Today, I focused on enhancing the rendering subsystem with the implementation of Screen Space Ambient Occlusion (SSAO). This feature is critical for improving scene depth and realism by simulating how light interacts with surfaces.

SSAO Module: Implemented the foundational SSAO computation logic in ssao_compute, which calculates ambient occlusion based on depth and normal maps to enhance shading realism.SSAO Debugging: Developed ssao_debug to visualize SSAO outputs, allowing for quick verification of occlusion values and aiding in fine-tuning the algorithm.SSAO Blur: Completed the SSAO blur process in ssao_blur, which smooths the occlusion map to reduce artifacts and achieve a more visually appealing result. The blur uses a separable Gaussian filter for performance efficiency.Skybox Renderer: Progressed on the skybox rendering system by fleshing out skyb_renderer_upload_dome and skyb_dome_vertex, which define the dome geometry and texture uploads for the skybox, ensuring proper visual integration with the ambient occlusion effects.Skybox Palette and Gradient: Initiated the scaffolding for skyb_palette and set up skyb_gradient, enabling gradient-based skybox coloring to enhance atmospheric effects in conjunction with SSAO.
The SSAO implementation is now functional, with debug features in place to assess its performance and visual fidelity. The next step will involve further optimizing the SSAO calculations and integrating them seamlessly into the main rendering pipeline.