Surface Foundry / FIELD NOTE
Read before wiring
Extract the set into a dedicated folder and read the filenames. Each asset page lists the files actually included, so do not assume that every surface has an identical set of maps. Keep that folder together and use a consistent material name in your scene.
In a typical metallic-roughness setup, colour belongs in the base-colour input, roughness controls the spread of reflections, and a metallic map distinguishes metallic regions when supplied. Treat scalar and vector maps as data. Check your renderer's colour-space settings instead of applying a colour transform to every image. See the Blender Principled BSDF reference for input meanings.
Build the material in stages
Begin with colour alone on a simple test plane. Check that the texture is oriented correctly and that its pattern has a sensible size. Add roughness and inspect the result under a broad light. Finally, route the chosen normal image through the renderer's normal-map input or conversion node. The normal image is not a colour photograph.
If a metal looks flat, test the scene's reflections before editing the maps. A dark, featureless environment gives a reflective object very little to reflect. Try the same object under Window light and Skylit atrium, keeping exposure comparable.
Keep height separate
A height map can drive bump or geometry displacement, but those produce different results. Bump changes shading; real displacement changes the shape and needs suitable geometry and renderer configuration. The Blender displacement reference explains the distinction.
On Quiet concrete, start with modest surface detail and a neutral light. Record your map connections and scale before bringing the material into a more complex scene. This small test becomes a useful baseline when another renderer or export looks different.