Introduction

In the previous chapters we covered shadow and lighting techniques. By using those techniques, you should now be able to render your 3D scene and achieve decent output image. Now it's time to take this decent output and make it look even better using a set of effects known as postprocessing.

The term postprocessing is taken from the film industry and basically refers to any changes made to the film after it was recorded. When used in relation to 3D rendering, postprocessing generally refers to a set of 2D effects applied to the lit 3D scene which enhance the final image displayed on the screen.

Aside from image enhancement, postprocessing can also dramatically change the overall look of the final image. It's not uncommon for games to use postprocessing to alter the mood of the 3D scene by desaturating colors for a gloomier look or by causing parts of the final image to stand out.

Another set of effects common to postprocessing are fake lens effects. Real life cameras suffer from...