SSAO Generator
This node can generate Screen Space Ambient Occlusion using a World Position and Normals AOV
Quick Start
How To Use
Step 1: Connect the input to a render that has World Position and Normals data
Step 2: Change the knobs to get the AO look you want
Step 3: Multiply the result over your render. Isolate to regions with a MaskBuddy, as needed
SSAO is not physically accurate to lighting. As a result it can create unrealistic looks, keep this in mind as you apply it
Other Features
AOVs
At the top of the node you can select the input AOVs
AOV P = World Position
AOV N = Normals
Samples
Increasing the samples will increase the quality at the cost of higher resources. Values like 12, 24, 48, 64, 128, 256, etc. can be set to reduce the overall noise. The default value of 48 is a good starting point, that doesn’t use too many resources
Surface Bias
This pushes the sampling above the geo a little bit to prevent surfaces from shadowing themselves, which can cause banding, and other artifacts
Edge Filter
Before calculating AO, the script looks at the neighboring pixels. If the distance between these neighbors is too large it assumes it's at the edge of an object, against a far background, and floods the pixel with pure white
2d Screen Radius
Adjust this knob to increase how far in 2d screen space the AO will reach, relative to the sampled pixel. A low value will produce a tight, sharp AO, while higher values produce a much softer ambient lighting look. Higher values are also slower to calculate, so keep that in mind
3D World Radius
Adjust this knob to increase how far in 3D world space the AO will reach, relative to the sampled pixel. Keeping this value low will reduce the amount of dark halos you get around separate objects, but depending on your 3D world scale “Low” can be anything, so adjust until you see the dark halos go away.
AO Intensity
Adjust this knob to increase the intensity of the AO. This will make the shadows darker with higher values. Be careful not to make them pure black, because when you multiply the AO result back over your image it can look strange. A subtle, and soft AO generally gives the best results
Versions History
Below is a list of the version release numbers, and their changes. You can see your current version at the bottom of Info tab of the tool
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Initial release