Flare Alone / Final Result
Switches between isolated flare and composited output.
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Optical EffectsAdvanced
LensFlare
Configurable optical flare system
Builds a controllable lens flare with source masking, presets, global corrections, aperture shape and editable glare, starburst and ghost elements.
LensFlare
DaVinci Resolve · Fusion
LensFlare is a full optical-effect system for sunlight, headlights, sci-fi flares, anamorphic streaks and stylized internal-lens reflections.
Overview
What LensFlare does
The node can output only the flare or a final composite. Presets provide starting optical characters, while Position sets the virtual light source and Composite Type controls how the flare mixes with the image.
Global Scaling, Anamorphism, Defocus, Brightness and Saturation control the whole effect. The Elements section then allows individual components such as glare, flare spot, starburst and ghost reflections to be refined separately.
Mental model
Think of LensFlare as a virtual camera lens in front of the image: place the light source, choose the optical character, then shape the individual reflections created inside the lens.
Common uses
Sun and practical-light flares
Anamorphic streaks
Headlight and sci-fi effects
Logo and title light accents
Flow anatomy
Inputs & outputs
The port structure shows how this node fits into a Fusion graph.
Input
Source image for the operation.
Effect Mask
Optional mask that limits where the node affects the image.
LensFlare
Fusion node
Output
The processed result from this node.
Inspector
Important parameters
Start with these controls before reaching for more complicated workarounds.
Lens Flare Preset
Loads a starting optical configuration.
Composite Type
Controls how the flare mixes with the source image.
Light Source Masking
Restricts flare generation using the real bright source region.
Mask Threshold
Sets the threshold at which this part of the effect begins to respond.
Preview Mask
Shows Preview Mask as a diagnostic preview.
Virtual Light Source Size
Sets the apparent size of the virtual light source that drives the flare.
Preview Source Spot
Shows Preview Source Spot as a diagnostic preview.
Position X / Y
Places the virtual light source in the frame.
Move With Sizing
Keeps flare position behavior linked to changes in the flare’s overall size.
Global Scaling
Scales all LensFlare components together as a single assembly.
Anamorphism
Stretches the flare along the anamorphic axis.
Lens Center Position X / Y
Sets the X/Y coordinates for Lens Center Position.
Global Defocus
Applies an overall defocus to the generated flare elements.
Global Brightness
Sets the overall brightness of the complete LensFlare result.
Global Saturation
Adjusts color saturation.
Colorize Result
Enables a separate tint for this part of the effect.
Colorization Color / Red / Green / Blue
Sets the RGB tint used by LensFlare colorization.
Use channel-specific controls when the operation should not affect all components equally.
Aperture Blades
Sets the number of blades in the simulated aperture.
Aperture Angle
Rotates the aperture pattern used by the flare.
Show Controls for
Shows Controls for in the Viewer for setup or diagnostics.
Viewer guides do not normally change the rendered image unless the control explicitly says otherwise.
Full-Screen Glare: Glare Brightness
Sets Full-Screen Glare to Glare Brightness.
Glare Color / Red / Green / Blue
Sets the RGB color of the glare component.
Use channel-specific controls when the operation should not affect all components equally.
Flare Spot
Adjusts the primary flare spot around the light source.
Starburst
Controls the starburst component radiating from the flare source.
Ghost 1–8
Controls the individual internal lens-reflection ghosts in the flare.
Element Strength
Adjusts the intensity of the selected LensFlare element.
Element Size
Sets the size of the currently selected flare element.
Element Position
Moves the selected element along the flare’s internal reflection layout.
Element Type
Selects the Element Type used by LensFlare.
Available choices include sci-fi.
NGon Angle
Rotates the polygonal outline of an NGon flare element.
NGon Sides
Sets the number of sides in the polygonal flare element.
NGon Starryness
Adjusts how strongly the polygonal flare element forms pointed star-like corners.
Lens Color / RGB / Alpha
Adjusts the alpha channel.
Use channel-specific controls when the operation should not affect all components equally.
Practical setup
A reliable workflow
- 1
Start in Flare Alone mode so the optical structure is easy to inspect.
- 2
Place Position over the real or designed light source.
- 3
Choose a preset only as a starting point.
- 4
Set global scale, brightness and anamorphism.
- 5
Edit individual flare elements and return to Final Result for final intensity.
Typical node chain
Image + light source→
LensFlare→
Optical composite
Examples
Where this node fits in real work
Headlight flare
Place the virtual source over a car headlight and use an additive composite.
MediaInLensFlareMediaOut
Anamorphic title accent
Use a stretched flare as a moving light accent over a title.
Text+MergeLensFlareMediaOut
Troubleshooting
Common mistakes
Leaving a preset untouched
Placing the flare away from the visual light source
Using excessive global brightness
Adding every ghost element at once
Ignoring occlusion when the source moves behind foreground objects
Production notes
Practical tips
Tune the effect in Flare Alone first.
Use Add or Screen as a realistic starting point for light.
Keep final intensity lower than the first version that looks exciting.
Related nodes