About Video Copilot Optical Flares

Optical Flares generates lens flares within After Effects via an OpenGL‑accelerated UI, allowing full control of flare parameters and 3D occlusion that reacts to AE lights on both 2D and 3D layers. The plug‑in provides 12 core lens objects, 50 additional custom objects, and 60 preset designs, plus tools for luminance tracking, mask‑based animation, auto‑shimmer, and chromatic aberration. GPU acceleration enables rendering up to 32 bits per channel. Version 1.37 adds native compatibility for Apple M1 Macs while maintaining support for Intel‑based Macs and Windows. The package bundles more than 90 minutes of Andrew Kramer training material. Compatibility spans After Effects CS5 through the 2023 release, including MFR support.

Features

• 3D lens flares driven by After Effects lights, with 3D occlusion that obscures the flare by alpha or luminance across 2D and 3D layers
• Luminance tracking generates flares from bright spots in footage, with resolution and threshold controls
• On-lens simulations add dust and scratches, including 12 HD lens textures or your own
• Auto-shimmering and light flickering (smooth or Twitchy) add animation without keyframes, using a unique seed per light
• Chromatic aberration simulates color bleeding around the outside of the lens
• Live preset browser with 60 built-in presets, plus 12 core lens objects and 50 custom lens objects
• Renders up to 32 bpc with GPU acceleration

Best for

Motion‑graphics artists and compositors who need precise, animated lens flares for films, commercials, music videos, or graphic transitions.