Ambient Occlusion for Terrain Shading

Abstract

Ambient occlusion is widely used in computer graphics to accentuate areas in a three-dimensional scene that are hidden from bright lighting. On maps, ambient occlusion adds spatial depth and nuanced texture to shaded relief images. Ambient occlusion images for maps can be calculated from digital elevation models using the Eduard relief shading application. This paper illustrates the use of ambient occlusion for cartographic terrain shading and introduces two extensions: (1) oriented ambient occlusion for modulation with a direction of illumination, and (2) reduced ambient occlusion for valley bottoms with consistent brightness.