GLARED - Real-time Light Leaks Add-on for Blender

GLARED is a REAL-TIME LIGHT LEAKS GENERATOR that works directly in the VIEWPORT of Blender both in Cycles and Eevee. Really easy to use. 

Glared is a useful add-on for generating the light effects present in many film shots (such as Glow, Ghosts, and Streaks) using the scene you are working on as a starting point. It can be used in real-time on the 3D scene or on photos or videos. There is a Threshold value that determines which values to use to activate Glared’s filters. In addition, Glared creates Chromatic Aberration, Vignette, and Sharpening effects.

Glared works in real-time directly in the 3D viewport

Glared Fx On/Off

Chromatic Aberration FX

Streaks Horizontal Length

Vignette Fx

Light Threshold

This is a full overview of the add-on

All of Glared’s parameters can be animated using Keyframes.
Glared is based on a Nodegroup that is added to the compositor. If a nodal system is already present, Glared can be automatically inserted at the end of it or replace the pre-existing nodal system. The choice is made by the user.
Glared is a stand-alone add-on and can also work without its older brother, Flared (which is used to create Lens Flares).
Glared and Flared can integrate, if you own both, within the Flared’s graphic interface for greater ease of use.
Glared is young and is making its first appearance. Therefore, there may be anomalous behaviors or situations that need to be refined at the programming level. For this reason, we ask you to interact with us and give us your feedback or ask for help when you are having difficulty. We will try to solve any problem in order to make the add-on better and better.
With the experience gained in three years with Flared, we have understood how useful an efficient customer service is and how useful your experience is to increase the functionality of an add-on. We hope to repeat the experience already made with Flared and build another powerful and easy-to-use add-on that meets your positive opinion.

CHANGELOG

02.03.2024 - Glared 1.2.1
Fix:
- The default value of Hue related to Glow is now fixed at 0.5, which means that the light emitted by the glow has the same color as the light source.
- In version 1.2 there was a problem related to Supa Fx, which interfered with the values of the Streaks. This issue is now fixed.
- We have also modified the lens dirt, which now colors according to the color of the light source generating the effect (previously it was always white).

01.03.2024 - Glared 1.2 - Video
New features:
- Supa Flare Fx: adds complex and very engaging light effects. Its strength is not in realism but in its use in motion graphics titles or Cyberpunk-style animations.
- Lens Dirt: adds the effect generated by a lens that is not perfectly clean. You can control the intensity and breadth of the effect.

29.03.2023 - Release date of Glared 1.0

FAQ

Are there any known situations to date where the add-on has difficulties or fails?
Yes, currently some complex node trees can cause difficulties for Glared. We are working to better understand and isolate the problem. Additionally, relying solely on the final render, sometimes the configurable threshold may not be sensitive enough to detect lights that are too weak. In these cases, it will be necessary to manually modify the Nodegroup. We plan to release specific videos on how to modify the Nodegroup as soon as possible. Since the Realtime Compositor in Blender is a newly added feature, it is possible that Blender will continue to improve it in the future. Currently, it is necessary to perform certain steps in order to have a preview that is as similar as possible to the final render. However, sometimes the preview may differ from the final render. At the moment there is a known incompatibility with Glared and Flared, when using the function to force the render of the flares in Eevee.

If I purchase Glared, will I be entitled to its future updates?
Yes, by purchasing Glared 1.x, you will be entitled to all future updates released for Glared 1.x. You will also be entitled to all the free support we can offer you for any needs or difficulties you may encounter while using Glared.

If I already own Flared, am I entitled to get Glared for free?
This happens only during the first two weeks of Glared's launch: during these two weeks, all Flared owners will have a coupon available to obtain Glared as well. After 15 days, Glared will have to be purchased normally from the store.

Can I use Glared with Blender versions prior to 3.5?
No, Glared can only work with Blender 3.5 and later versions. This is because it relies on the real-time compositor, which was developed starting from Blender 3.5.

Do I need to have Flared to use Glared?
No, Glared can work on its own as a standalone add-on. In case you also have Flared, the two add-ons will integrate into a single tab, that of Flared, for convenience. At the moment there is a known incompatibility with Glared and Flared, when using the function to force the render of the flares in Eevee.