Description:
Effect Composer in Three.js is a powerful tool that allows stacking and managing post-processing effects in a pipeline. It works by rendering the scene to a framebuffer and then applying a series of shader-based passes (like UnrealBloomPass, SSAO, FXAA, GlitchPass, DotScreenPass, etc.) on the rendered image, rather than directly to the screen.
This decouples the rendering from the post-processing and enables multiple visual enhancements such as:
- Bloom: Simulates camera light bleeding for glowing effects.
- Depth of Field (DoF): Mimics real camera lens blur.
- Screen Space Ambient Occlusion (SSAO): Adds contact shadows.
- Chromatic Aberration: Color fringing for realism.
- God Rays: Volumetric light beams.
Use Cases:
- VR experiences needing a filmic feel.
- Architectural visualizations with photorealism.
- Games that require mood effects like fog, dust, or lens flare.
- Simulations where clarity and realism affect immersion.
Advantages:
- Flexible chaining of multiple effects.
- Modular and reusable.
- Shader-pass customization with GLSL.
- Supports custom passes and render targets for full control.
Limitations:
- GPU-intensive, especially in VR or on mobile.
- Needs fine-tuning to balance visual quality and FPS.
- Some effects like SSAO may not work well with transparent materials.