AO question - Xnormal

The_Kozmonaut

So I was under the assumption that an AO map is just used as an overlay or multiply on the diffuse. Is that correct? Because I noticed in Xnormal there is a separate upload option for AO in the model viewer.
-thanks

Ged

I think some engines use a seperate AO channell, I dont know if it will look exactly the same as just multiplying it over the diffuse though.

Eric Chadwick

Sometimes I want the AO to mask all lighting... including diffuse, specular, reflection, ambient cube, etc. So then I apply it as an overall multiplier.

Also it's similar to a lightmap in that it sometimes requires a separate UV layout than the diffuse UV, if the diffuse is mirrored or overlapped/reused.

YMMV of course.

MoP

I tend to use an AO map just as a multiply layer on my diffuse/spec maps. Some engines use a separate AO/lightmap pass, hence the option to do it in XNormal.