AO Baking Artifacts

[panospallaris]

Having a recurring issue with AO bakes within painter - visible seam artifacts around the point where two separate mesh objects meet.

This particular asset is a high poly model i'm currently working. Here I am using a dirt generator with the AO map to create some dirt around contact points. Can clearly see the gaps where the AO map is not doing its job. I have tried different settings to no avail. Wondering if I missing something? Any help appreciated.

thanks

[Froyok]

Try changing the "Cosine" setting to "Uniform" in the AO parameters. That should get rid of the white line in cavity areas.
You will have to tweak a bit some other parameters too.

[panospallaris]

I tried that. Didn't improve matters. I noticed with uniform the darker areas are a little more pronounced but the artifact remains.

[Froyok]

What does happens then if you increase the anti-aliasing setting ?

[panospallaris]

The edge just gets smoother. default and 4x4 sub-sampling below

[Froyok]

Okay, then try to disabling the "ignore backface" setting in the Ambient Occlusion settings (not the one in the common settings).

[panospallaris]

Didnt help. I can get around these precision issues by baking my AO maps in VRay but it's another step in the prep process which is a pain.

[Froyok]

Hmm, strange then.
Can you share the meshes ?

[panospallaris]

Hey Froyok,

Could you send me your email in a pm, I would like to attach the meshes to an email if that's ok?

thanks

[Froyok]

My e-mail is available right below my avatar.

[panospallaris]

If i click on the email icon it takes me to a text only form and I cant attach anything

i'll send one anyway.

[Froyok]

I was able to bake without any white seams as in your screenshot with the parameter I mentioned in my previous post. I have attached screenshots of my settings.

[panospallaris]

Its much improved with those settings - contact points are mostly solid now - a couple bright sparkle areas which i can see in your screenshot also.

Bigger issue is I still get visible artifacts at UV seams - attached pic.

[panospallaris]

I think a lot of the problems i've been getting with my hi poly stuff has been down to the baked maps. Also having problems with the curvature map precision issues.

-Dark edges in curvature maps at the seams.
-AO not transitioning smoothly between UV islands.

[Froyok]

The issue here come from your mesh. You have an UV split at each edges, but the UV island are next to each other, which lead to this artifact. For example I tried moving one UV island elsewhere and rebaked and the issue was gone.