How to use A23D PBR Textures in Substance 3D Stager

This guide explains how to apply A23D PBR texture maps to 3D models in Adobe Substance 3D Stager using the Material Properties panel.

Recommended A23D path: Download the Substance 3D package and import the supplied FBX model first, then assign the PNG PBR maps in Stager's Material Properties panel. Stager also supports GLB/GLTF, and GLB can be convenient when you already have an embedded single-file package, but FBX is the consistent A23D format across Stager, Painter, Designer, and Modeler workflows.

1. Download 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 Substance 3D. A23D automatically delivers the PBR texture set in the format best suited to Substance 3D Stager (PNG maps) - no manual format selection required.
  4. 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 (white = rough, black = smooth)
  • A23DTEX_Metalness.png - Metallic values (white = metal, black = non-metal)
  • A23DTEX_AmbientOcclusion.png - Ambient occlusion
  • A23DTEX_Height.png - Height / displacement

2. Select the Object and Open Material Properties

  1. Click on the model in the Stager viewport to select it.
  2. In the Properties panel on the right side of the screen, click the Material tab.
  3. The Material Properties panel shows the current material settings for the selected object. Each property has a value slider and a texture slot (small square icon) next to it.

3. Assign A23D PBR Texture Maps

For each material channel, click the small texture slot icon (the small square next to the property name) to open the file browser and load the corresponding A23D texture.


Substance Stager ParameterA23D Map to UseNotes
Base ColorA23DTEX_Albedo.pngLoad as the diffuse color map. This defines the base surface color with no baked lighting.
RoughnessA23DTEX_Roughness.pngWhite = fully rough/matte; Black = perfectly smooth/mirror-like.
MetallicA23DTEX_Metalness.pngWhite = fully metallic (conductor); Black = non-metallic (dielectric).
NormalA23DTEX_Normal.pngLoad as the normal map. Stager uses tangent-space normals - A23D maps are already in this format.
HeightA23DTEX_Height.pngLoad as the height/displacement map. Adjust the Intensity slider to control depth of surface relief.
Ambient OcclusionA23DTEX_AmbientOcclusion.pngStager uses this to darken crevices and contact shadows during rendering.

Tip: If a specific channel is not visible in the Material Properties panel, click the expand button to reveal additional channels - Stager sometimes hides less common channels by default.

4. Adjust Tiling and Offset

  1. In the Material Properties panel, look for the Tiling or UV Scale settings below the texture slots.
  2. Adjust the U and V tiling values:
  • A value of 1 maps the texture to the full UV space once.
  • A value of 2 tiles the texture twice across the surface.
  1. Use the Offset (U, V) to shift the texture pattern if needed.

5. Save the Material as a Preset

After configuring an A23D PBR material in Stager, save it for reuse:

  1. Click the Save icon in the Material Properties panel or go to Material > Save As Preset.
  2. Give the preset a name (e.g., A23D_OakFloor_PBR) and save it to your local Stager library.
  3. In future projects, drag this preset from the Stager Assets panel onto any object to apply the full texture setup instantly.

Additional Resources

Adobe Substance 3D Stager - Import and Export Formats
Adobe Substance 3D - Import and Export Formats

Need some help?

Contact our team at support@a23d.co