flash question, do you guys put your AO map on the specular texture?

If so, why? I've never did it, but I've seen some people do this, which is strange because material reflection should be the same, whether or not It's on a dark or lit area, right? Unless you really want to have a lot of contrast in your model.

Anyways, go...

Generally I won't put the straight AO map in specular, but since I get the Specular from a tweaked Diffuse, I guess it is somehow included. Anyway, I'd use the AO in Specular only to represent a globally shiny object with heavy dust in junctions (where AO goes dark) like something exposed to a sandy ambient (or other low reflecting particles), or like rusted metal, but again, it should be heavily tweaked.

no.
i,m usually use my tweaked (desaturated) normal as base for my specular map.
and i never seen somebody put AO in their specular either..

It's a trick to make stuff pop out more, and generally the AO map might be used as a dirtmap aswell, and where there is dirt, there is less specular.


Another small point is that in some cases the AO on the specular might indicate that the small crevice is so dark that light will not form a specular in there.


but again, its just a trick in the game art world where we fake things.

the ao in the diffuse is there because the realtime lighting in a game engine can't simulate less light hitting crevices, so why would specular highlights not be subject to the same compensation for the lack of "correct" lighting? at least thats my reasoning for including it in my specular maps.. tweaked to look good of course since thats all that really matters.

Fair enough, good points guys.