Guide on how to use texture maps PBR export with Filter Forge for 3D

I have rebuilt and created this guide for any person that may want to be able to use Filter Forge (FF) to create and use the texture maps and PBR textures that FF can create and be able to use them in any 3D software that is compatible with PBR texture maps

FIRST STEP - YOU NEED TO USE A SURFACE OR PBR SURFACE FILTER

The first thing is that NOT every filter can be able to render and export 3D maps

As far as I know and if I am not wrong ONLY filters that use in the result component SURFACE mode or the new PBR SURFACE mode can be able to render and export normal map or any other map

The new PBR texture available since the release of Filter Forge 9 that is explained here

Explaining Filter forge with Physically-Based Rendering (PBR) for major 3D engines

is a great thing and very useful and you can now convert many of the available textures or creations in FF Library to support this new PBR.

EXPLAINING THE RESULT COMPONENT FOR PBR TEXTURE

Here is explained the Result component with 3 types please learn here about the 3 different filters available with or without maps

Filter Type Simple help page

Filter type Legacy Surface help page

Filter Type PBR Surface help page

As far as I know The option to create and texture maps will not be available If the filter does not them included and does not have surface or pbr surface

HOW DO YOU RENDER AND EXPORT TEXTURE MAPS IN FILTER FORGE?

Here is explained in the FF help how to do it

Although here is showing Unity 3D and Unreal Engine it can be used in any other 3D software that supports these texture maps

Also you can also choose and configure what maps are render and exported

Configure Render channels of the texture maps help page

HOW TO KNOW IF A FILTER IN THE FILTER LIBRARY DOES HAVE OR NOT MAPS INCLUDED?

In the filter library when you are going to download a filter is clearly shown if that filter does have additional surface maps or not, so you can know as for example here shown below

This filter does NOT include any kind of texture maps as they are missing in the preview at the bottom page of the filter

This filter has included Texture maps as shown at the bottom of the preview page

So this way you can know if a filter does have a surface or pbr surface before downloading or using it

HOW TO FIND PBR FILTERS IN FILTER LIBRARY?

Well there is not a category dedicated to PBR but there is a possible very simple way and is to go to the search in filter library and just only type PBR and then it will appear a list of filters that may have PBR textures

Search in filter library for PBR filters

Obviously this is a very basic way, and will not find in any way all the available filter, you need to go to the dedicated page for each filter and see if it includes texture maps at the bottom or not

CREATE A FILTER FOR SURFACE FILTER

You can change the result component to any other type other, BUT MUST BE AWARE that any already connected thread will be deleted and so you must be careful if it is not a simple filter

Quote
emme wrote: Here (below in the screenshot) is a simple setup to get you started. Allows you to export albedo, height, specular, roughness and normal maps. It's up to you how you want to generate the spec/roughness maps, but generally oceans should be high reflectivity / low roughness and vice versa for land.