A Guide to SSAO - for graphics programmers who'd like to learn about SSAO

[Natrox]

[img]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/17984511/SSAO/logo-thread.png[/img]

Hello there,

A while ago, I posted some SSAO stuff in WAYWO; some pictures and drafts of my guide.
Today, I have finished and delivered the final version, and I'd like to share it with you!

You are free to share my guide with others ([url=http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/]I encourage it[/url]). The CD/Rar contains shader source code, which
you may use and adapt (MIT license - only the SSAO shaders! (see file listing in README.TXT)). It is more
fun to program it yourself using the guide, though!

[I][B]What do I require before I can start learning about SSAO?:[/B][/I]

• Good knowledge about (vector) mathematics.
• Good knowledge of OpenGL/DirectX, and GLSL/HLSL/Cg.
• Good knowledge of general programming (or C++, if you want to look at the demo source).

Aside from these requirements, I expect you to be a good reader. I've tried to make SSAO understandable for people
who don't care about mathematics too much (myself included); I hope that worked out.

[B]Techniques explained:[/B]

• [I]Crytek's SSAO[/I], the classic SSAO method with some fixes to make it look better.
• [I]Angle-based SSAO[/I], the SSAO method used in the Unreal Engine 4 Elemental Demo (and maybe in the final UE4 too, idk).
• [I]Horizon-based Ambient Occlusion (HBAO)[/I], NVIDIA's (THE WAY ITS MEANT TO BE PLAYED) method.
• [I]Alchemy's SSAO[/I], HBAO but not slow.

[B]Links:[/B]

Guide (just the guide): [url]https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/17984511/SSAO/A%20Guide%20to%20SSAO.pdf[/url]
CD (180mb - with demo and shader code): [url]https://mega.co.nz/#!oQ4RSbpD!07BLLSQ7DXvqwQJIcnNfU40mY300PdbLsz0lZK7_X3M[/url]

[B]Questions, feedback?[/B]

Post it here or direct it to my email (in the guide - no spam please - ill repot u).