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FSX Ambient occlusion question?

S

STEW

Messages
211
Country
southafrica
Hi guys

i have a question regarding 3ds max ambient occlusion maps after i have renderd the texture and created a abmbient occlusion .TGA file i can only see a slight diffrence in the shadows and i would like them to be a bit darker how would i go about making them darker and another question i have is should one place lights in the 3ds max scene when creating a AO map?

thanks guys for the Help
 
For AO maps usually not, maybe that is the problem ?, I had the opposite problem my AO maps were too dark for my taste. :(
 
...An Ambient Occlusion (AO) map creates soft shadowing, as if the model was lit without a direct light source, like on a cloudy day. Similar map types: Cavity Map, Crevice Map, CurvatureMap, Dirt Map. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwiki.polycount.com%2FAmbientOcclusionMap&ei=ZGlcUbmKAtCN7Ab8qoHICA&usg=AFQjCNGR-_psVY9qMT-Dzya8qMiGJMWX2Q&sig2=o9H_peMCYuMci7iCJcUqNg&bvm=bv.44697112,d.ZGU
I am not paranoic, I think, I thought that those shadows not were right for sunny days in a beach hut, and more for winter seasons
 
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Tejal Bernardo said:
...An Ambient Occlusion (AO) map creates soft shadowing, as if the model was lit without a direct light source, like on a cloudy day. Similar map types: Cavity Map, Crevice Map, CurvatureMap, Dirt Map. http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CDIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwiki.polycount.com%2FAmbientOcclusionMap&ei=ZGlcUbmKAtCN7Ab8qoHICA&usg=AFQjCNGR-_psVY9qMT-Dzya8qMiGJMWX2Q&sig2=o9H_peMCYuMci7iCJcUqNg&bvm=bv.44697112,d.ZGU
I am not paranoic, I think, I thought that those shadows not were right for sunny days in a beach hut, and more for winter seasons
Click to expand...

Hi Tejal i see you did a bit of research :D im sure there is a way to make the sshadow slightley darker :scratchch
 
Easiest way is to layer copies of your baked AO texture in your favourite image editing software and play with levels, layer opacity and layer modes until you're satisfied with the outcome. Another way would be to tweak parameters in the renderer, that can be a wee bit more time-consuming and frustrating at times tho. With mental ray, try fiddling with the Spread and Falloff parameters in the AO material properties and see where that takes you. The AD help has some info on what each parameter does under Render To Texture -> Render To Texture Dialog -> Render To Texture: Baked Material Rollout.
 
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jan said:
Easiest way is to layer copies of your baked AO texture in your favourite image editing software and play with levels, layer opacity and layer modes until you're satisfied with the outcome. Another way would be to tweak parameters in the renderer, that can be a wee bit more time-consuming and frustrating at times tho. With mental ray, try fiddling with the Spread and Falloff parameters in the AO material properties and see where that takes you. The AD help has some info on what each parameter does under Render To Texture -> Render To Texture Dialog -> Render To Texture: Baked Material Rollout.
Click to expand...


Hi jan

Thanks will give it a try and see what it looks like :)
 
Hey Stew,

Try playing with these settings. They are just below the size settings of your output file (buttons with sizes, like 512X512, 1024X1024, 2048X2048, etc). This is in the Renderer window, brought up by tapping 'keyboard zero' key.

SELECTED ELEMENT UNIQUE SETTINGS
Samples.............200
Spread...............0.8
Max Distance......2.1
Fall Off..............1.0
Max Distance is area-outwards from corners and close walls/objects.
I believe spread is darkness.
(I cant find my notes on these.. arghhh)

These settings need to match in the Material for 'mr' Ambient Occlusion. This is adjusted (in the Material) in the Material Editor. Also, you will have copy/pasted this Material into the Material Override in the Renderer Setup/Processing tab/Material Override. The Material Override will only activate when you are rendering maps, like AO maps.
 
Hi Stew,

Not much to add what Jan and Bill wrote already.

Just a few thoughts and my experience: I changed from Gmax to Max already a while ago and, of course, I was crazy about rendering to texture and AO. My first reaction was also "That's almost not visible, I want to have more". After messing around a while I got it done, but the result was also not that satisfying.
So, what I did was having a walk at a not too sunny day, trying to figure out how the shadows look like in corners of houses, at cars and so on. That's something you usually don't think about when leaving the house, but it's what AO is about.
I keep my AO layers on relative low level because I think it hits the reality at best. You can compare it simply by saving the texture one time with AO, take a screenshot and one time without AO. I'm sure you see a big difference, even the AO might not be that visible in first sign.
Just my thoughts about it..

