Ambient Occlusion (AO) is a shading method used in 3D computer graphics which helps add realism to local reflection models by taking into account attenuation of light due to occlusion.
Why Use an AO Map?
In simple terms, an AO map determines how much environmental light is blocked by the model's geometry. It darkens crevices, corners, and areas where objects make contact.
Without AO, objects can look "floating" or flat. With AO, they feel grounded and have better volume definition.
How it works
An Ambient Occlusion Map is a grayscale image where:
- White (1.0): Areas fully exposed to ambient light.
- Black (0.0): Areas fully occluded (in shadow).
In game engines, the AO map is often multiplied over the Diffuse/Albedo map to add subtle shadowing detail that real-time lighting might miss.
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