Difference between diffuse_direct and diffuse_indirect AOV

[Anonymous]

Would someone be able to explain the difference between the diffuse_direct and diffuse_indirect AOV's for Arnold? My understanding is that diffuse relates to light bouncing off surfaces, but I am unsure what the terms direct and indirect mean. The definitions for these AOV's on arnoldrenderer.com don't explain much.

[mspeer · Accepted solution]

Hi!

In short:

No bounce = diffuse_direct 

Bounced light (Ray Depth > 0) = diffuse_indirect 

I recommend to check the Arnold docs again, but instead of checking AOVs check the explanations of "Diffuse" in "arnold  render settings".

[Anonymous]

Hi thanks for the explanation and pointing me to the right article. Turns out the answer was simple as they often tend to be. I was under the incorrect impression that diffuse light refers to light bouncing of surfaces, but it turns out it relates to light hitting diffuse surfaces and it can be both direct and indirect.

Thanks for helping me out. I think I got the concept now.