR texture maps to meshes in Adobe Substance 3D Modeler for material preview during sculpting and modeling. Applying textures in Modeler is primarily for viewport reference - final, production-quality texture painting is done in Substance 3D Painter after the model is exported.

1. Download 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 Substance 3D. A23D automatically delivers the PBR texture set in the format best suited to Substance 3D Modeler (PNG maps) - no manual format selection required.
Click Download, save the .zip, and extract (unzip) the archive. You will find:

A23DTEX_Albedo.png - Base color
A23DTEX_Normal.png - Tangent-space normal map
A23DTEX_Roughness.png - Surface roughness
A23DTEX_Metalness.png - Metallic values

2. Select the Mesh and Open Material Properties

In the Scene panel, click the mesh you want to apply the material to.
With the mesh selected, open the Material section in the Properties panel (right side of the interface).
Click Edit Material or the material thumbnail to open the material editor.

3. Load A23D PBR Texture Maps

In Modeler's material editor, load each A23D map into the matching channel:

Modeler Material Channel	A23D Map to Use	Notes
Base Color / Albedo	`A23DTEX_Albedo.png`	Sets the surface color in the viewport.
Normal	`A23DTEX_Normal.png`	Adds surface bump detail. Use tangent-space (A23D maps are pre-set to this).
Roughness	`A23DTEX_Roughness.png`	Controls specular sharpness across the surface.
Metallic	`A23DTEX_Metalness.png`	Defines conductive vs. dielectric areas.

Click the texture slot next to each channel and navigate to the corresponding A23D PNG file.

4. Preview in the Viewport

Once the textures are loaded, the Modeler viewport updates immediately to show the PBR material on the mesh. Use this as a visual reference while sculpting - the live shading helps evaluate silhouettes, surface smoothness, and material intent.

The material preview in Modeler uses the built-in IBL (image-based lighting) environment. To change the environment light, use the Lighting settings in the scene preferences.

5. Hand Off to Painter for Final Texturing

Modeler's texture system is designed for reference preview, not production texture painting. For full PBR texture work:

Export the sculpted mesh via File > Export as FBX or OBJ.
Import it into Substance 3D Painter and apply the A23D PBR maps as fill layers (see the PBR Textures in Painter guide) for production-ready output.

Additional Resources

Substance 3D Modeler - Supported File Formats
Substance 3D Modeler FAQ
Adobe Substance 3D - Import and Export Formats