Glared2: Real-Time Light Effects for Blender

Glared2 is a real-time light-effects add-on for Blender.
It enhances any render — 3D scenes, animations, stills, images or video footage — by generating lens-based effects directly inside the Realtime Compositor.

Unlike physically-based glare nodes or traditional post-processing filters, Glared2 works in screen space, using the actual luminance values of your scene to generate dynamic, responsive effects that update instantly in the viewport.
It is designed to be simple for beginners and powerful for experienced artists, without requiring any compositor knowledge.

Glow and Ghosts

Streak and Supa Flare FX

Unsharp Mask and Lens Dirt

Vignette and Chromatic Aberration

What Glared2 Does

Glared2 creates a wide range of lens- and light-based enhancements in real time:

• Bloom and glow

• Streaks and anamorphic streaks

• Ghosts and multi-reflection artifacts

• Light deformation and diffusion

• Chromatic aberration

• Lens dirt accumulation

• Vignette

• Unsharp mask / contrast shaping

• And more (continuously expanded with updates)

All effects react to the brightness of your render, so highlights naturally drive the intensity and distribution of the glares—no manual masking required.

How It Works

Glared2 runs through a single nodegroup placed automatically at the end of your compositor pipeline.
You don’t need to manage nodes: every control is exposed directly inside the add-on panel in Blender’s UI.

Key characteristics:

• Screen-space based
  Effects are generated from the visible result of your scene, reacting instantly to lighting changes.

• Realtime Feedback
  Adjust parameters while you move objects, lights, or the camera—perfect for look-development.

• Fully Keyframe-able
  Every control can be animated for precise timing during shots.

• Compatible with Eevee and Cycles
  Works with both engines, since it operates inside the compositor.

• Works on any input
  3D scenes, image sequences, still images, video plates, VFX shots—anything Blender can load.

In Short

Glared2 is a simple, real-time, powerful light-effects toolkit for Blender artists who want fast visual enhancement without complicated node setups.
Whether you're working on motion graphics, cinematics, VFX, product visualization, or stylized renders, Glared2 provides immediate, art-directable light behavior that feels natural and elevates the final image.

New in Version 2 (Nov 2025)

Glared2 introduces a major new capability:

Export All Light-Effect Passes Separately (EXR)

You can now output each effect as a dedicated render pass — either in a single multi-layer EXR or in multiple files — allowing you to fine-tune the look later in:

• DaVinci Resolve

• After Effects

• Fusion

• Nuke

• Or any external compositor

This makes Glared2 suitable for complex pipelines and professional post-production workflows.

The assets used in these GIFs are from Blenderkit.com