PhysicalGlareSFX is a Matchbox shader dedicated to creating camera lens glare effects. This is achieved by a creating starburst effect based on camera characteristics: lens aperture, FOV, and f-stop values. The resulting starburst is then applied to the highlights in the image, based on the Threshold field.

The controls are spread over three menus: Controls, Starburst, and Lens Noise.

Controls Menu

Highlights options restrict the Physical Glare to the image highlights.

Threshold

Sets the minimum value of the image highlights.

Threshold Max

Sets a maximum value for the image highlights. Enabled by Enable Max Threshold.

Noise

Adds noise in the highlights, which in turn affects the density of starbursts in the highlights.

Gain

Boosts and reduces the highlights results.

Glares options define the source of the effects and the overall effect result.

Source Type

Defines the source used to generate the Glare effects: the Front input or the Action Lights. Action Lights can only be used when the effect is used as a Action Camera FX Matchbox. In this case, all Lights in the Action scene create Glare effects based on their intensity and colour. Inactive lights also generate Glare: use this to create a Glare with a ligth without affecting the overall lighting of the image.

Output options define what the Matchbox outputs.

Viewing

Viewing allows you to display in the Viewport the different stages of the effects, which is extremely useful when editing the different Glare parameters.

• Highlights: The result of the Highlights Controls section
• Aperture: The result of the Aperture controls section
• Starburst: The Starburst result used on the highlights. The Starburst is the result of the Aperture, Camera and Lens Noise controls.
• Glares: The distribution of the Starbusts applied to the Front image.
• Result: The Glares being added to the Front image

Mix

Allows you to reduce the overall effect result.

Starburst Menu

Aperture options define the shape of the lens aperture.

Use Aperture Input

Allows you to use your own Aperture shape instead of the one provided by the controls. To use this option you need to connect an image to the Aperture input.

Offset Angle

Rotates the aperture.

Blades Number

Define the geometry of the aperture.

Curved Blade

Allows you use an aperture with curved splines instead of straight ones.

Camera options define the size of the Starburst

Sync To Action Camera

Uses the Field Of View and F-Stop from the current Action camera, when used in Action.

Field Of View

Controls the field of view, and has an impact on the size of the aperture.

F-Stop

Controls the perceived size of the aperture. Has most impact when enabling Curved Blades.

Lens Noise Menu

Lens Noise adds noise to the shape of the aperture to create interesting starburst shapes.

Generals Options

Use Noise Input

Use your own input as noise source to create vast array of Starburst result.

Seed

Varies the Dirt and Scratch Density, making it easy to variegate the starburst shape over time.

Dirt Density

Adds noise to the aperture.

Scratch Density

Adds scratches to the aperture.

Scratch Options

Position

Moves the scratches relative to the Aperture centre.

Dispersion

Controls the dispersion of the scratches relative to each other. At 0.0 they will all intersect at the same point while at 1.0 very few will intersect at exact same position.

Orientation

Controls the mean orientation of scratches.

Angle Dispersion

Controls the dispersion of the orientation of the scratches relative to the mean.