IN PROGRESS: Recommendations/workflow for AO map creation to use in DDO

Prime8

Hi Quixel users and everyone else!

I wonder if there are any recommendation regarding how an AO map should look like to be optimally used DDO and a workflow how to create those.

Currently I'm doing the following:
1. make AO from high to low poly in Blender
2. add details to normal map with NDO
3. a) convert edited normal map to AO using NDO as well OR b) extract layers with the edited details from the NDO normal map and create fake AO in PS manually
4. combine original map from 1. with the map from 3.

I don't actually know if it is a good idea to combine the backed AO with an AO map generated by NDO, since the map from NDO usually covers the whole map or should I just add AO were I added the details in the normal map?!

When generating an AO map in NDO it is brownish-blue instead of greyscale, that is something I don't understand either, would appreciate some explanation as well.

To use the AO map optimally in DDO, is there any general recommendation, should it have a high contrast, be more dark or bright, having tight or wide shadows?
Probably the answer is that it depends on what I want to achieve, anyway would like to hear how you are doing it.

Cheers!

bac9-flcl

Yes, it's correct to combine NDO detail AO and highpoly AO into one map since in a scenario where you would've had those details in the highpoly originally, they would've been present in the AO bake. Just make sure that the map you get out of NDO only has AO from stuff you've added there, so that you won't get double shading on cavities baked from high-poly.

I'm not really satisfied with the quality of normal to AO conversion in NDO either, it looks weird to me and seems to be done with very imprecise disconnected strokes (increase the range to see it clearly), so I never use NDO to do it (I use Knald or CB instead).

Prime8

Thank you for the reply bac9-flcl.
I'm not eager to pay for a Knald or CB license just for that single function though
It would mean to add another program to the pipeline as well, trying to avoid that too.

The results from NDO seem to work ok with DDO, still I wonder why it's colored. I desaturate them actually at the moment.

bac9-flcl

I think it's colored because NDO pretty much calls a standard PS Filter Gallery effect with some specific settings that was not initially intended for generating AO at all and just happens to produce strokes that look right. So it's a side effect of the source image being colored prior to filter being applied. Can easily be patched by adding desaturation into the action, but I guess it's low on their list.

Avis Para.doc's

Yep it's far from perfect but you can achieve pretty good results using "Normal to Height" map converter function. I think it's make more physically accurate AO if you trim it right. Also you can try that metod sometimes it make a damn good results.

PS. Don't get it eather why ndo creates default AO with colored map in any combinations, so I made an action to desaturate it immediately after NDO stops :poly121:

teddybergsman

Thanks guys for highlighting this. Adding a default option for the AO to stay monochrome in the upcoming build!

- Teddy

Prime8

@Avis Para
will try hight map as well, thanks for the advice!

@Teddy
Awesome, happy to hear that! :thumbup: