Also here's my short tutorial on combining AO maps in paint.net.
You'll need:
- paint.net (who would've thought)
- Alpha mask plugin for paint.net (
https://forums.getpaint.net/topic/1...or-pdn-v4212-and-beyond-updated-july-16-2020/)
- AO maps
So some cars don't have AO but you can only calculate it for single body part or a small collection. The only problem is that you'll then get 10 different AO maps that you need to combine in to one for it to work as a proper AO map. After some experimenting (because I couldn't find ANYTHING online about combining alpha mask/AO layers wth) I finally figured out how to do it! Since I couldn't find anything about it I might as well share it.
1. Open all the ao maps in paint.net
2. Open the first body part and click on alpha mask in the effects tab. Leave all the boxes open and press ok. You'll see the body part now.
3. Go to the second body part and press CTRL + F this will repeat step 2 for this body part. Rinse and repeat till you've done all the body parts.
I always work in the first body part I opened, that will be the main file.
4. Go to the second body part, press CTRL + A then CTRL + C.
5. Go to the first body part, click on alpha mask in the effects tab, press boxes "Invert Mask" and "Paste from Clipboard. Hit OK.
If done right you'll now see the first body part and a transparent hole for the second body part!
6. Make a new layer and press CTRL + V.
7. Move the new layer below the first layer. Click on the first layer in the layer tabs press CTRL + M.
If done right you'll now have a combined layer of the first and second part! Note: they may have different shade. Read about that after step 11.
8. Rinse and repeat step 4 through 7 untill you're done
9. Make sure there's only one layer and it's the combined mask layer
10. Click on alpha mask in the effects tab, make sure only the "Invert Mask" box is ticked. Hit OK.
11. Done, you can now apply the mask to the car
Once you're done you can apply the AO mask to the car and then recalculate the combined map the sort the different shades of body parts out.
Let me know if it works for you