Kai
 
lionheart said:
Hey Stew,

Try playing with these settings. They are just below the size settings of your output file (buttons with sizes, like 512X512, 1024X1024, 2048X2048, etc). This is in the Renderer window, brought up by tapping 'keyboard zero' key.

SELECTED ELEMENT UNIQUE SETTINGS
Samples.............200
Spread...............0.8
Max Distance......2.1
Fall Off..............1.0
Max Distance is area-outwards from corners and close walls/objects.
I believe spread is darkness.
(I cant find my notes on these.. arghhh)

These settings need to match in the Material for 'mr' Ambient Occlusion. This is adjusted (in the Material) in the Material Editor. Also, you will have copy/pasted this Material into the Material Override in the Renderer Setup/Processing tab/Material Override. The Material Override will only activate when you are rendering maps, like AO maps.
Click to expand...


Hi Bill

il give it a try with these settings currently im using Samples=220 ,spread=1.0
and fall out=1.0 also i have the material copyed and pasted in the material override as you mentioned in your brilliant tutorial i have attached some pics one off the render of the terminal with no AO map and the other with a AO map i dont know what you guys think but i think the shading should be a little darker or is this how they are ment to look :scratchch im open to comments its my first AO rendering :)
 
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I didn't use mental ray materials, just assign global illumination and enable final gather, not touch any thing more, render the ao map and blend in photoshop with my texures, with the multiply option. just that, these were my first ao maps. so I not sure about all this at all, but the result was for me too much dark textures, according to the type and zone of the building.
Anyway as said before there are many set up for AO maps. manipulate them in pthoshop can be a good deal.
 
STEW said:
Hi Bill

il give it a try with these settings currently im using Samples=220 ,spread=1.0
and fall out=1.0 also i have the material copyed and pasted in the material override as you mentioned in your brilliant tutorial i have attached some pics one off the render of the terminal with no AO map and the other with a AO map i dont know what you guys think but i think the shading should be a little darker or is this how they are ment to look :scratchch im open to comments its my first AO rendering :)
Click to expand...


Nice render!

Yep, you can darken this with a dual AO Map multiply, and adjust the second AO map with Opacity. Also continue to experiment with settings. Thats how I got to where mine is.

Note you have a dual sided issue going on at the doorway sides, where one side is to the windows, one to the entryway.

Looking good man!



Note.... Ambient Occlusion is not 'Shadows from the Sun'. It is corners and close area's to other surfaces where light is blocked or restricted. Shadows are different. You can create Ambient light shadows (some how, not there yet in my studies).


Bill
 
Kai503 said:
Hi Stew,

Not much to add what Jan and Bill wrote already.

Just a few thoughts and my experience: I changed from Gmax to Max already a while ago and, of course, I was crazy about rendering to texture and AO. My first reaction was also "That's almost not visible, I want to have more". After messing around a while I got it done, but the result was also not that satisfying.
So, what I did was having a walk at a not too sunny day, trying to figure out how the shadows look like in corners of houses, at cars and so on. That's something you usually don't think about when leaving the house, but it's what AO is about.
I keep my AO layers on relative low level because I think it hits the reality at best. You can compare it simply by saving the texture one time with AO, take a screenshot and one time without AO. I'm sure you see a big difference, even the AO might not be that visible in first sign.
Just my thoughts about it..

Kai
Click to expand...

Hi Kai503

I feel the same i love the new render to texture feature as it add a sense of more realism to your building in the form of shadows and im telling you im loving It:D guess i must just leave it as is and apply it to the texture and see how it shows in flightsim :)
 
lionheart said:
Nice render!

Yep, you can darken this with a dual AO Map multiply, and adjust the second AO map with Opacity. Also continue to experiment with settings. Thats how I got to where mine is.

Note you have a dual sided issue going on at the doorway sides, where one side is to the windows, one to the entryway.

Looking good man!



Note.... Ambient Occlusion is not 'Shadows from the Sun'. It is corners and close area's to other surfaces where light is blocked or restricted. Shadows are different. You can create Ambient light shadows (some how, not there yet in my studies).


Bill
Click to expand...
Hi Bill

Thanks for the kind Words:D im loving the amount off fun this is i will just muliply the layer in photoshop and see how the outcome is if its to dark jut change the opacity of the second layer and thanks for the heads up of the Dual sided issue will see if i can fix that thanks guys:D
 
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