MSFS Ambient Occlusion Baking in Blender for MSFS

[lionheart]

Is there a simple way to do Ambient Occlusion maps in Blender? Otmar had shown me a way and after learning blender (3 or 4 weeks), I have forgotten the art of AO Baking...

I did get AO to work this evening, by creating a totally different material. However, its producing a non-smoothed render, like the part isnt smoothed.


This shows a yoke assembly with AO map, and one without but with its proper MSFS Albedo and Normal maps.

I didnt know these photos were that huge... :S

 

[Lagaffe]

Hi,

You have several manners to create AO maps under Blender.
a) You can use intertal process (I don't use it and I forget the process to render it)
or
b) you can use the plugin TexTools for Blender which can create several maps: AO, AO Legacy, Bevel Mask, Curvature, Dust, Tangent, etc

I have made yet a post on Textool and some plugins: https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/t...ins-to-add-productivity-and-efficiency.448273)
As you can think, I use the second solution, il's better ! in my own opinion

 

[lionheart]

Hi,

You have several manners to create AO maps under Blender.
a) You can use intertal process (I don't use it and I forget the process to render it)
or
b) you can use the plugin TexTools for Blender which can create several maps: AO, AO Legacy, Bevel Mask, Curvature, Dust, Tangent, etc

I have made yet a post on Textool and some plugins: https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/t...ins-to-add-productivity-and-efficiency.448273)
As you can think, I use the second solution, il's better ! in my own opinion

Many thanks, Didier.

 

[lionheart]

I was able to get it to work last night by creating a new material only for making AO renders. That got my rendering with white background. Then I re-attached the original MSFS materials back to the parts.

I downloaded that TexTools. I hope to get that installed today and check it out. Hopefully it works with Blender 2.92 Beta.

 

[Lagaffe]

For MSFS, I had understand that it MSFS which calculate the AO, so why do you want to add more AO via your texture ?
Your model can risk of overexposure

 

[leprechaunlive]

For MSFS, I had understand that it MSFS which calculate the AO, so why do you want to add more AO via your texture ?
Your model can risk of overexposure

i thought the same, i thought that with PBR there wouldnt really be a need for AO baking.
BUT, i stumbled upon Vitus post on his Substance/Blender workflow, and he indeed talks about baking AO in Blender (he said its a very long and tedious process, but thats a VERY important step).

Aparently, his explanation was that you do it so all objects can share the same AO. Now i assume its more aircraft focused, and im in the process of studying what exactly he meant by that. So no definitive answer for now.

 

[Pyscen]

Hello...

Aircraft do have more ao areas that are more hidden or not seen as easily because of the lack of space. The ao, in general, isn't noticed as easily as shadows. The shadows though, aren't the same as the ambient occlusion. They aren't meant to be obvious.

 

[lionheart]

AO technology is pretty wild. The sim does do some AI in there, but it does request an AO in the Metal composite texture.

Now to see how to make the metal and roughness layers. :S

 

[Md Alavi]

AO technology is pretty wild. The sim does do some AI in there, but it does request an AO in the Metal composite texture.

Now to see how to make the metal and roughness layers. :S

MSFS is using screen spaced reflections, which is integrated in blender's EVEE rendering engine.

 

[leprechaunlive]

Yea, the closest match would indeed be EEVEEs render engine.