PBS Mapping

Use the PBS (Physically Based Shading) Map to create realistic textures based on how light interacts with surfaces. Different types of PBS textures are available from withing the PBS map. You can use the PBS Map to create your own textures, or add a Substance PBR node (or from other online services providing PBR maps) to automatically include a number of PBS maps, depending on the preset. PBS maps also support texture maps from 3D renderers, such as a high quality AO map.

These are the available physically based texture types (similar settings are available in the Shader Node when you select Physically Based as the Shader Type, but by using the PBS Map, you can affect the shader on a per pixel basis instead of as a global value for the whole object):

• Base Color
• Roughness
• Specular Level
• Metallic
• Anisotropic
• Subsurface
• Specular Tint
• AO
• Opacity
• Height
• Custom (Displays the custom ID corresponding to a PBS type not currently available in the PBS Type box. Use this with the Lightbox API.)

On a Mac system, you are limited to Base Color, Roughness, Metallic, AO, Opacity, and Height shader types.

As for the difference between a Displacement map and a Height map: while both can be used in PBS and non-PBS scenarios, a Displacement map always has a floor value and a Height map has no floor constraint, which maps better with third party tools. And with a Height map, normals are recomputed whenever the Height map changes.

To add a PBS map:

1. In the schematic, select the surface or 3D geometry to which you want to apply the PBS map.

2. Click Media.

3. In the Media menu, select the media you want to use for the parallax.

4. Do one of the following:

   • Drag the PBS Map node from the node bin and place it in the schematic.
   • Drag the PBS Map node from the node bin and place it where you want it in Result view.
   • Double-click the PBS Map node. You do not need to be in Schematic view to add a node in this manner.

   By default, an Undefined material object is added to the schematic with its own parent axis. Once you select a shader type to apply from the PBS menu, the name under the material node updates to that type. The new axis is the child of the selected surface or geometry. In Schematic view, the number in brackets next to the name of the node indicates the media used.

   To specify different media as the source, select the media in the Media menu, then click Apply, or use the Read File tab to manage the texture media (see Working With Textures in Map Nodes).

5. Double-click the PBS node in the schematic, or follow the tab population rules for the Object menu (see Populating Menu Tabs of Selected Objects).

   The PBS menu appears.