Post-processing effects in Roblox are customizable filters that enrich your game's visuals. You can add them to the Lighting service for global effects that all players see, or to the Camera object for per-player effects. The main types are Bloom, Blur, ColorCorrection, DepthOfField, SunRays, and ColorGrading.
How to Add Post-Processing Effects
When you add post-processing effects to the Lighting service, they display to all players who enter the game. This is useful for effects that affect the global environment, such as sun rays. When you add them to the Camera object, they only display to a specific player, which is useful for effects like blurring the 3D world when a UI menu is open.[1]
To add an effect:
- In the Explorer window, hover over the Lighting service or Camera, then click the + button.
- From the contextual menu, insert one or more effects: BloomEffect, BlurEffect, ColorCorrectionEffect, DepthOfFieldEffect, SunRaysEffect, or ColorGradingEffect.
Bloom
The BloomEffect exaggerates lights in your game by simulating a camera viewing a bright light. When set to a high value, parts with light colors glow. This works well for neon parts, lasers, or any emissive material you want to make pop.[1]
Blur
The BlurEffect applies a Gaussian blur to the entire 3D world view. You can use it to blur the background when a player has a menu open, letting them focus on UI elements without distraction.[1]
Color Correction
The ColorCorrectionEffect adjusts color properties to enhance an environment's appearance. It can also provide player feedback, such as tinting the screen red when health is low. The four main properties are:[1]
- Brightness: Sets the overall brightness of pixels.
- Contrast: Controls the separation between dark and light colors.
- Saturation: Sets the intensity of colors. A value of -1 makes everything black and white.
- TintColor: Determines how much the RGB channels of pixels scale, effectively overlaying a color on the screen.
The DepthOfFieldEffect blurs parts of your game that are not in focus. You can use it to blur distant objects or to focus a player on specific elements like an item in a shop.[1]
Sun Rays
The SunRaysEffect creates a halo of light with rays around the sun. The rays move based on the ClockTime or TimeOfDay property of the Lighting service. Objects between the camera and the sun shape this effect, allowing for realistic visuals of light and shadow.[1]
Color Grading
The ColorGradingEffect modifies how color values are converted to the screen's color range, impacting the mood and appearance of your place. The primary property is TonemapperPreset, which has two values:[1]
- Default: Uses the post-2019 Roblox appearance with vivid colors and high contrasts.
- Retro: Imitates the pre-2019 Roblox appearance. Colors look less saturated with less contrast.
Atmosphere and Global Lighting
The Atmosphere object is a child of the Lighting service. It adds depth by simulating particles in the air and blending distant scenery into the sky. The two key properties are Density, which controls the thickness of the atmosphere, and Offset, which controls where that blending begins.[2]
A Density of around 0.375 thickens the air enough to obscure the edge of terrain so players do not see where the world ends. An Offset of 0.17 blends distant objects into the sky, giving a sense of endless landscape.[2]
For the overall look, setting Ambient to a dark value like 16,16,16, ColorShift_Top to a cool blue-grey like 196,222,255, and OutdoorAmbient to something like 134,158,190 pulls the whole world toward a cooler tone. Switching LightingStyle to Realistic makes local light sources cast precise shadows. Setting ShadowSoftness to 0 gives shadows crisp edges.[2]
Practical Tips
- Use ColorCorrectionEffect on the Camera for damage feedback (red tint at low health).
- Use BloomEffect sparingly on Lighting, too much makes everything glow.
- DepthOfFieldEffect works well for shop interfaces or dialogue focus.
- SunRaysEffect looks best with ClockTime set to early morning or late afternoon.
- ColorGradingEffect with Retro preset instantly gives a nostalgic feel.
Do post-processing effects affect performance?[/b]
Yes, especially Bloom and DepthOfField. Use them judiciously and test on lower-end devices.[1]
Can I use multiple effects at once?[/b]
Yes. You can stack multiple ColorCorrectionEffect objects and combine them with Bloom, Blur, or other effects.[1]
Why are some effects missing from the menu?[/b]
Raise the Editor Quality Level in Studio Settings under Rendering.[1]
Do effects on Lighting show for all players?[/b]
Yes. Effects on the Lighting service are visible to everyone. Effects on a Camera only show for that specific player.[1]
Sources
Roblox Post-Processing Effects Documentation
Roblox Customize Global Lighting Tutorial