Something has changed. AO plugged into transparency (directly or indirectly) produces a different pattern than AO plugged into any luminance channel, such as anything diffuse. I am sick today - perhaps Swine flu, who knows - and don't feel like investigating.

But something is definitely different with AO. I was about to show you what I found, but P8 crashed and lost the scene. Sigh.

 

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Renderosity forum reply notifications are wonky. If I read a follow-up in a thread, but I don't myself reply, then notifications no longer happen AT ALL on that thread. So if I seem to be ignoring a question, that's why. (Updated September 23, 2019)