Convert ambient occlusion to vertex paint

NAIMA

Hello , i need to convert AO maps into vpaint in 3dsmax is that possible ? If not other eay around to apply on a model?

Idlero

Blender can do this 3dsmax maybe but i dont know how

http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Extensions:2.6/Py/Scripts/UV/Bake_Texture_to_Vertex_Colors

Eric Chadwick

Easy in Max. Check out the Vertex Paint modifier.

NAIMA

Ok thanks , but I do not have blender, i have max so how can I do with max? Btw I generate the AO backing a hp model into a lp in xnormal.

NAIMA

Eric Chadwick wrote: »

Easy in Max. Check out the Vertex Paint modifier.

Sorry but i cannot find any reference to the importing of any map in the vertex paint modifier on 3dsmax unless I am missing something?

Noors

You apply a standard mat with the map on diffuse.
Apply vertexpaint modifier,
in assign vertex colors, check diffuse only, mapping in the rendering options
hit assign,
remove the map.

for some reason color by face result is overexposed but color by vertex works here. Weird
edit :it works if you put material self illumination to 100

Fingus

Can you bake to Vertex Color in Max? You can in Maya, and export as texture as well. It's great for quick and dirty lowpoly AO.

Eric Chadwick

Yep, Max can bake AO to VC, it's in the Vertex Paint modifier. Some info on our wiki
http://wiki.polycount.net/AmbientOcclusionVertexColor#A3ds_Max_-_Radiosity

NAIMA was looking for instructions how to convert a bitmap into VC, which Noors describes above. Cool trick. I bet Maya allows this too somehow.

Fingus

I suppose you could use Batch Bake with the Light and Color setting, and use a material with Ambient Light set to 100%. I don't have time to test right now, but that might do it.

NAIMA

Tried it but the results arent good , the model barely takes any vertex shade coloring and I get better results hand painting , seems dor some reason the AO map dont get translated properly into the vertex paint modifier ... Perhaps couse is take from a hp and poorly adapts. To the lp?

Noors

I've tested and it runs the way it should
I don't know what you were expecting, there's no magic.
Baker sample the pixel color over each vertex. If you don't have enough geo, or if the pixel on the vertex isn't a representative color, it won't look great.

NAIMA

the model I used was less polygon heavy than tthe original , can u post a pic of ur high and low models u used to make it work?

Noors

I've tested the process to bake a map into vertex color on a simple sphere. And it does what it is meant to do.
Here map baked on 128 and 16 sements spheres.

I don't have an example with a AO from a highpoly baked onto vertex color, which is anyway the same process and probably the same result as baking directly AO into the lp vertex color.
Post your test instead.