# Environment light & AO work incorrectly **URL:** \ **Category:** Bug Report\ **Created:** [October 21, 2026, 11:28am UTC](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/t/environment-light-ao-work-incorrectly/25305 "2026-10-21T11:28:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![manthx](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.nomadsculpt.com/manthx/32/6434_2.png) [@manthx](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/u/manthx)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 11:28am UTC](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/t/environment-light-ao-work-incorrectly/25305/1 "2026-10-21T11:28:57Z")
THE PLATFORM: iPad Pro M4 NOMAD APP VERSION: 2.12.1 I was trying to figure out why now an old file renders differently (from before on 2.8)… the shadow below a head on a model was not strong as in previous renders (now it looked too illuminated)… anyway… it seems the “environment light” and “ambient occlusion” are the problem… AO lights up the area instead of making it dark when I have turned on my environment light, when turned off AO darkens the areas, it seems normal… but when the EL is on now AO adds light, so either I have the AO or the EL (for a better result) but not both… it used to work fine. ---
**Author:** ![stephomi](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.nomadsculpt.com/stephomi/32/19583_2.png) [@stephomi](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/u/stephomi)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 11:32am UTC](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/t/environment-light-ao-work-incorrectly/25305/2 "2026-10-21T11:32:24Z")
No screenshot. Maybe check that you didn’t change the color AO. ---
**Author:** ![manthx](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.nomadsculpt.com/manthx/32/6434_2.png) [@manthx](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/u/manthx)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 11:55am UTC](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/t/environment-light-ao-work-incorrectly/25305/3 "2026-10-21T11:55:01Z")
The behavior is like I commented it, pretty sure it isn’t working properly, even with black in AO it creates more light. I left Nomad 2.8 alone for a while and then returned to the files with this update and saw things looking different… I’ll try to get some images to show. I am also having a hard time rendering and making it look (shadows mostly) like my old renders… I guess something has changed in that process?… I actually loved the results I was getting and now I think it looks a bit less realistic in general (more light in corners, maybe related to the AO), though some details seem to look more realistic… but in general I liked more the results I was getting before. I will get some images of what I am talking about later. ---
**Author:** ![stephomi](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.nomadsculpt.com/stephomi/32/19583_2.png) [@stephomi](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/u/stephomi)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 4:10pm UTC](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/t/environment-light-ao-work-incorrectly/25305/4 "2026-10-21T16:10:44Z")
I’m not reverting back, I updated the AO with a superior algorithm so you are expected to tweak a bit the sliders. I’m not sure what you mean by light in corner, it’s likely caused by SSR or SSGI, not SSAO. ---
**Author:** ![manthx](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.nomadsculpt.com/manthx/32/6434_2.png) [@manthx](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/u/manthx)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 9:40pm UTC](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/t/environment-light-ao-work-incorrectly/25305/5 "2026-10-21T21:40:35Z")
Yeah I figured it most be better, I can see something about that but it changed a lot and can’t figure out how to get the results I had before… (maybe) the AO most be responsable about closed spaces not being so dark as before, but shadows now seem to be not as strong, and reflections seem less dramatic. I only notice this because my old files renders. Except the bug between AO and Environment light as that was too obvious not to notice. I will keep testing. This images show what I mean… the one rendered in 2.8 had the teeth with more shadow, which makes sense as it is inside the mouth, hair has more noticeable shadows, specular reflections are less strong so things look more dull (this is where I will be tweaking things in the materials & lights, yes). The current renders have the neck and the hair next to it with more light when AO is on (only when there is an environmental light in the scene), if I turn it off the hair and neck looks correctly. I will deal with light working differently but currently having both an environment light and use AO creates incorrect behavior. Thanks for your patience. ![IMG_9745](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/uploads/nomadsculpt/original/3X/2/d/2d8989e28338850fa18331df76c0482907fbfbaa.jpeg) ![IMG_4903](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/uploads/nomadsculpt/original/3X/e/3/e34e7cfbdaa76817cc7c81c63fda22eb9a62a733.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![manthx](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.nomadsculpt.com/manthx/32/6434_2.png) [@manthx](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/u/manthx)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 10:10pm UTC](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/t/environment-light-ao-work-incorrectly/25305/6 "2026-10-21T22:10:38Z")
I think I am just going to ditch using the Environment light for now (it also seems to modify the softness of the lights, it makes them sharper)… I liked this render after a few tweaks. ![IMG_4911](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/uploads/nomadsculpt/original/3X/5/b/5b3f51724146e6f7a12535c27bb18620e7b995f2.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![stephomi](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.nomadsculpt.com/stephomi/32/19583_2.png) [@stephomi](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/u/stephomi)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 10:39pm UTC](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/t/environment-light-ao-work-incorrectly/25305/7 "2026-10-21T22:39:51Z")
> but shadows now seem to be not as strong Just boost the intensity? Or is it to the max? ---
**Author:** ![manthx](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.nomadsculpt.com/manthx/32/6434_2.png) [@manthx](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/u/manthx)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 10:56pm UTC](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/t/environment-light-ao-work-incorrectly/25305/8 "2026-10-21T22:56:23Z")
Do you mean the Tolerance in Contact section of the Light? I tried that and it does make shadows stronger but I thought it didn’t look that nice (in this particular case)… in regards of darker shadows maybe now I need to light differently my scenes, previously I kept the contrast low and I crank up the exposure in the Post Process section. Maybe make lights stronger and the exposure normal in Post Process. ---
**Author:** ![stephomi](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.nomadsculpt.com/stephomi/32/19583_2.png) [@stephomi](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/u/stephomi)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 11:01pm UTC](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/t/environment-light-ao-work-incorrectly/25305/9 "2026-10-21T23:01:13Z")
No, the AO intensity. But actually I have no idea what the settings, the environment intensity, the SSR, the SSGI intensity, etc. ---
**Author:** ![manthx](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.nomadsculpt.com/manthx/32/6434_2.png) [@manthx](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/u/manthx)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2026, 11:16pm UTC](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/t/environment-light-ao-work-incorrectly/25305/10 "2026-10-21T23:16:16Z")
That is only for the shadows created by AO but I meant shadows like the hair strands. Those looked darker, now weaker, but I am guessing the shadows where rendered more simplistic before and now more light goes everywhere. It’s a separated thing and maybe I have to tweak how to light a scene, and yes maybe more intensity in AO. Anyway, I am gonna avoid using Enviromental “light” for the moment… only enviroment illumination in the scene. ---
**Author:** ![manthx](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forum.nomadsculpt.com/manthx/32/6434_2.png) [@manthx](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/u/manthx)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2026, 8:37pm UTC](https://forum.nomadsculpt.com/t/environment-light-ao-work-incorrectly/25305/11 "2026-10-27T20:37:31Z")
2.13 … it seems AO works correctly now (when Environment light is On)… wow this app fixes things fast. I need to be more patient. 🫠