Ambient Occlusion Map Generator
Generate restrained cavity shading from a texture without baking the same darkness into the base color.
Upload and preview without signing in. Sign in to download 256px and 512px PNGs. Mapper+ unlocks 1K, 2K, original-resolution export, and all six non-albedo PBR maps in one workspace.
Source image to Ambient occlusion preview
Upload and preview an AO map without signing in, tune radius and cavity strength, then sign in to export a 256px or 512px PNG locally.
Privacy: image decoding, pixel processing, preview, and PNG download run locally in the browser.
What does an ambient occlusion map do?
An ambient occlusion map stores how much ambient light can reach small cavities and contact regions. White means no added occlusion; darker values mean less ambient access. The PLAYTEX AI Ambient Occlusion Map Generator estimates cavity shading from image structure with radius, intensity, edge, and height-aware controls. AO should remain restrained and separate from broad shadows in albedo.
- White
- No added occlusion
- Dark values
- Restricted ambient access
- Free export
- 256px and 512px PNG
- ORM placement
- Red channel
How to use the Ambient Occlusion Map Generator
Prepare neutral source color
Remove broad lighting and avoid keeping the same cavity darkness in both albedo and AO.
Set the cavity scale
Radius determines how broadly nearby values influence occlusion. Match it to the surface features that should receive contact shading.
Tune restraint
Raise intensity carefully. Use edge boost or height-aware AO only when the extra cavity evidence improves the material under neutral lighting.
Export separately or pack it
Download AO as linear grayscale data, or use the ORM Texture Packer to place AO in red.
Texture AO, baked AO, and screen-space AO are different signals
Multiple occlusion methods can coexist, but stacking them without review often over-darkens the result.
| Approach | Best fit | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Texture-derived AO | Tileable material cavities and quick authoring. | Does not know final mesh contacts. |
| Mesh-baked AO | Object-specific creases and intersections. | Depends on final geometry and UVs. |
| Screen-space AO | Dynamic scene contact at runtime. | Can create camera artifacts and double-darkening. |
| ORM-packed AO | Reducing material texture samples. | The shader must read AO from the expected channel. |
Ambient Occlusion Map Generator FAQ
Should AO be baked into albedo?
No. Keep broad lighting and duplicate cavity darkness out of albedo so the material can respond correctly when scene lighting changes.
Should an AO map use sRGB?
No. Ambient occlusion is scalar material data and should normally be sampled as linear or non-color data.
Why does Three.js ignore an AO map?
The geometry may lack the second UV set expected by aoMap, or the red channel and intensity may not be configured correctly.
Can AO be packed with roughness and metallic?
Yes. The standalone ORM Texture Packer writes AO to red, roughness to green, and metallic to blue.
Is the Ambient Occlusion Map Generator free?
Yes. As of August 26, 2026, the Ambient Occlusion Map Generator is free after sign-in. Free accounts can process images in the browser and export 256px or 512px PNG files.
Which Ambient Occlusion Map Generator export sizes require Mapper?
Exports above 512px require Mapper or a higher plan. Mapper+ unlocks 1K, 2K, and original-resolution export in the standalone tool, plus the full PBR Map Generator for creating normal, height, roughness, metallic, ambient occlusion, and emission maps together.