Ambient Occlusion in source!?

[cz_squishy]

Ambient occlusion 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. Ambient occlusion attempts to approximate the way light radiates in real life, especially off what are normally considered non-reflective surfaces.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambient_occlusion

[complete]

i am new here. So sorry if this sounds stupid.
I am a software developer and interested in 3d programming.
At first glance of this discussion thread it seems that there is source code available for download and to experiment with. Is this an accurate assumption?

[Epifire]

I personally think newer Valve titles coming out support similar technology but I kept hearing that it did not. See look at edges in the levels of CS:GO and tell me what all this edge shading with walls and stuff looks like to you?







Looks a lot like ambient occlusion to me, and if it is not it could totally pass for it imo.

[Gary]

I believe they added an AO system to one of the build programs(probably VRAD, so it's not dynamic).
So it will only touch prop_statics and brushes.

[Epifire]

I believe they added an AO system to one of the build programs(probably VRAD, so it's not dynamic).
So it will only touch prop_statics and brushes.

Totally agrees with this guy.

[ScarT]

I believe they added an AO system to one of the build programs(probably VRAD, so it's not dynamic).
So it will only touch prop_statics and brushes.

They wouldn't really need shaders for that, as far as I know. And CS:GO (and Dota2) includes deferred shaders, SSAO and AO shaders.

[Kosire]

CSGO does the ambient occlusion on the lightmaps during the vrad pass, yes.

[Epifire]

It just makes me happy to see them upgrading lighting to look much more better. The skybox shadows just keep making me smile when ever I look at a CS:GO map. For mappers the new lighting is a huge plus since it merges the look of static props with the world much better. Does not appear to have as many invalid lighting positions either (aka black lit props) or maybe I am just seeing the result of good planing in the new maps.

[Armageddon]

It just makes me happy to see them upgrading lighting to look much more better. The skybox shadows just keep making me smile when ever I look at a CS:GO map. For mappers the new lighting is a huge plus since it merges the look of static props with the world much better. Does not appear to have as many invalid lighting positions either (aka black lit props) or maybe I am just seeing the result of good planing in the new maps.

Black lit props would be the mappers fault.

[Epifire]

It just makes me happy to see them upgrading lighting to look much more better. The skybox shadows just keep making me smile when ever I look at a CS:GO map. For mappers the new lighting is a huge plus since it merges the look of static props with the world much better. Does not appear to have as many invalid lighting positions either (aka black lit props) or maybe I am just seeing the result of good planing in the new maps.

Black lit props would be the mappers fault.

Well in other ways of saying it, badly or noticeably dark lit props greatly contrasted by the surrounding BSP brushes.

[Ken Chan]

Source Filmmaker have it, but it missing textures.
You can activate it with r_ssao 1 in console(and in game mode).

[cra0kalo]

Source Filmmaker have it, but it missing textures.
You can activate it with r_ssao 1 in console(and in game mode).

What do you mean missing texture? SSAO works in SFM

[Ken Chan]

It works when you make poster/movie in render mode, but when you do these in game mode(F11 / TF2 Scout mode), there will be missing textures.

[MrDetergent]

Source does not have a "AO bake" option for vrad. But actually that might be another good thing for valve to code into vrad. CPUs are probably at the level now to handle an extra layer to the compile process.


You can kind of fake AO in maps inbetween corners of walls in source engine using block light texture. Just put a 45 degree turned pieces into corners of the walls for areas you want too look "nicer". requires recompiling and tweaking lighting to perfect it. Dont try it on a mass scale too time consuming. See this screenshot. Looks nice. The corners are darkened a bit.

ao_sourcewalls.jpg

AO in the corners of walls using blocklight texture

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