Quote:Original post by HellRaiZer
Never the less, and because the initial question was about a more correct ambient model, i'll to try it. This may not be exactly what they are doing in CryEngine 2 but it is better that the constant ambient term.
There a number of hacks, that can be made and look like it is real. It is very hard to estimate the amount of bounced light, so if there is ANY, the eye will just appreciate it.
I know some ppl, that do just hacks and got it working (bounced lighting in indoor environments).
The first step, is to compute just AO and compute local ambient light, that will be multiplied by that AO map. Use AO map, only on geometry that's in shadow. That way, when light comes into a room/sector and you increase ambient light strength, you'll get similar effect of backfaces being lit.
Main problem is the same amount of light that the whole sector will get.
Next one, is to try SHs with distance information in them. Per-vertex, with per-pixel AO. That can look better, but it is up to you to decide is the efford worth it (since precomputation can be way slower).
Quote:Original post by HellRaiZer
And one last thing. From those of you who have implemented AO maps, is this really AO, or there is any detail that makes it a different thing?
This is not AO. AO affects only ambient lighting, and here we have local light that changes lighting in the whole room, including areas in shadow.
Anyway, AO-only looks sweet too, in outdoor scenes for example, where ambient term is strong. We use that and it the difference is visible, for sure :)