Post-Processing Effects

Cinematic and stylistic effects using @react-three/postprocessing.

Quick Start

npm install @react-three/postprocessing postprocessing

import { Canvas } from '@react-three/fiber';
import { EffectComposer, ChromaticAberration, Vignette, Noise } from '@react-three/postprocessing';

function CinematicScene() {
  return (
    <Canvas>
      <Scene />
      <EffectComposer>
        <ChromaticAberration offset={[0.002, 0.002]} />
        <Vignette darkness={0.5} offset={0.3} />
        <Noise opacity={0.05} />
      </EffectComposer>
    </Canvas>
  );
}

Core Effects

Chromatic Aberration

RGB channel separation for lens distortion or glitch effects.

import { ChromaticAberration } from '@react-three/postprocessing';
import { BlendFunction } from 'postprocessing';
import { Vector2 } from 'three';

// Subtle cinematic fringing
function SubtleChromaticAberration() {
  return (
    <ChromaticAberration
      offset={new Vector2(0.001, 0.001)}
      radialModulation
      modulationOffset={0.2}
    />
  );
}

// Intense glitch effect
function GlitchChromaticAberration() {
  const offsetRef = useRef();

  useFrame(({ clock }) => {
    if (offsetRef.current) {
      const glitch = Math.random() > 0.95 ? 0.01 : 0.002;
      offsetRef.current.offset.set(glitch, glitch * 0.5);
    }
  });

  return (
    <ChromaticAberration
      ref={offsetRef}
      offset={new Vector2(0.002, 0.002)}
      blendFunction={BlendFunction.NORMAL}
    />
  );
}

Vignette

Darkened edges for focus and cinematic framing.

import { Vignette } from '@react-three/postprocessing';

// Soft cinematic vignette
function CinematicVignette() {
  return (
    <Vignette
      offset={0.3}      // Distance from center before darkening
      darkness={0.5}    // How dark edges become
      eskil={false}     // Use natural vignette formula
    />
  );
}

// Harsh spotlight effect
function SpotlightVignette() {
  return <Vignette offset={0.1} darkness={0.9} eskil={true} />;
}

Depth of Field

Simulated camera focus with bokeh blur.

import { DepthOfField } from '@react-three/postprocessing';

// Focus on specific distance
function StaticDOF() {
  return (
    <DepthOfField
      focusDistance={0.02}
      focalLength={0.05}
      bokehScale={3}
      height={480}
    />
  );
}

// Focus follows target object
function TrackingDOF({ targetRef }) {
  const dofRef = useRef();
  const { camera } = useThree();

  useFrame(() => {
    if (targetRef.current && dofRef.current) {
      const distance = camera.position.distanceTo(targetRef.current.position);
      dofRef.current.target = distance;
    }
  });

  return <DepthOfField ref={dofRef} focusDistance={0} focalLength={0.02} bokehScale={2} />;
}

Noise / Film Grain

import { Noise } from '@react-three/postprocessing';
import { BlendFunction } from 'postprocessing';

// Subtle film grain
function FilmGrain() {
  return <Noise opacity={0.04} blendFunction={BlendFunction.OVERLAY} />;
}

// Heavy VHS noise
function VHSNoise() {
  return <Noise opacity={0.15} blendFunction={BlendFunction.SCREEN} />;
}

Color Grading

import { HueSaturation, BrightnessContrast } from '@react-three/postprocessing';

// Desaturated cinematic look
function CinematicGrade() {
  return (
    <>
      <HueSaturation hue={0} saturation={-0.2} />
      <BrightnessContrast brightness={-0.05} contrast={0.1} />
    </>
  );
}

// Warm sunset mood
function SunsetGrade() {
  return (
    <>
      <HueSaturation hue={0.05} saturation={0.15} />
      <BrightnessContrast brightness={0.02} contrast={0.05} />
    </>
  );
}

// Cold sci-fi atmosphere
function SciFiGrade() {
  return (
    <>
      <HueSaturation hue={-0.1} saturation={-0.1} />
      <BrightnessContrast brightness={-0.1} contrast={0.15} />
    </>
  );
}

LUT (Lookup Table)

import { LUT } from '@react-three/postprocessing';
import { LookupTexture } from 'postprocessing';

function LUTGrading() {
  const [lut, setLut] = useState(null);

  useEffect(() => {
    LookupTexture.createLookupTexture('/luts/cinematic.cube').then(setLut);
  }, []);

  if (!lut) return null;
  return <LUT lut={lut} tetrahedralInterpolation />;
}

Tone Mapping

import { ToneMapping } from '@react-three/postprocessing';
import { ToneMappingMode } from 'postprocessing';

function CinematicToneMapping() {
  return <ToneMapping mode={ToneMappingMode.ACES_FILMIC} />;
}

Scanlines / CRT Effect

import { Scanline } from '@react-three/postprocessing';

function CRTScanlines() {
  return <Scanline density={1.25} opacity={0.15} blendFunction={BlendFunction.OVERLAY} />;
}

