Using Poliigon assets in Vectorworks (Updated 2025)

Go to Window > Palettes > Resource Manager.

Click 'New Resource' and check 'Vectorworks Texture.' A dialog box will open for editing the material.

Change each entry's material option to 'Image.' Then, find the texture map file you downloaded from Poliigon.

For the 'Reflectivity' map, invert it if your Poliigon material came with a 'Roughness' map. If it has a Gloss map instead, leave it as is.

Use Poliigon's displacement map for the 'Bump' map since Poliigon doesn't provide bump maps. The 'Bump' map activates only if you enter a height greater than zero. You can also adjust the strength and detail settings.

To set the real-world size, click 'Set by Image.' Use the tool to span the width of the map, then enter 2.5 meters (the size of most Poliigon global textures).

To see displacement on your object, set Vectorworks rendering to 'Final Quality Renderworks' or 'Custom Renderworks.'

In custom settings, check 'Displacement Mapping' and adjust the quality as needed.

Go to Window > Palettes > Resource Manager.

Click 'New Resource' and check 'Vectorworks Background.' A dialog box will open for editing the background.

Select Panoramic Image > Options > Change Image, then select the HDRI you downloaded from Poliigon.

Go to View > Set Lighting Options

Select 'From Selected Background' under 'Environment Lighting.' Then, pick the 'Vectorworks Background' HDRI you made in step two.

To use the HDRI as the viewport background and for scene lighting, go to View > Set Renderworks Background. Then, select the 'Vectorworks Background' HDRI you made in Step 2.

Use two HDRI versions to save on performance. Use a lower quality one for environment lighting. Use a high quality version for the background.