topic Re: How can I connect the Ambient Occlusion Shader to a textured Arnold Standard Shader? in Arnold for Maya Forum

How can I connect the Ambient Occlusion Shader to a textured Arnold Standard Shader?

anoh94 — Sun, 04 Feb 2018 08:37:19 GMT

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if it's possible to get Ambient Occlusion connected to a Standard Arnold Shader that has texture files connected to it? Basically would like to get the dark shadow AO added onto my textured environment.

Is there any way to achieve this?

Re: How can I connect the Ambient Occlusion Shader to a textured Arnold Standard Shader?

zenop — Sun, 04 Feb 2018 12:52:07 GMT

You can use a mix shader with the AO shader connected to the mix parameter, or you can use a layered texture shader and mix the AO shader on top of the diffuse only.

Re: How can I connect the Ambient Occlusion Shader to a textured Arnold Standard Shader?

Anonymous — Tue, 06 Aug 2019 16:06:10 GMT

Thanks Zeno, I know how to use a mix shader but what do you mean by layered? Just want to improve.

Re: How can I connect the Ambient Occlusion Shader to a textured Arnold Standard Shader?

lee_griggs — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 06:42:23 GMT

Layer textures are here.

Re: How can I connect the Ambient Occlusion Shader to a textured Arnold Standard Shader?

aaronfross — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 18:38:16 GMT

There's a material called aiLayerShader that lets you composite materials on each other. This would be the way to go if you want to mask the entire material and all components... diffuse, specular, SSS, etc.

Another way to go would be to send the AO to the Weight inputs of each material component such as diffuse or specular.

Still another way to go, depending on the results you want, would be to install the AO Light Filter. It's a secret magic Arnold plugin that is not included with the installation. There's no good reason this isn't available. It's super useful. You can get fake GI by disabling all Diffuse rays, adding a Skydome without shadows, and then adding the AO Light Filter to the Skydome.

aolightfilter.zip

Re: How can I connect the Ambient Occlusion Shader to a textured Arnold Standard Shader?

Anonymous — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 19:14:42 GMT

Would you also have the source for that filter?

Re: How can I connect the Ambient Occlusion Shader to a textured Arnold Standard Shader?

aaronfross — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 20:18:30 GMT

Here's the source for Mike Farnsworth's AO Light Filter

aolightfiltershader.zip

Re: How can I connect the Ambient Occlusion Shader to a textured Arnold Standard Shader?

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 08:26:22 GMT

Thanks for that! Seems to have a similar effect as the shadow controls Renderman had for years.

However, maybe I'm missing something but is that any different from comping over an AO pass with the same settings?

Re: How can I connect the Ambient Occlusion Shader to a textured Arnold Standard Shader?

aaronfross — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 16:44:08 GMT

"is that any different from comping over an AO pass with the same settings?"

Depends on how much comping you want to do. If you saved the skydome illumination out as its own light group AOV render pass, then multiplied that with the AO pass, then yes, you'd get the same result ... transparent objects notwithstanding. If you did have transparent objects, then you'd need to create a material override for those so they wouldn't capture the AO pass. Using the light filter makes the whole job way easier.

Re: How can I connect the Ambient Occlusion Shader to a textured Arnold Standard Shader?

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Aug 2019 20:49:19 GMT

If somebody else wants to use that with Arnold 4 ...

Re: How can I connect the Ambient Occlusion Shader to a textured Arnold Standard Shader?

tatjana.jukova — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 04:51:02 GMT

Hi all, I've followed the installation instructions Mads has on his website(C/ProgramData/Autodesk/ApplicationPlugins), but I don't see the light filter show up in drop down menu for skydomes. His tutorial video is of little help sadly, as well since it doesn't cover installation of this plugin. Am I missing something?..A little help will be appreciated 🙂

Re: How can I connect the Ambient Occlusion Shader to a textured Arnold Standard Shader?

madsd — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 13:58:22 GMT

I don't know where the file have to go if you use Maya, but in MAX it should work if you put the .dll file into the root folder of the Arnold plugin.

Re: How can I connect the Ambient Occlusion Shader to a textured Arnold Standard Shader?

Anonymous — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 17:28:25 GMT

in maya the best way is to create a folder(LightFilter) with 02 subfolders(ae & bin)
AOLightFilter.dll & AOLightFilter.mtd in bin folder
AOLightfilterTemplate.py in ae folder
then add ARNOLD_PLUGIN_PATH & MTOA_TEMPLATES_PATH variables
ARNOLD_PLUGIN_PATH = C:\LightFilter\bin
MTOA_TEMPLATES_PATH = C:\LightFilter\ae

Here is LightFilter for Maya Houdini and Cinema4D
LightFilter.zip

here is the aeTemplate file

and here is the edited mtd file

Re: How can I connect the Ambient Occlusion Shader to a textured Arnold Standard Shader?

madsd — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 18:17:35 GMT

OK, I think Im going to update the files on my git where its located and rewrite description on site so it works with your py file.

Re: How can I connect the Ambient Occlusion Shader to a textured Arnold Standard Shader?

Anonymous — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 18:20:09 GMT

that's nice idea

For cinema4D
just put dll and mtd file to C:\Program Files\Maxon Cinema 4D R21\plugins\C4DtoA\arnold\plugins
For Houdini same as Maya but add ARNOLD_PLUGIN_PATH in houdin.env file or a json.fil
ARNOLD_PLUGIN_PATH = C:/LightFilter/bin

Re: How can I connect the Ambient Occlusion Shader to a textured Arnold Standard Shader?

madsd — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 18:35:36 GMT

Alright, Ill ping you to prof read when Ive updated it.
I dont suppose we could go all in, and you can provide 3 screenshots of some ui showing interconnections. Then Ill do the last. would make docu much better.

Re: How can I connect the Ambient Occlusion Shader to a textured Arnold Standard Shader?

tatjana.jukova — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 19:43:45 GMT

@rachid thanks for your answer. In which directory do you to create the folder specified? And "ARNOLD_PLUGIN_PATH & MTOA_TEMPLATES_PATH variables" - what is this?

Re: How can I connect the Ambient Occlusion Shader to a textured Arnold Standard Shader?

Anonymous — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 20:34:09 GMT

any directory you want
ARNOLD_PLUGIN_PATH to read the .dll and the .mtd file
MTOA_TEMPLATES_PATH to read the aeTemplate file

Re: How can I connect the Ambient Occlusion Shader to a textured Arnold Standard Shader?

Anonymous — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 20:38:38 GMT

yes you are right

here is the screenshot for Maya

for Houdini

For cinema4D

and here is the zipped file (maya asci file, houdini file, and Cinema4D file )

aoLightFilter.zip

Re: How can I connect the Ambient Occlusion Shader to a textured Arnold Standard Shader?

madsd — Sat, 28 Mar 2020 22:36:06 GMT

Perfect, I'll hook it up.