God Rays

import { GodRays } from '@react-three/postprocessing';

function VolumetricLight() {
  const sunRef = useRef();

  return (
    <>
      <mesh ref={sunRef} position={[0, 5, -10]}>
        <sphereGeometry args={[1, 32, 32]} />
        <meshBasicMaterial color="#FFF8E0" />
      </mesh>

      <EffectComposer>
        {sunRef.current && <GodRays sun={sunRef.current} exposure={0.5} decay={0.9} blur />}
      </EffectComposer>
    </>
  );
}

Combining Effects

Cinematic Stack

function CinematicStack() {
  return (
    <EffectComposer>
      <ToneMapping mode={ToneMappingMode.ACES_FILMIC} />
      <HueSaturation saturation={-0.15} />
      <BrightnessContrast brightness={-0.05} contrast={0.1} />
      <ChromaticAberration offset={[0.001, 0.001]} />
      <Vignette darkness={0.4} offset={0.3} />
      <Noise opacity={0.03} blendFunction={BlendFunction.OVERLAY} />
    </EffectComposer>
  );
}

Retro VHS Stack

function VHSStack() {
  return (
    <EffectComposer>
      <HueSaturation saturation={-0.3} />
      <BrightnessContrast contrast={0.2} />
      <ChromaticAberration offset={[0.005, 0.002]} />
      <Scanline density={1.5} opacity={0.1} />
      <Noise opacity={0.1} blendFunction={BlendFunction.SCREEN} />
      <Vignette darkness={0.6} offset={0.2} />
    </EffectComposer>
  );
}

Dream Sequence Stack

function DreamStack() {
  return (
    <EffectComposer>
      <DepthOfField focusDistance={0.01} focalLength={0.1} bokehScale={4} />
      <Bloom luminanceThreshold={0.3} intensity={0.8} />
      <HueSaturation saturation={0.2} hue={0.05} />
      <BrightnessContrast brightness={0.1} />
      <Vignette darkness={0.3} offset={0.4} />
    </EffectComposer>
  );
}

Animated Effects

Time-Driven Color Shift

function TimeDrivenEffects() {
  const hueRef = useRef();
  const vignetteRef = useRef();

  useFrame(({ clock }) => {
    const t = clock.elapsedTime;
    if (hueRef.current) hueRef.current.hue = Math.sin(t * 0.1) * 0.1;
    if (vignetteRef.current) vignetteRef.current.darkness = 0.4 + Math.sin(t * 2) * 0.1;
  });

  return (
    <EffectComposer>
      <HueSaturation ref={hueRef} saturation={0} hue={0} />
      <Vignette ref={vignetteRef} darkness={0.4} offset={0.3} />
    </EffectComposer>
  );
}

Audio-Reactive Effects

function AudioReactiveEffects({ audioData }) {
  const chromaRef = useRef();
  const vignetteRef = useRef();

  useFrame(() => {
    if (!audioData) return;
    const bass = audioData[0] / 255;
    const mid = audioData[4] / 255;

    if (chromaRef.current) {
      const offset = 0.001 + bass * 0.005;
      chromaRef.current.offset.set(offset, offset * 0.5);
    }
    if (vignetteRef.current) {
      vignetteRef.current.darkness = 0.3 + mid * 0.3;
    }
  });

  return (
    <EffectComposer>
      <ChromaticAberration ref={chromaRef} offset={[0.001, 0.001]} />
      <Vignette ref={vignetteRef} darkness={0.4} offset={0.3} />
    </EffectComposer>
  );
}

Temporal Collapse Theme

Effects stack for cosmic countdown aesthetic:

function TemporalCollapseEffects() {
  const chromaRef = useRef();

  useFrame(({ clock }) => {
    if (chromaRef.current) {
      const pulse = Math.sin(clock.elapsedTime * 1.5) * 0.001;
      chromaRef.current.offset.set(0.002 + pulse, 0.001 + pulse * 0.5);
    }
  });

  return (
    <EffectComposer>
      <ToneMapping mode={ToneMappingMode.ACES_FILMIC} />
      <HueSaturation hue={-0.05} saturation={-0.1} />
      <BrightnessContrast brightness={-0.05} contrast={0.1} />
      <ChromaticAberration ref={chromaRef} offset={[0.002, 0.001]} />
      <Vignette darkness={0.5} offset={0.25} />
      <Noise opacity={0.02} blendFunction={BlendFunction.OVERLAY} />
    </EffectComposer>
  );
}

Performance Tips

Technique	Impact	Solution
Multiple blur effects	High	Combine DOF with bloom carefully
High DOF resolution	High	Use height={480} or lower
LUT loading	Medium	Preload, cache texture
Many effects	Medium	Order effects efficiently

function OptimizedEffects() {
  return (
    <EffectComposer multisampling={0}>
      <ToneMapping mode={ToneMappingMode.ACES_FILMIC} />
      <Vignette darkness={0.4} />
      <Noise opacity={0.02} />
      <Bloom intensity={1} mipmapBlur levels={4} />
    </EffectComposer>
  );
}

Reference

• See postfx-composer for EffectComposer setup and render targets
• See postfx-bloom for dedicated bloom techniques
• See postfx-router for effect selection guidance