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The Art Of Lense Flares

1. Introduction
2. How To
3. Resources

The last years one of the major breackthrough in computer graphics was done in light-rendering or simply summarized in "lens-flares".

Light isn't perceived as simple bright color, but mainly by its refraction in our eyes, and this can be achieved by sophisticated lense-flare effects applied direct on the picture.

None of the major recent science-fiction movies s can't live without lense-flares: warp-light, explosions, sun-rise from beyond a planet etc, we all have it seen, but it is is done actually?

This page will give a bit background info of lense-flares for graphic programmers.

Lense Flares 2. How To

Let's list the effects:

1. Light shading, white -> light-color (circular rendering)
2. Linear refraction (stars)
3. Several auroras, circular copies of the circular rendering

Lense Flare Samples

by Nathan Kopp <nathan@kopp.com> (used with permission)

Lense Flares 3. Resources

Nathan Kopp's Lense Flare for POV Useful resource for POV

Lense Flares will be included in PicArt soon (Jan 1999).

                                                                                                                                   

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