# Material > Learn about materials in Pixyz, including PBR patterns, properties, and code examples for creation and modification. [API reference](/asset-transformer-sdk/2026.4/api/python/material_types.md#material) Materials are entities containing visual definitions. Materials can be attached to [part components](./part) or [occurrences](./occurrence). Use [core.setProperty(occ, "Material", str(materialId))](/asset-transformer-sdk/2026.4/api/python/core_functions.md#setproperty) to set an occurrence material property (value can be set to "0" to clear the property). They are defined by a pattern and properties that are specific to each pattern. #### PBR pattern **Physically Based Rendering** materials are a more complex way of decribing lightning than what [standard materials](/asset-transformer-sdk/2026.4/api/python/material_types.md#standardmaterialinfos) is offering. It allows to achieve a better visual quality than with more simple lit materials. Almost all 3D realtime engine implement PBR approach, and some 3D file formats like glTF have standardized channels and shader implementation. This table shows the properties of Pixyz PBR materials: | Property | Type | Description | | ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------- | | Name | [String](/asset-transformer-sdk/2026.4/api/python/core_types.md#string) | | | albedo | [ColorOrTexture](/asset-transformer-sdk/2026.4/api/python/material_types.md#colorortexture) | | | normal | [ColorOrTexture](/asset-transformer-sdk/2026.4/api/python/material_types.md#colorortexture) | | | metallic | [CoeffOrTexture](/asset-transformer-sdk/2026.4/api/python/material_types.md#coeffortexture) | | | roughness | [CoeffOrTexture](/asset-transformer-sdk/2026.4/api/python/material_types.md#coeffortexture) | | | ao | [CoeffOrTexture](/asset-transformer-sdk/2026.4/api/python/material_types.md#coeffortexture) | | | opacity | [CoeffOrTexture](/asset-transformer-sdk/2026.4/api/python/material_types.md#coeffortexture) | | | emissive | [ColorOrTexture](/asset-transformer-sdk/2026.4/api/python/material_types.md#colorortexture) | | | Id | [Ident](/asset-transformer-sdk/2026.4/api/python/core_types.md#ident) | A unique unsigned int identifier. | | DepthTestEnabled | [Boolean](/asset-transformer-sdk/2026.4/api/python/core_types.md#boolean) | | | BackFaceMode | Enum: 0, 1, 2 | | | R | [Boolean](/asset-transformer-sdk/2026.4/api/python/core_types.md#boolean) | Red mask. | | G | [Boolean](/asset-transformer-sdk/2026.4/api/python/core_types.md#boolean) | Green mask. | | B | [Boolean](/asset-transformer-sdk/2026.4/api/python/core_types.md#boolean) | Blue mask. | | A | [Boolean](/asset-transformer-sdk/2026.4/api/python/core_types.md#boolean) | Alpha mask. | > **Tip:** > > Exporting your scene and objects using format supporting standardized PBR materials like glTF, will ensure you to preserve a good visual quality when you will import your file in another tool. ## Code example ### Create a sphere with a PBR material attached Let's create a test scene with PBR material assigned to a sphere ```python title="Python" sphere = scene.createSphere(30, 16, 16, True) mat1 = material.createMaterial("my_custom_PBR_material", "PBR") scene.setOccurrenceMaterial(sphere, mat1) core.setProperty(mat1, "albedo", "COLOR([1.0, 0, 1.0])") core.setProperty(mat1, "roughness", "COEFF(0.1)") core.setProperty(mat1, "metallic", "COEFF(0.2)") core.setProperty(mat1, "opacity", "COEFF(0.3)") # We can check all the properties from the Occurence material properties = core.listProperties(mat1) print("My material properties: " + str(properties)) # By knowning it's a PBR material, we can access to material properties in an easier way if material.getMaterialPattern(mat1) == "PBR": materialInfo = material.getPBRMaterialInfos(mat1) print("My material PBR metallic value is: " + str(materialInfo.metallic)) ``` ### Retrieve material, convert it to PBR and assign texture To enhance the visual quality of our model, we want to retrieve a specific material, convert it to PBR then assign a texture. ```python title="Python" # Create a sphere and add a "standard" material to it def createTestOccurrenceWithMaterial(): sphere = scene.createSphere(30, 30, 30, True) mat2 = material.createMaterial("my_material", "standard") scene.setOccurrenceMaterial(sphere, mat2) core.setProperty(mat2, "diffuse", "COLOR([0.0, 0.0, 0.8])") core.setProperty(mat2, "specular", "COLOR([1.0, 1.0, 1.0])") core.setProperty(mat2, "ambient", "COLOR([1.0, 0.0, 0.0])") return sphere def convertOccurrenceMaterialToPBR(occurrence): materialList = scene.getMaterialsFromSubtree(occurrence) print("My initial material pattern is: " + material.getMaterialPattern(materialList[0])) scene.convertMaterialsToPBR(materialList) print("My new material pattern is: " + material.getMaterialPattern(materialList[0])) return materialList[0] def createAnImageAndAssignItToPBRTexture(pbrMaterial): # We could use material.importImage(path) to import an image # But let's create a red image with 4 pixels from RAW data for learning purpose imageDefinition = material.ImageDefinition(name="my custom image", id=0, # Filled later when we will create the image width=2, height=2, layout=material.ImageLayout.RGB, type=material.ImageComponentType.UInt8_Norm, data=bytearray([255, 0, 0, 255, 0, 0, 255, 0, 0, 255, 0, 0])) image = material.createImageFromDefinition(imageDefinition) albedo_texture = material.Texture(image=image, channel=0, offset=geom.Point2(0, 0), tilling=geom.Point2(0, 0)) materialInfo = material.getPBRMaterialInfos(pbrMaterial) materialInfo.albedo = ['texture', albedo_texture] material.setPBRMaterialInfos(pbrMaterial, materialInfo) sphere = createTestOccurrenceWithMaterial() #Sphere is blue in standard material pbrMaterial = convertOccurrenceMaterialToPBR(sphere) createAnImageAndAssignItToPBRTexture(pbrMaterial) #Sphere is now red with a texture as albedo in PBR material ```