Uploading Textures
Textures are image files used to define the surface appearance of your 3D materials. Simplio3D supports PBR (Physically Based Rendering) texture workflows with both user-uploaded textures and a built-in free texture library.
Supported Formats
| Format | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| JPEG / JPG | Diffuse, roughness, AO maps | Lossy compression; small files. Best general-purpose format. |
| PNG | Normal maps, transparency | Lossless; larger file sizes. Required when transparency is needed. |
| BMP | Legacy sources | Uncompressed; large files. Accepted but not recommended. |
Texture Types in PBR Workflow
| Texture Map | Purpose | Format Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Albedo / Diffuse (Base Color) | Defines the base colour of the surface. | Use JPEG for solid colours, PNG if transparency is needed. |
| Normal Map | Adds surface detail without extra geometry. | Always use PNG to avoid compression artefacts. |
| Roughness Map | Controls how rough or glossy a surface appears. | Greyscale image; white = rough, black = smooth. |
| Metallic / Metalness Map | Defines which parts are metallic. | Greyscale; white = metal, black = non-metal. |
| Ambient Occlusion (AO) | Adds subtle shadowing in crevices and contact areas. | Greyscale image, typically baked from 3D software. |
File Limits & Compression
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum file size per texture | 50 MB |
| Auto-compression threshold | Files over 3 MB are automatically compressed to JPEG (quality 0.85) |
| Maximum resolution after compression | 2048 × 2048 pixels |
| Recommended resolution | 1024 × 1024 or 2048 × 2048 pixels |
| Aspect ratio | Square (1:1) recommended; power-of-two dimensions (512, 1024, 2048) for best performance |
How to Upload Textures
- 1Navigate to Dashboard > Assets.
- 2Switch to the "Textures" tab using the filter or tab selector.
- 3Click "Upload" to open the texture upload dialog.
- 4Drag and drop your texture files into the drop zone, or click to browse. You can upload multiple files at once.
- 5Files are processed sequentially — watch the progress indicator for total/completed/failed counts.
- 6After upload, each texture gets a thumbnail preview and is stored in your texture library.
- 7Assign textures to a category for easy organisation and retrieval.
_color, _normal, _roughness, _metallic, _ao in your filenames so the system knows which PBR slot each texture belongs to.Texture Library (Free PBR & Non-PBR Textures)
Simplio3D includes a built-in texture library with 60+ free PBR texture sets and a non-PBR image search powered by Pixabay. Access the library from Dashboard > Assets > Textures > "Texture Library" button, or directly from the Material Editor.
PBR Textures Tab
Curated, high-quality PBR texture sets from CC0-licensed sources (ambientCG, Poly Haven, CGBookcase). Each set includes diffuse, normal, roughness, AO, and metallic maps where applicable.
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Wood | Oak Planks, Walnut Veneer, Pine Board, Bamboo, Weathered Barn Wood |
| Metal | Brushed Aluminium, Rusted Steel, Diamond Plate, Copper Patina, Galvanised Steel |
| Fabric | Denim Twill, Canvas, Velvet, Wool Knit, Silk Satin |
| Stone | Rough Granite, Limestone, Slate, Sandstone, Red Rock |
| Concrete | Poured Concrete, Board-Formed, Cracked, Exposed Aggregate |
| Brick | Red Brick Wall, White Brick, Herringbone, Dark Clinker |
| Tiles | Subway Tile, Hexagon Mosaic, Terracotta, Penny Round |
| Marble | Carrara White, Nero Marquina, Green Marble, Pink Onyx |
| Ground | Forest Floor, Dry Sand, Gravel Path, Grass Lawn |
| Leather | Full-Grain Brown, Black Patent, Suede Tan, Crocodile Embossed |
| Plaster | Smooth White, Venetian, Rough Stucco, Tadelakt |
| Misc | Cork Board, Cardboard, Chainmail, Woven Rattan |
Each PBR texture set can be imported at three resolutions: 1K (~2–4 MB), 2K (~6–12 MB), or 4K (~20–40 MB). You can mark favourites and view recently used textures for quick access.
Non-PBR Textures Tab
Search for any image on Pixabay (24 results per page). Non-PBR textures are single images (no PBR map sets) — useful for decals, patterns, or simple colour references. These are downloaded through a server proxy and imported as standard texture assets.
Importing from the Texture Library
- 1Open the Texture Library dialog (from Assets or Material Editor).
- 2Browse categories or search by name. Use the Favourites/Recent tabs for quick access.
- 3Select one or more texture sets (PBR) or images (Non-PBR).
- 4Choose the resolution (1K, 2K, or 4K) for PBR textures.
- 5Click "Import". The textures are downloaded from their CDN source and added to your asset library.
- 6If importing from the Material Editor, PBR maps are automatically assigned to the correct slots (diffuse, normal, roughness, AO, metallic).
Categories & Organisation
Textures can be organised into custom categories (e.g., "Wood Textures", "Metal Textures", "Fabric Textures"). Categories are shared across the Assets page and can be filtered when assigning textures to materials. Use a consistent naming pattern like [material]_[maptype] (e.g., walnut_diffuse.jpg, walnut_normal.png) for easy identification.