> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.m-xr.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.m-xr.com/marso-studio/preparing-your-assets/sourcing-and-preparing-assets.md).

# Sourcing & preparing assets

Marso Studio **enhances** materials — it doesn't repair geometry or compensate for a poor scan. The quality of your output is tied directly to the quality of your input. This page covers what makes a good input and where to find assets to try.

### Two questions that decide how to prepare your file

**1. Does it have a texture?**

Your asset must carry an image-based base-colour texture.

* ✅ Has a texture
* ❌ Vertex colours only — these aren't textures and will be rejected

**2. Where did the mesh come from?**

| AI-generated mesh                                           | Your own mesh                                  |
| ----------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| Created with a generative model — text-to-3D or image-to-3D | An artist-made model, or a photogrammetry scan |

The preparation rules differ slightly for each.

#### AI-generated assets

* ✅ Has a texture
* ✅ **Has shading** — the model works best with assets that carry shading and lighting cues in the base colour; this outperforms flat shading
* ❌ Flat shading, or a plain base colour with no lighting information
* ❌ Already has PBR materials

#### Your own mesh

* ✅ **Unique UVs** — parts of the asset don't share the same UV space
* ❌ **Tileable textures** — bake these down to a single UV map first
* ❌ **Procedural textures** — bake these to a single UV map first
* ❌ Already has PBR materials

> **Why "no existing PBR"?** The model's job is to *predict* the PBR stack. An asset that already carries PBR materials works against that prediction — bring a clean, base-colour asset and let Marso Studio do the rest.

### Keep files under 100 MB

Large files are slow to upload and more likely to fail. Decimate or optimise heavy meshes before uploading. Texture size also has an impact, a GLB with an 8k texture will be slower than a GLB with a 2k texture.

### Check before you generate

* Confirm the asset opens with its base-colour texture visible.
* Inspect the UVs — look for overlapping or shared UVs on parts that should be unique.
* Make sure there's no PBR already applied.

### Where to find assets to try

* **Example assets** — every new project comes preloaded with 10 example assets so you can see how Marso Studio works before bringing your own.
* **Generate your own** — use the image → 3D nodes inside Marso Studio to create an asset from scratch. See From image to textured 3D.

***

Next: check the exact format rules in [3D file support](/marso-studio/preparing-your-assets/3d-file-support.md).


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