Free Ambient Occlusion & Cavity Map Generator
Extract contact shadow and micro-crevice cavity maps from heightmaps directly in browser memory with real-time 3D WebGL lighting.
Direct Answer & Pipeline Overview
Ambient Occlusion & Cavity Map Generator is a specialized, 100% client-side engineering utility developed by Atlyxen Studios. It processes calculations and conversions directly inside your browser memory using hardware-accelerated WebAssembly and WebGL, guaranteeing instant results with zero server file transfers and zero data retention.
How to Use the Ambient Occlusion & Cavity Map Generator
Upload Height or Bump Map
Upload any grayscale heightmap, displacement texture, or photograph. The tool automatically derives a floating-point surface buffer.
Calibrate Horizon Radius & Intensity
Tune the occlusion horizon radius slider to capture subtle contact shadows in crevices and gaps.
Inspect in 3D WebGL Viewport
Rotate the 3D model under dynamic lighting to verify depth perception and eliminate dark fringe artifacts.
Download PNG or ZIP Bundle
Export individual high-resolution PNG textures or download the complete AO and Cavity map set as a ZIP bundle.
Key Technical Capabilities
Multi-Directional Radial Ray Sampling: calculates true horizon occlusion angles across 8 vectors and 4 sample rings
2nd-Order Laplacian Curvature Engine: isolates fine grout lines, cracks, and surface ridges into clean cavity maps
Interactive 3D WebGL Viewport: test AO depth live on Sphere, Cube, Cylinder, and Plane geometries under studio lighting
Live AO Shader Toggle: inspect before and after material depth by toggling the AO pass on and off
Adjustable Horizon Radius: scale between micro-crevice contact shadows and broad global ambient occlusion
1-Click ZIP Packaging: export Ambient Occlusion and Cavity maps simultaneously with a PBR pipeline manifest
100% Client-Side Privacy: zero file uploads, ensuring sensitive commercial textures never leave your local RAM
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Ambient Occlusion (AO) and Cavity maps?
Ambient Occlusion simulates soft, diffuse contact shadows where ambient hemispherical skylight struggles to penetrate (such as under overhangs and deep crevices). Cavity maps (derived via 2nd-order Laplacian curvature) isolate micro-geometric crevices and ridge peaks, allowing artists to add grime, dirt, or edge wear in texturing programs like Substance 3D and Photoshop.
Where do Ambient Occlusion maps plug into modern game engines?
In Unreal Engine 5, plug the AO map into the Ambient Occlusion material pin, or pack it into the Green channel of a combined ORM (Occlusion, Roughness, Metallic) texture. In Blender and Unity, connect it to the Ambient Occlusion input of standard PBR shaders.
How does the in-browser AO algorithm work?
The generator samples surrounding height values along 8 radial directional vectors across multiple distance rings. For each sample, it computes the elevation horizon angle; greater elevation differences obstruct more incident ambient light, producing mathematically physical contact shadows.
Are my uploaded textures uploaded to any cloud server?
No. Atlyxen Tools operates strictly on your local hardware using HTML5 Canvas and WebGL APIs. No texture data is ever transmitted over the network, ensuring complete confidentiality for client projects and NDAs.