Height to Ambient Occlusion Copernicus node

Imagines a sphere for each pixel and determines how occluded that sphere is based on its surroundings.

On this page

Parameters
- Height
- Quality
Inputs
Outputs

For each pixel, this node imagines a sphere and then determines how occluded that sphere is based on the height values of its neighboring pixels. For example, if you're standing on pixel (450, 450) and that pixel’s in a valley with mountains around it, the sphere is occluded because the mountains block the sun’s rays.

Before and after using the Height to Ambient Occlusion node.

The Height to Ambient Occlusion node is useful for shading and texture synthesis. You can use this node to create an ambient occlusion map for a material or as a mask to perform other operations. For example, use this node to add dirt to your material and use the ambient occlusion map to determine where the dirt lies.

Note

This node is based on the HeightField Mask by Occlusion geometry node.

Parameters ¶

Height ¶

Height Scale

The amount (in image space) to scale the height values of the input layer’s pixels, which controls the length of the shadows. Higher values increase the height of the pixels and darken their grayscale. Lower values decrease the height of the pixels and lighten their grayscale.

The default value is 0.01. You should set this parameter to lower values since Copernicus uses image space.

Note

Though lower values can make the pixel appear flat (all similar shades of white), the pixel may be elevated. Use the pixel inspector to confirm whether the pixel is flat.

For example, if you set Height Scale to 1 and your input’s width is a value of 2, the result is that black to white is an increase in elevation to the same height value as half of the image’s width (1). To preview the Height Scale, you can wire your output into the Preview Material COP’s height input (see the following example image).

Quality ¶

View Radius

The distance (in image space) to send rays to determine if a pixel’s occluded. Higher values increase the distance you send the rays and provide more accurate measurements, but may slow cooking. Lower values decrease the distance you send the rays.

The default value is 0.2.

Step Scale

How many steps (in buffer space) to take along the rays to determine if a pixel’s occluded. Higher values create less steps and therefore cook faster, but may miss thin features since the steps are more spread out. Lower values create more steps, which are closer together.

The default value is 0.5.

Sample Count

The amount of rays to send to determine if a pixel’s occluded. Higher values increase the amount of rays sent and provide more accurate measurements, but may slow cooking. Lower values decrease the amount of rays sent.

The default value is 20.

Sample from Hemisphere

Divides the point’s calculated angle by 90 degrees instead of 180 degrees.

Remap Ramp

Remaps the output ambient occlusion values.

For more information about using ramps, see Ramp parameters.

Inputs ¶

layer

The original height layer from which to calculate the ambient occlusion.

Outputs ¶

occlusion

The ambient occlusion layer.

Copernicus nodes

Auto Stereogram

Generates an image with a 3D illusion.
Average

Takes the average of all input layers.
Blend

Blends two layers together.
Block Begin

Start of a block, containing its inputs.
Block End

End of a block, declaring its outputs.
Block to Geometry

Compiles a block and produces its geometry representation.
Blur

Applies a blur to a layer.
Bokeh

Creates a Bokeh effect by expanding each pixel by an aperture shape.
Bounding Rectangle

Finds the bounding rectangle of a mask.
Bright

Brightens a layer.
Camera Import

Creates a layer in a camera’s space.
Camera Properties

Adjusts the camera properties of a layer.
Channel Extract

Extracts a channel from a layer.
Channel Join

Combines multiple Mono layers into one multichannel layer.
Channel Split

Divides a layer’s channels into Mono layers.
Channel Swap

Swaps channels within a multichannel layer.
Checkerboard

Creates an alternating checker pattern.
Chroma Key

Keys an input based on hue, saturation, and luminance ranges.
Chromatic Aberration

Adds chromatic aberration to your image.
Clamp

Clamps an input layer.
Compare

Creates a mask by comparing two layers.
Constant

Initializes pixels to constant values.
Contact Sheet

Arranges input layers into a contact sheet.
Contrast

Applies contrast to a layer.
Convert Normal

Converts normal layers between signed and offset.
Convolve 3×3

Convolves a layer by a 3×3 kernel.
Crop

Crops a layer to a new size.
Cross Product

Performs a cross product of two RGB layers.
Cryptomatte

Builds a matte from cryptomatte layers.
Cryptomatte Decode

Decodes a cyrptomatte into coverage and ID.
Cryptomatte Encode

Encodes a coverage and object hash into a cryptomatte layer.
Denoise AI

Denoises an input layer.
Denoise TVD

Removes white noise from an image.
Derivative

Computes the derivative of the source layer along the x- and y-axis.
Dilate Erode

Dilates or erodes a layer.
Distort

Distorts an input layer.
Dot Product

Performs dot product between two layers.
Edge Detect

Detects edges in the input image.
Edge Detect by Contour

Detects varying-width silhouette lines.
Edge Detect by Depth

Detects varying-width self-occluding silhouettes.
Edge Detect by Normal

Detects varying-width crease-lines.
Eikonal

Computes distances by solving the Eikonal Equation.
Equalize

Equalizes colors by stretching or shifting their range.
Error

Generates a message, warning, or error..
Extrapolate Boundaries

Fills empty areas of an image using colors at the edges of non-empty areas.
Feather

Smooths out sharp changes in contrast.
File

Loads an image or video from disk.
Fill

Fills a layer with a constant value.
Flip

Flips a layer horizontally, vertically, or diagonally.
Font

Rasterizes text onto a layer from Type 1, TrueType and OpenType fonts.
Fractal Noise

