Procedural, real-time lens flares for Eevee & Cycles, built with Geometry Nodes. 60+ presets. Fast, cinematic, controllable.

Flared2 brings cinematic lens flares to Blender with real-time feedback. Built with Geometry Nodes, it’s fast, procedural, and designed for actual production work, so you can dial looks directly in the viewport and ship shots faster, without the need for the compositor.

It works with Eevee and Cycles, supports both 2D (screen-space size) and 3D (distance-aware) modes, and includes 60+ presets to get you started. You can stack unlimited flares, use obstacle detection so they hide behind geometry, and fine-tune artistic controls like anamorphic stretch, ghosts, streaks, halo, sun rays, starburst, lens dirt, blinking, and more.

If you like immediate feedback and controllable style over physically-based waiting time, Flared2 is for you.

Why Flared2

• Real-time - see changes instantly in the viewport; iterate faster.
• Procedural & modular - combine generators for custom looks.
• Artist-first - stylized, cinematic results with precision.
• Production-friendly - render on any machine or farm (no add-on on the farm).
• Eevee + Cycles - clean compositing on a separate render layer if desired.

Key features

• 60+ presets included (save/share your own).
• 2D / 3D per-flare mode.
• Obstacle detection via dedicated collection.
• Anamorphic factor (H/V stretch).
• Generators: point/glow, ghosts, streaks (incl. horizontal), sun rays, hoop, halo, light reflection, starburst, lens dirt, blinking.
• Advanced render workflow - automate Eevee (flares) + Cycles (scene) compositing.
• Docs & tutorials - clear manual and step-by-step videos.

Who it’s for

• Beginners - usable results quickly.
• Experienced artists - granular control, real-time iteration.
• Motion design / VFX / YouTube - cinematic accents without heavy setup.

Compatibility

• Blender: 4.1.1+
• Engines: Eevee & Cycles
• Platforms: macOS / Windows / Linux
• Render farms: compatible (flares render without installing the add-on).

What’s included

• Flared2 add-on .zip
• 60+ presets (JSON) with webp thumbnails
• PDF manual (40+ pages)

Notes & limitations

• Cycles: configure transparent light paths correctly to avoid artifacts.
• Flared2 Lite Limitations: it is a reduced version of the full addon and comes with several limitations.
• Camera: Flared2 was only tested with Perspective cameras. Orthographic and Panoramic camera modes don't work correctly, at the moment.

FAQ

Will it work with an orthographic or panoramic camera?
Not at the moment. Flared2 supports Perspective cameras only.

Can I render flares on a separate layer and composite?
Yes. Enable "Render Flares on Separate Layer": Flared2 outputs the flares as their own layer/pass (often Eevee) and the scene as another (often Cycles), so you can composite cleanly in Blender or in an external compositor.

Does the add-on need to be installed on a render farm?
No, flares can render without installing the add-on on the farm nodes.

Can I create my own presets?
Yes. You can create, save, and share presets (JSON + thumbnail).

Is this physically based?
No, Flared2 prioritizes artistic control and real-time iteration.