post-processinglisted

# Post Processing ## Purpose Post-processing is applied to the finished image, which makes it the easiest place to change the look and the easiest place to hide problems that should have been fixed earlier. Both facts matter. The correct order of work is: fundamentals, then lighting, then materials, then post. Grading applied to compensate for bad lighting produces a muddy image and has to be redone when the lighting is eventually fixed. Post-processing is also full-screen work: every effect costs the whole screen, every frame, which makes it a frequent and under-examined performance cost. ## When to use - Setting up the post-processing stack for a project or an area. - The image looks washed out, crushed, over-bloomed, oversaturated or flat. - Aliasing, shimmering or ghosting is visible in motion. - Full-screen effects are consuming an unacceptable share of the frame. - Establishing a consistent look across areas. ## When NOT to use - The lighting is wrong. Use `lighting-design` — post cannot fix it, only mask it. - Surface response is wrong. Use `materials-and-shaders`. - Fundamentals are unestablished. Use `rendering-fundamentals`. ## Required context | Fact | Why it matters | |---|---| | Renderer, pipeline and version | Stacks and effect implementations differ entirely | | Whether HDR rendering and output are enabled | Changes tonemapping and bloom completely | | Tonemapping curve in use | Determines how highlights roll off | | Target platform and frame budget |