What is ambient occlusion?

Ambient occlusion is a rendering technique used in computer graphics to simulate how ambient light interacts with the surfaces in a scene. It calculates the amount of ambient light that reaches a point on a surface by taking into account the geometry of the scene and the proximity of other surfaces that might obstruct the light. This helps to create more realistic and immersive scenes by adding depth and shadows to objects.

There are several methods for achieving ambient occlusion, including screen space ambient occlusion (SSAO), ray tracing, and voxel cone tracing. Each method has its own strengths and weaknesses depending on factors such as performance requirements, scene complexity, and desired level of realism.

Ambient occlusion can be used in various applications, such as video games, architectural visualization, and animation. It is often combined with other rendering techniques such as global illumination and physically based rendering to create more realistic and visually appealing scenes.