How to use A23D PBR Textures in Vectorworks

This guide explains how to create and configure A23D PBR textures as Renderworks textures in Vectorworks.

Support note: Vectorworks Renderworks textures are composed of color, reflectivity, transparency, and bump shaders. This supports a partial PBR-style workflow, but it is not a direct standardized metalness/roughness material system.

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 Vectorworks. A23D automatically delivers the texture set in the format best suited to Vectorworks (JPG maps) - no manual format selection required.
  4. Click Download, save the .zip, and extract it.

2. Create a Renderworks Texture

  1. Open Window > Palettes > Resource Manager.
  2. Click New Resource and choose Renderworks Texture or Vectorworks Texture.
  3. Give the texture a descriptive name.

3. Assign A23D PBR Texture Maps

In the texture edit dialog, load the A23D maps into the closest matching shader channels:

Vectorworks / Renderworks InputA23D Map to UseNotes
Color / ImageA23DTEX_Albedo.jpgBase color texture.
Reflectivity / Roughness or GlossinessA23DTEX_Roughness.jpgUse as a reflectivity/blur control where available. If the control expects glossiness, invert the roughness map before use.
Bump / Normal MapA23DTEX_Normal.jpgUse Normal Map mode when available.
Bump / HeightA23DTEX_Height.jpgUse as a fallback bump/height source where normal maps are not available.
Transparency / MaskA23DTEX_Opacity.jpgUse for cutout or transparent materials.
GlowA23DTEX_Emissive.jpgOptional, for self-illuminated materials.

4. Apply the Texture

  1. Select the target object.
  2. In the Object Info palette, assign the new texture to the object or class.
  3. Use Attribute Mapping to adjust texture scale, rotation, and placement.
  4. For OBJ-imported A23D models, keep the imported UV mapping where possible because A23D assets are already unwrapped.

5. Render and Adjust

  1. Use Shaded mode for quick viewport checks.
  2. Use Custom Renderworks or Final Quality Renderworks for more accurate material rendering.
  3. Enable displacement-related render settings only when you need height-map relief and can afford the render cost.

Additional Resources

Vectorworks Help - Importing OBJ
Vectorworks Help

Need some help?

Contact our team at support@a23d.co