A developer has released a free add-on for Blender that incorporates a direct ambient occlusion control in the render tab, similar to the one offered by V-Ray in 3Ds Max. The tool allows adjusting the scene depth and seeing changes in real-time, avoiding the tedious process of adding nodes in the Compositor. The add-on is available for free through their Patreon.
A native AO control that bypasses the Compositor 🎨
The main function of this add-on is to add a global ambient occlusion parameter in the Cycles render panel. Unlike the traditional method that requires setting up nodes in the Compositor, this option allows the user to modify the intensity and radius of the AO while seeing the results directly in the viewport. Washington, the creator, was inspired by V-Ray's implementation to offer a more direct solution, designed for those coming from 3Ds Max who are looking for a similar workflow without sacrificing Blender's power.
Because the Compositor isn't a walk in the park 😅
Let's be honest: setting up a node tree for ambient occlusion in the Compositor has the same charm as doing your taxes on a Sunday afternoon. Washington, who must have suffered plenty with 3Ds Max, has decided that enough time has been wasted. Now, with his add-on, you can adjust the AO like a functional adult: with a slider and seeing the result instantly. And the best part is that it's free, because the developer knows that money is for buying coffee, not for software licenses ☕.