Ambient occlusion

[Ghostdog]

FYI there 2 opportunities to calculate AO, as mentioned above during the quadrangulation process, and then once in paint you can calculate again if desired using Textures -> Calc occlusion.

Just in case, same page on we are not.

[AbnRanger]

The detail comes from the normal map and the color textures.

This shot I found doesn't have a ton of detail:

http://scottdewoody.com/images/tutorials/occ10a.jpg

But the AO still helps the final shot look pretty nice.

http://scottdewoody.com/images/tutorials/occ_final.jpg

I understand what you're saying, Phil, but it's comparing apples and oranges, I believe. What I'm talking about is, let's say your Orc bust, for example...the merge to PPP prompt in 3dc clearly states that you CANNOT bake shadow/AO detail (the small details that aren't going to show on the mesh itself...like little horns, wrinkles, small crevices, etc.) from a normal map as it does not displace any geometry...therefore you miss the opportunity to get AO in all the little details you spent time on in the Voxel Room.

The only way, then to bake an AO map outside of 3DC with those tertiary details contributing/casting shadow detail to the output, is to have a mesh dense enough to cast those shadows/details during the baking session. The reason I asked what you guys did, is I was wondering if you exported a dense mesh to do that, or were you able to somehow get the AO baking to occur after it calculates displacement, or something.

Again, a normal map gives the texture baking tool nothing (geometry) to work with as it is merely a 2D trick.

[philnolan3d]

See I'm not trying to bake anything maybe that's the confusion. I'm just creating AO based on what's there in the painting room.

[AbnRanger]

See I'm not trying to bake anything maybe that's the confusion. I'm just creating AO based on what's there in the painting room.

You're playing with my words here, Phil. What's the point in doing that? I'm talking about baking a AO map...the term "Baking" isn't just for collecting everything onto a diffuse/color map. You BAKE (render...is that good?) normal maps, displacement maps...and yes, you BAKE out AO maps.

[philnolan3d]

Sorry I've just always used that term for getting high res details onto an image map based on a low res object.

Like this little sample I just made up, there is not any high res geometry used here it's just one model with 31 polys.

[Taros]

You get the prompt in 3DC that, in order to bake occlusion, it needs to do so before merging the model in a low poly state...if you don't use that, then what detail are you baking from....exporting to an extremely high-poly model to LW or XSI? I'm just asking...if there is a way to bake detailed occlusion maps from a displacement mapped model, then I'd like to give that a try.

What I do:

- I am using my high poly model from 3DC, which have a uv set.

- Then load the mesh into Softimage (The gigacore polygon engine allows to load very high detailed objects)

- Then bake it with "rendermap" in SI to a texture file

That's it.

[AbnRanger]

What I do:

- I am using my high poly model from 3DC, which have a uv set.

- Then load the mesh into Softimage (The gigacore polygon engine allows to load very high detailed objects)

- Then bake it with "rendermap" in SI to a texture file

That's it.

Cool....the reason I ask is that I had a lot of trouble baking a decent normal map almost a month ago, and I spent nearly 4 days troubleshooting when it should have only taken 4 minutes (or less). Turns out, it was a bug, and Andrew quickly fixed it. During this time, I was thinking of doing a direct export straight out of the Voxel Room, and trying to bake the normal map within Max...but I was afraid to send something that dense over, and using Poly reduction would likely force a loss of some detail.

So I've been thinking about perhaps using the Displacement Modifier in Max (which essentially applies the displacement to the object in the viewport, driven by a displacemtn map) to bake a good AO map from, instead of using 3DC's AO. That's why I was asking if you guys were doing the same, or what method you were using.

[Calabi]

XNormal can bake high poly AO maps on to low poly without actually loading(, meaning no preview in a viewport or anything, just calculates it purely in the background.) the meshs.

[Taros]

Cool....the reason I ask is that I had a lot of trouble baking a decent normal map almost a month ago, and I spent nearly 4 days troubleshooting when it should have only taken 4 minutes (or less). Turns out, it was a bug, and Andrew quickly fixed it. During this time, I was thinking of doing a direct export straight out of the Voxel Room, and trying to bake the normal map within Max...but I was afraid to send something that dense over, and using Poly reduction would likely force a loss of some detail.

So I've been thinking about perhaps using the Displacement Modifier in Max (which essentially applies the displacement to the object in the viewport, driven by a displacemtn map) to bake a good AO map from, instead of using 3DC's AO. That's why I was asking if you guys were doing the same, or what method you were using.

I have a very easy way to work with problems or bugs in all tools:

1. If I don't find a solution in less than 15 minutes, I do the following:

-> Ask someone, who could know a solution (Friend, Collegue or Forums - in this order)

-> Use an application that could solve the problem too. Maybe in another way, but more important is the solution.

This helps me to not get headaches or possible infarction...

[wailingmonkey]

bump....

hoping to generate your interest towards this request, Andrew!

(please visit page 1 for user rationale for this request some time ago)

[AbnRanger]

bump....

hoping to generate your interest towards this request, Andrew!

(please visit page 1 for user rationale for this request some time ago)

+1. I'm hoping for CUDA optimization in Voxels first (Andrew said that would come after he did some important bug-squashing). But after that, this would be next on the list.

[Carlosan]

+1