Compositor
The Compositor panel applies post-processing effects to your rendered image. Effects include lens simulation, artistic filters, neural enhancement, and AI-generated backgrounds. All size values are stored as fractions of render height — never pixels — so settings survive resolution changes without re-tuning.
Access: View ▸ Compositor (if the panel list is greyed out, choose View ▸ Unlock Advanced UI first). The panel docks in side columns only.
Enable Compositor
Toggle the compositor on or off. With all defaults, enabling it changes no pixels — every effect default is a deliberate no-op. Use this to audition the pipeline before adjusting anything.
Effect execution order
The post chain divides into two blocks at the view-transform boundary. This is a physics constraint, not a preference:
| Block | Effects | When it runs |
|---|---|---|
| LINEAR (scene-referred) | Depth of Field, Lens, Bloom, Vignette | Before the view transform |
| DISPLAY (display-referred) | Grain, Sharpen, Pixelate, Kuwahara, AI Enhance | After the view transform |
Bloom must operate in linear radiance — a highlight at 40× exposure is physically very different from one at 4×, and that difference only exists in linear space. Grain and sharpening are properties of the final image, not the light, so they run in display space.
In the Order section at the bottom of the panel, use Run the selected effect earlier / Run the selected effect later to reorder effects within their block, or drag rows directly. Click a row to open its section.
Grade before effects
The Grade before effects toggle in the Order section controls where colour grading runs:
- Off (default): Effects run first, then the grade applies to the result.
- On: The grade runs first; bloom and vignette see already-graded colour.
Effects reference
Each effect is a collapsible section. The enable switch in the section header activates the effect; turning it on opens the section. All defaults are no-ops. Size controls stored as fractions of render height show a pixel-equivalent read-out beside their label at the current output resolution.
Bloom (LINEAR block)
A halo around bright pixels, simulating lens diffraction and atmospheric glow.
| Control | Range | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Threshold | 0.0–10.0 | 1.0 | Scene-linear radiance where bloom begins. 1.0 = brighter than diffuse white. |
| Knee | 0.0–1.0 | 0.5 | Softness at the threshold. 0 = hard cutoff; higher = smooth fade. |
| Intensity | 0.0–1.0 | 0.05 | Bloom-to-frame blend. |
| Size | 0.0–0.25 (fraction of render height) | 0.05 | Outer extent of the halo. Capped at 0.25 where the bloom pyramid saturates. |
| Aspect | 0.1–10.0 | 1.0 | Anamorphic horizontal stretch. 1.0 = circular; higher = horizontal smear. |
Vignette (LINEAR block)
Darkens frame edges to draw attention to the centre.
The Size and Softness values are fractions of the half-diagonal (0.5 × √(width² + height²)), not the height. This ensures the mask looks identical on any aspect ratio.
| Control | Range | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | 0.0–1.0 | 0.5 | Corner darkness. |
| Size | 0.0–1.0 (fraction of half-diagonal) | 0.7 | Inner radius of the mask. |
| Softness | 0.0–1.0 (fraction of half-diagonal) | 0.25 | Feather width. |
| Roundness | 0.0–1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 = elliptical; 0 = rectangular. |
Lens (LINEAR block)
Optical distortions and chromatic shifts.
| Control | Range | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distortion | −1.0–1.0 | 0.0 | Barrel (+) or pincushion (−). |
| Dispersion | 0.0–1.0 | 0.0 | Lateral chromatic aberration at the frame edges. |
Depth of Field (LINEAR block)
Post-process blur.
