How do I create and add AO maps onto multiple objects in a single game scene?

[forrestmanning]

Hey there everyone!

Please excuse my potentially stupid question - I've scoured the internet for simple, step-by-step instructions but haven't found it yet.

This is for a flower shop scene with around 100 UV unwrapped and textured objects. All these objects need texture, lighting, normals and AO to display in real time in a VR game scene. I'm using Maya and Unity 2017 and live ambient occlusion is very GPU-expensive, so I think I need to bake it Maya with Arnold, but can't find instructions.

*Will you please explain at a 101 level, basic instructions how I'd bake ambient occlusion shading into multiple objects in a Maya scene for Unity? *

Is it the same AO texture applied in an atlas to everything? Is this done in Maya? does each object have their own AO texture that somehow interacts with the nearby object?

It's extra confusing to me, because I've only ever textured single objects and props in maya. I sort-of understand rendering an AO pass for a still image, but a group of real-time game objects is boggling my mind.

thanks for any help you may have!!

Here's an example of the look I'd like, but of course real-time with textures

[sean.heasley]

Hi @forrestmanning and welcome to the community!

This is a great question!

When it comes to baking AO maps for a large scene like the one you showed, there isn't really a simple way to just bake one texture that applies across the whole scene. Especially since you mentioned this is going to be in a VR game where the player can walk around and look at every object, you're going to want to make an AO map for every object.

I saw you mentioned that you have textured individual objects in Maya in the past. If so then you're already almost there!

The only difference between that and the scene you are working on now is that you need to do that same process that you did for one prop, for every object in this scene.

One thing to keep in mind is, you can probably get away with duplicating meshes/textures to save yourself some time.

For example, you can texture one building and duplicate it three times that way you don't have to make three unique buildings and texture maps. 

I hope this information helps and you're able to get a better idea how to approach the scene you are working on. If not or if you would like more information feel free to let me know and I'd be happy to help however I can!

If one or more of these posts helped answer your question, please click Accept as Solution on the posts that helped you so others in the community can find them easily.

Kudos are greatly appreciated. Everyone likes a thumbs up!

[forrestmanning]

ThanksSean, that's a good start - but the problem remains that I can't find instructions on creating AO Maps for Maya 2017......

Will you please explain step by step instructions how I'd bake ambient occlusion shading into multiple objects in a Maya scene for Unity? 

[sean.heasley]

Ah ok well you have two options!

Option 1: Turtle

This is one of the more common ways to bake AO maps in Maya instead of using a different program like Substance Painter.

Here's a great video that properly shows how to bake with Turtle.

Option 2: Arnold

For baking an AO map in arnold

• Assign a surface shader to all your objects.
• Connect an aiAmbientOcclusion to your surface shaders Out Color.
• Render to texture via Arnold->Utilities->Render Selection To Texture.  

Here's a video that covers that as well!

Let me know if you need any more information!

[mspeer]

Hi!

Option 3: Mental Ray:

Get "free" Mental Ray for Maya 2017 plug-in and get some features back (from previous Maya Versions) for baking.

[sean.heasley]

Hi @forrestmanning

I'm just checking in to see if you need more help with this. Did the suggestion that @mspeer or I provided work for you?

If so, please click Accept as Solution on the posts that helped you so others in the community can find them easily.