I know what lens flares are and how to use them, but I cannot come up with any ideas at all about how you would ever use them. What are they for? Have you ever used them and how? I''m so confused!

If you are supposed to be using a lens (e.g. for a camera in a 3rd person view or something)

then you can add subtle lens flares to all the lights

a lot of people use lens flares for outdoor environments. it obviously doesn''t make sense from a physics/reality angle, but it''s an effect that people like.

there''s a thread bitching about that somewhere in the forums...

-me

They are real, as you''re eye is a lense. People tend to over-exagerate them A LOT, but they are real. You don''t really notice them because you''ve seen them you''re entire life, so you''re brain subconsiously eliminates/compensates for them. They can add a bit of realism if they aren''t over-done. (aka, make it damn near invisible).

Billy - BillyB@mrsnj.com
(Hey, I''''m no longer anonymous!)

<Way off Topic>

yeah, but...

a lens flare most typically an artifact of light bouncing around in the body of a camera. it's not entirely a product of light going through a lens. i.e. you need more than just a lens to make a lens flare. as far as i can tell, your eye doesn't contain any of the other necessary components (interior reflective surfaces) to make the flare happen in our perceptual world.

stuff about lens flares:
http://www.vanwalree.com/optics/flare.html

http://people.smu.edu/rmonagha/mf/flare.html

i'm in an anal fact correcting kind of mood...

-me

[edited by - Palidine on May 8, 2002 8:20:55 PM]