Post depth of field is a viewport convenience. The renderer's own depth of field is physically correct and wins whenever it is on.
| Control | Range | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Blur | 0.0–0.1 (fraction of render height) | 0.0148 | Blur radius cap. 0 = no effect. |
Grain (DISPLAY block)
Film or video grain texture, applied in display space.
| Control | Range | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | 0.0–1.0 | 0.03 | Grain strength. |
| Size | 0.0–0.02 (fraction of render height) | 0.001 | Grain cell size (approximately 1 px at 1080p). |
| Coloured | Toggle | OFF | Off = luminance grain (film-like). On = per-channel grain (video-like). |
Sharpen (DISPLAY block)
Unsharp masking with a resolution-independent radius.
| Control | Range | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amount | 0.0–2.0 | 0.3 | Sharpening strength. |
| Radius | 0.0–0.02 (fraction of render height) | 0.002 | Unsharp radius. Larger = broader features; smaller = edges only. |
Pixelate (DISPLAY block)
Square mosaic effect.
| Control | Range | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 0.0–0.1 (fraction of render height) | 0.0056 | Block size. |
Kuwahara (DISPLAY block)
Edge-preserving painterly filter.
| Control | Range | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 0.0–0.1 (fraction of render height) | 0.0056 | Kernel radius. |
| Variation | Classic / Anisotropic | Classic | Anisotropic steers quadrants along local edge direction for cleaner curves. |
| Sharpness | 0.0–1.0 | 0.5 | Edge definition preservation. |
| Eccentricity | 0.0–4.0 | 1.0 | Kernel stretch along edges (Anisotropic only). |
AI Enhance (DISPLAY block)
Neural rendering enhancement. Two interchangeable engines are available.
Runtime requirement: The Neural engine requires the NVIDIA NGX runtime (
nvngx_dlssnr.dll). VIZid does not ship this runtime. To use it, acquire it separately and point the app at it in Settings ▸ System ▸ Neural runtime ▸ Locate…. The Shader engine requires no install and runs on any GPU.
| Control | Options / Range | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | Shader / Neural / Both | Shader | Shader: available immediately. Neural: applies to converged frames only. Both: Shader result shows immediately, crossfades to Neural when ready. |
| Preset | Balanced / Detail / Soft | Balanced | Enhancement style. |
| Intensity | 0.0–2.0 | 1.0 | Overall enhancement amount. 0 = no effect. |
| Structure | 0.0–2.0 | 1.5 | High-frequency detail (AO, reflections, subsurface). |
| Tone | 0.0–2.0 | 1.0 | Low-frequency response (broad lighting, colour). |
| Skin | −1.0–2.0 | 2.0 | Structure weight on skin-like tones (Auto Mask on). Negative values soften below the base level. |
| Auto mask | Toggle | ON | Semantic masking. Skin control applies only to skin-like tones when on. |
AI Backdrop
Generates a background setting around your product using an AI image model. The product's own pixels always come from the renderer — the AI fills only the background.
Prerequisites: At least one backdrop model must be downloaded in Settings ▸ AI Models, and Environment ▸ Background must be set to Backplate Image.
| Control | Notes |
|---|---|
| Enable (header switch) | Switched on automatically when a backdrop is generated. The generated image is applied as the Environment backplate. |
| Prompt | Describe the setting. Example: a kitchen sideboard, morning light. |
| Avoid | What to exclude from the background. Note: FLUX models ignore this field; Stable Diffusion models use it. |
| Seed | Leave empty for a fresh result. Enter a number to reproduce a specific backdrop. |
| Lock | Keep the last seed for the next Generate. |
| Generate backdrop | Starts generation. A progress line shows status below the button. |
The AI Backdrop integrates with the Environment panel. Selecting AI Backdrop as the background mode in the Environment panel activates the last generated image. Switching to another background mode and back preserves the generated image.
After Effects overlay
Draws linked After Effects composition layers over your render — lower thirds, titles, bugs. The enabled overlay appears in the viewport and can be included in ordinary VIZid final renders. Frames returned to After Effects exclude the overlay picture so it can be composited there.
The section has a header switch (like all effects) that activates the overlay.
| Control | Notes |
|---|---|
| Opacity | 0.0–1.0. Master opacity for all AE overlay layers. |
Manage the AE connection in the After Effects panel.
Related pages
- ./grading — lift/gamma/gain colour balance and exposure
- ./environment — AI Backdrop integration and background modes
- ./ai-studio — setting up AI models for AI Enhance and AI Backdrop