Post Processing

You probably use filters in Instagram or Photoshop to make the picture more colorful and lively. Post-processing does about the same thing in game development. Post-processing is a tool that allows you to work with a complete picture (when all the processes for creating a scene have been completed) to make your picture/scene more spectacular and impressive .

The post-processing tool will help you to change the way the scene looks by adding visual effects and by correcting some areas that you do not like. All these post processes are related to cinematography.

Actually, such post-processing effects can be done with the help of materials, but it will take a lot of time and require special knowledge. In addition, it will affect game performance. And some visual effects cannot be achieved at all without the post-processing tool.

When we use a post-processing tool, we always work with the final picture. Nothing in the scene changes (no materials are changed or applied). If we switch to Edit mode, (after applying one of the post processes) we will see that everything remains as it is.

Post-processing only affects the final picture, which we will have in the Game mode. It does not have any effect on objects or materials. Therefore, using this tool does not hit the performance of the game much.

How to set up post-processing?

  • You may find all the post-processing settings on the Main Camera. Therefore, to manage the post-processing tool, first, we need to turn on the Main Camera in the Scene Tree.

  • Next, we select the Main Camera in the Scene Tree. After that, the Inspector Panel will appear in the right corner.

  • Then, we click on the Post-processing Tab in the Inspector Panel.

  • Next, we need to make sure that Camera preview is enabled on the Gismo Panel. This will allow us to look at the Scene through the Main Camera. In the Main Camera mode, we will see how our game world will be seen by the game camera (in game mode).

Note: We can only view post-processing effects and their impact in the Main Camera mode.

  • Now look at the Post-processing Panel. In the horizontal scroll (at the very top of the panel) you can find all the post processes that are pre-configured in MANU. Scroll and choose the ones you need.

  • To turn on the post process, simply move the slider to the right (from gray to green). And the post-processing will be applied immediately to your picture (your scene).

We can combine all the post processes. We can turn on several of them and they will overlap each other giving our picture an artistic quality. When we start combining all the post processes together, we will achieve other new effects.

Post-processing effects in MANU

Let's now look at the post processes that MANU has. By scrolling the horizontal scroll menu in the Post-processing Panel, you will see that there are 6 of them: Depth of field, Chromatic aberration, Bloom, Color correction, Screen Space Ambient Occlusion, and Screen Space Light Reflection. Let's look at them in more detail.

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