computer graphics

Corners Don't Look Like That: Regarding Screenspace Ambient Occlusion

2 months ago

The author critiques Screen-Space Ambient Occlusion (SSAO) in games, arguing it often produces unrealistic darkening in corners due to misconceptions about real-world lighting.
Photographic evidence from real apartment corners shows that perceived darkening is often subtle or caused by factors like soft shadows or Mach banding, not just ambient occlusion.
Graphs of pixel brightness across edges reveal minimal darkening effects in many real-world corners, contradicting exaggerated SSAO renderings.
The author suggests SSAO should be used sparingly, as prominent edge-darkening in real life usually occurs only when surfaces are already darkened by other lighting factors.
The post includes technical details on photography methods and code for generating brightness graphs, emphasizing the need for more accurate data in graphics research.