Beginner Blender 4.0 Tutorial - Part 11: Compositing

Introduction

In this tutorial, we will explore the compositing features in Blender 4.0, focusing on improving lighting and adding visual effects to your renders. By the end, you'll have a solid understanding of how to manipulate lights, use the compositor for post-processing, and create visually appealing effects like glare and lens distortion.

Chapter 1: Lighting Fixes

Improving the lighting in your scene is crucial before diving into compositing. Follow these steps to enhance the lighting for your project:

1. Adjust Light Rotation

   • Rotate your light to approximately 90 degrees to cast a more flattering light onto your objects.

2. Control Bounce Light

   • Enter Edit Mode.
   • Use Edge Select Mode to select the edge of the window.
   • Drag the edge to control the bounce light coming off the plate and table.

3. Modify Wall Lighting

   • Assess the wall's brightness, which may be causing uncontrolled light.
   • Set the wall's light value to zero to eliminate unwanted light.

4. Add a Fill Light

   • Press Shift + Right Mouse Click to position the lamp on the ground.
   • Press Shift + A, then select Area Lamp.
   • Rotate the lamp along the Y-axis by holding Control for precise 90-degree increments.
   • Decrease the size of the area lamp.
   • Position it close to your objects and adjust brightness to achieve desired fill light.

Chapter 2: Introduction to the Compositor

The compositor allows you to enhance your final render through various effects. Here’s how to get started:

1. Access the Compositor

   • Click on the Compositor tab at the top of the screen.
   • Enable Use Nodes to begin working with node-based compositing.

2. Render Setup

   • Perform a render by hitting F12.
   • Adjust the sample count to 100 for quicker test renders.

3. Add a Viewer Node

   • Hold Control + Shift and left-click on the Render Layer to create a viewer node.
   • Move the render background using Alt + Middle Mouse Button for better visibility.

4. Color Adjustment

   • Add a Color Balance node for quick adjustments.
   • Modify the color settings for blacks, midtones, and highlights as needed.

5. Use Color Management

   • Find the Color Management settings in your render properties.
   • Set the Look to High Contrast for a punchier image without clipping.

Chapter 3: Creating Glare

To simulate realistic glare effects in your renders, follow these steps:

1. Add Glare Node

   • Press Shift + A to add a Glare node.
   • Set the glare type to Streaks and adjust the following:
     • Threshold: Controls which parts of the image are affected. Set this higher to limit to bright areas.
     • Mix: Adjust the mix value to control the visibility of the glare effect.

2. Add Fog Glow

   • Duplicate the glare node using Control + Shift + D.
   • Change the effect to Fog Glow, increase the size, and set quality to high.

3. Blend Effects

   • Add a Mix Color node.
   • Set the blending mode to Add for combining the glare and fog effects.
   • Adjust the factor value to control the strength of the blend.

Chapter 4: Real-time Compositing

Blender 4.0 introduces real-time compositing, allowing you to see changes live:

1. Change the Bottom Window

   • Switch the dope sheet view to 3D Viewport.

2. Enable Compositor

   • In the rendered mode, set compositing effects to Always for real-time feedback on your adjustments.

3. Check Threshold Settings

   • Adjust the threshold values for glare and fog glow to ensure they’re only affecting the desired areas.

Chapter 5: Lens Distortion and Chromatic Aberration

Adding lens effects can enhance realism:

1. Lens Distortion

   • Add a Transform node and then a Lens Distortion node.
   • Set the distortion value to a low amount, around 0.1, to avoid excessive pixel manipulation.

2. Chromatic Aberration

   • Add a Chromatic Aberration node for slight color separation at the edges.
   • Keep the value low to maintain realism—overuse can make your render look cheap.

Chapter 6: Final Node Setup

1. Organize Nodes

   • Ensure all nodes are connected properly for output to both the viewer and composite.

2. Disable Compositing

   • If needed, disable compositing in the output properties to view the original render without effects.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we covered essential techniques for improving lighting and using the compositor in Blender 4.0. You learned how to adjust lights, create glare effects, and add realism with lens distortion and chromatic aberration. As you continue your Blender journey, experiment with these tools to enhance your 3D scenes and renders. Happy blending!