# Baked AO doesn't work. **URL:** \ **Category:** Rendering\ **Tags:** occlusion, unreal-engine, ambient-occlusion, question, baked\ **Created:** [June 19, 2021, 9:27am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/baked-ao-doesnt-work/485089 "2021-06-19T09:27:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kligan](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/kligan/32/248910_2.png) [@Kligan](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Kligan)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 9:27am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/baked-ao-doesnt-work/485089/1 "2021-06-19T09:27:57Z")
For some reason Ambient Occlusion simply doesn’t work in my project. I’m talking about the one in World Settings. Here are the settings: ![341820-1.jpg](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/4/0/3/4037db520e12e98343392b822bccfaefcced8663.jpeg) After several unsuccessful attempts at having AO after baking the lighting, I cranked Exponent to 4 just to see if there’s ANY AO at all and maybe it’s just barely visible. But no. As you can see, there’s literally no AO whatsoever: ![341831-2.png](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/8/e/9/8e985cff6b98d27b0d0d8f83f33272a5a964a183.png) I’m really confused about what’s going on. Because I specifically remember using this feature several times in the past and everything was fine. And yeah, I checked project settings and AO is enabled. ---
**Author:** ![sayooj\_js](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/sayooj_js/32/88714_2.png) [@sayooj\_js](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/sayooj_js)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 12:19pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/baked-ao-doesnt-work/485089/2 "2021-06-19T12:19:00Z")
If you are sure about all, deleted the light cache and try again perhaps it may work. ---
**Author:** ![Kligan](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/kligan/32/248910_2.png) [@Kligan](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Kligan)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 2:17pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/baked-ao-doesnt-work/485089/3 "2021-06-19T14:17:52Z")
Thank you for the reply. Unfortunately, clearing light cache and re-building the light didn’t help. ---
**Author:** ![anonymous\_user\_f26c856c1](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/2/8/5/28502927f1d97ba1051b3b47ccfe17233bf41ef0.png) [@anonymous\_user\_f26c856c1](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/anonymous_user_f26c856c1)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 2:43pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/baked-ao-doesnt-work/485089/4 "2021-06-19T14:43:50Z")
Hi! Do you have postprocess volume in your scene? ---
**Author:** ![sayooj\_js](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/sayooj_js/32/88714_2.png) [@sayooj\_js](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/sayooj_js)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 4:40pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/baked-ao-doesnt-work/485089/5 "2021-06-19T16:40:39Z")
Check the Ambient occlusion in the post-process and share a screenshot of that. ---
**Author:** ![Kligan](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/kligan/32/248910_2.png) [@Kligan](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Kligan)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 5:10pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/baked-ao-doesnt-work/485089/6 "2021-06-19T17:10:19Z")
Here’s a screenshot from my previous project: ![341838-3.jpg](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/d/1/1/d1103dc38f882c3d670e2eb6a1fa30fff7be6726.jpeg) As you can see, here everything works correctly. For current project, I am using SSGI, so post-process AO doesn’t work. If I disable SSGI, post-process AO works (but still doesn’t show in AO visualization mode) and baking light with “Use Ambient Occlusion” in lightmass settings don’t do anything. So either way lightmass AO doesn’t work for some reason. And something wonky is going on with occlusion visualization mode. ---
**Author:** ![Kligan](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/kligan/32/248910_2.png) [@Kligan](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Kligan)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2021, 5:14pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/baked-ao-doesnt-work/485089/7 "2021-06-19T17:14:46Z")
Hello! Thank you for the reply! I do have global post-process volume. However, I am using SSGI on this scene, so post-process AO don’t do anything. What’s weird and confusing, is that even if I disable SSGI, I still can’t see AO in occlusion visualization mode, even though occlusion is clearly present on the scene and I can see it and tweak it in “Lit” mode. And in either case enabling AO in lightmass settings and baking light doesn’t do anything at all. ---
**Author:** ![sayooj\_js](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/sayooj_js/32/88714_2.png) [@sayooj\_js](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/sayooj_js)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2021, 10:31am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/baked-ao-doesnt-work/485089/8 "2021-06-20T10:31:13Z")
I can assure you Postprocess AO and SSGI would not work together, you can use either one SSAO (Post-processing AO) or SSGI. SSGI kinda more accurate and doing its own AO and costly too. if you wanna combine them together that you need to change from the source. Even if you are working with baked lighting does SSGI replaces that. But I am still unsure about the wrong with AO from G-buffer. I had the same issue once before I guess, but I cannot really memorize what I have done, I would suggest you port the project to another engine version if you are arranged with your level assets. ![341878-ezgifcom-gif-maker-1.gif](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/1/a/3/1a3b6348e83c11d6f1daf46be68e6866a18d8430.gif) ---
**Author:** ![Kligan](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/kligan/32/248910_2.png) [@Kligan](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Kligan)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2021, 12:59pm UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/baked-ao-doesnt-work/485089/9 "2021-06-20T12:59:08Z")
Oh so baked AO also does not work with SSGI? Alright, thanks! SSGI is indeed costly, but I tried experimenting with it and found out that there’s little to no difference visually when changing SSGI quality from the default 3 down to 1. Yet performance is MUCH MUCH better. And yeah, something is wrong with AO visualization, because all I can see is white when using it. While the scene itself is getting correct occlusion in “Lit” mode. That’s what confused me, I thought I was doing something wrong and my AO doesn’t work properly or something. Edit: Well, now it works, all of a sudden! ![341911-4.jpg](https://d3kjluh73b9h9o.cloudfront.net/original/4X/1/0/7/107fb7a66600de3a250e45913658763fcc348c3b.jpeg) **I didn’t do anything!** I just opened the scene today, and it’s working… Magic :\ ---
**Author:** ![Kligan](https://d1ap1mz92jnks1.cloudfront.net/user_avatar/forums.unrealengine.com/kligan/32/248910_2.png) [@Kligan](https://forums.unrealengine.com/u/Kligan)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2021, 11:40am UTC](https://forums.unrealengine.com/t/baked-ao-doesnt-work/485089/10 "2021-06-22T11:40:24Z")
A-a-and AO g-buffer doesn’t work again… Well, the mystery will remain unsolved, I guess ¯\_(ツ)\_/¯