NEW IN R20
Ambient OcclusionPreview Basic Inputs Outputs Context
Ambient Occlusion calculates the gray scales whose brightness is dependent on the occlusion by surfaces and objects in close proximity. The greater the distance between neighboring surfaces, the brighter the AO calculation will be for a given pixel. Areas that lie in gaps or between objects will on the other hand have a dark AO effect applied to them. The effect is similar to a shadow only that it is calculated according to the illumination of the surface. The only deciding factor is the distance between the currently calculated point and neighboring surfaces.
This calculation can also be inverted, whereby the inner angle of an object will be included in the calculation. At spikes and sharp edges, a darkening will be calculated whereby the surfaces areas will remain brighter. If this dispersion of brightness is, for example, inverted via an Invert Color Node, simple Subsurface Scattering effects can also be simulated.