Generates fractal noise.
Fractal Noise 3D

Generates fractal noise from 3d locations.
Function

Applies a mathematical function to a layer
Gamma

Applies gamma correction to a layer.
Geometry to Layer

Converts a 2D volume into a layer.
Glow

Adds glow to an image based on its luminance.
HSV Adjust

Converts between RGB and HSV color spaces, or applies hue and saturation modifications.
Height to Ambient Occlusion

Imagines a sphere for each pixel and determines how occluded that sphere is based on its surroundings.
Height to Normal

Converts a height layer to a normal layer.
Hex Tile

Randomly tiles texture.
Histogram

Builds a histogram from a layer.
ID to Mask

Creates a mask from an ID layer based on filtering parameters.
ID to Mono

Converts an ID layer to a Mono layer.
ID to RGB

Converts an ID layer to an RGB layer based on a seed.
ID to SDF

Computes a Signed Distance Field from changes in ID values.
Illegal Pixel

Detects illegal pixels, like NAN and INF, in images.
Input

Fetches the input to a subnetwork.
Invert

Inverts a layer.
Invoke Block

Runs a block using inputs plugged into this node.
Julia Fractal

Summary.
Kuwahara Filter

Applies Kuwhara Filter for Painterly Effects.
Layer

Generates a Layer.
Layer Attribute Create

Adds or edits user defined metadata on a layer
Layer Properties

Edits basic layer metadata.
Layer to Geometry

Converts a Layer into a 2d Volume.
Light

Lights a layer given a light direction and normals.
Match Camera

Transform a Layer to match a reference camera.
Median

Applies a 3 x 3 or 5 x 5 median filter to the input image.
Mirror

Mirrors an image based on an arbitrary number of planes.
Mono

Convert a layer to Mono.
Mono to ID

Converts a Mono layer to an ID layer
Mono to RGB

Uses a ramp to convert a Mono Layer to RGB.
Mono to RGBA

Explicitly convertes a Mono layer to an RGBA Layer.
Mono to SDF

Computes a Signed Distance Field from an iso-level of a Mono layer.
Null

Passes inputs to the outputs.
OCIO Transform

Converts color spaces using OCIO transforms.
ONNX Inference

Applies inference from an ONNX Machine Learning model.
OpenCL

Executes an OpenCL kernel on layers.
Output

Collects the outputs of a subnetwork.
Polar to UV

Converts polar coordinate pixels to Cartesian pixels.
Position Map

Generates a Position Map.
Prefix Sum

Computes the prefix sum of a layer.
Premultiply

Premultiplies an RGBA layer.
Preview Material

Applies the preview material to geometry.
Project on Layer

Projects a layer onto a target layer.
Quantize

Quantizes input data into discrete steps.
RGB to RGBA

Converts RBG layers to RGBA.
RGB to UV

Splits an RGB layer into UV and Mono layers.
RGBA to RGB

Converts RBGBA layers to RGB.
RGBA to UV

Splits an RGBA layer into two UV layers.
ROP Image

Writes the output of a COP network to disk.
Ramp

Generates linear and radial ramps.
Random Mono

Creates a Mono layer with random values.
Random RGB

Creates a Mono layer with random values.
Rasterize Geometry

Rasterizes geometry onto a layer.
Rasterize Layer

Rasterizes a layer onto another layer’s camera.
Rasterize Setup

Prepares geometry for the Rasterize Geometry COP.
Remap

Remaps a layer.
Resample

Performs image scaling by changing the width, height and pixel sizes.
SDF Adjust

Modifies the values for a Mono SDF layer.
SDF Blend

Combines two Mono SDF layers.
SDF Shape

Builds a 2D signed distance field of a selected shape.
SDF to Mono

Converts an SDF field to a Mono image layer.
SDF to RGB

Converts an SDF field to an RGB color layer.
SOP Import

Imports SOP Geometry into Copernicus.
Segment by Connectivity

Segment a layer into connected components.
Segment by Value

Segment a Mono layer into bands of similar value.
Sequence Blend

Blends multiple image inputs by a blend factor.
Slap Comp Import

Import live layers from the Solaris Viewport.
Slope Direction

Converts a height layer into a direction layer.
Smooth Fill

Smoothly fills a region of a layer.
Stamp Points

Stamps layers from point positions.
Statistics

Outputs the average, minimum and maximum values of the input layer
Statistics by ID

Compute statistics for each ID island.
Streak Blur

Streaks an image, adding a motion blur effect.
Subnetwork

Used to organize a collection of COPs into one node.
Switch

Selects an input layer.
Switch If Wired

Selects an input based on what is connected.
Switch by Type

Selects an output layer by the type of the inputs.
Tile Pattern

Generates rectangular tiles for texture patterns.
Transform 2D

Transforms a layer in 2D.
Transform 3D

Transforms a layer in 3D.
UV Map

Generates a UV Map.
UV Map by ID

Creates a UV Map for each connected ID island.
UV Sample

Samples an input layer using a UV layer.
UV Transform

Transforms the values of a UV layer in 2d space.
UV to Polar

Converts Cartesian coordinate pixels to polar coordinate pixels.
UV to RGB

Joins an UV and Mono layer into an RGB layer.
UV to RGBA

Joins two UV layers into an RGBA layer.
Vector Transform

Transforms values of an RGB layer in 3d space.
Wipe

Performs a wipe transition between two images.
Worley Noise

Generates Worley noise.
Worley Noise 3D

Generates Worley noise from 3d locations.
Wrangle

Runs a VEX snippet to modify layer values.
Z Composite

Composites two layers by depth.