Toned Down Lens Flare

"Toned Down Lens Flare" by Ultroman the Tacoman
Version 1.2.1

WORKS IN 1.3 "ATLAS RISES"!

Installation:

Copy one (1) of the included .pak files into your MODS folder.
As with all other mods, make sure you delete the DISABLEMODS.TXT file from the PCBANKS directory.
Also, delete your SHADERCACHE directory (if you want to save time while testing several versions, simply delete the files in SHADERCACHE folder named something with "FLARE").

Version 1.2.1 readme:

The fix for the insane brightness, which I used in version 1.2, was removing the reflections from the center of the screen (inside the halo), but keeping them at the edge of the screen. As a result, suns didn't look as awesome anymore. In the 1.2.1 editions, I have reintroduced the reflections in the middle of the screen. I am sad to say, that I cannot get the cool, horizontal bloom-streaks back on the suns, without the bloom exploding everywhere from normal light sources (like the vanilla lens flare does).

Version 1.2 readme:

I have spent DAYS fine-tuning this shader! I finally found a way, to make it produce less crazy lens flares up close, while keeping a nice lens flare from a sun. I have done the best I could, to keep the nice vanilla lens flare alive, even keeping the five reflections albeit with 5% transparency on them, and only 12,5% of the bloom remains. The bloom is no longer blue, but white with a teeny, tiny bit of blue.
The "halo" still goes a little wild, when you get very close to an insanely bright light source, but you'll never end up with a completely white screen.
Sadly, I had to remove the reflections from the middle of the screen, as they were the primary source of brightness.

Versions 1.0 to 1.1.1 readme:

I have SEVERELY toned down the lens flares. In the "Low Intensity versions, I have cut the overall intensity of the effect by 40%, and also severely cut down the passes of the cumulative light effects, which I call "bloom" and "reflections" due to a lack of a professional light vocabulary. I have also edited the halo quite heavily, so it is less intrusive on the screen.
For the "High Intensity" versions, I have cut the overall intensity by 34%, made the whole effect 15% transparent, but use about twice the "bloom" and "reflections" as the "Low Intensity" versions.
Please tell me if you want tweaks. It can get more or less intense, and there are a few words you can use, to try to describe to me what you want. I have tried to create a vocabulary (see below). Sadly, the effect that makes the vanilla lens flare look awesome (reflections), is also the one that makes you blind. I'll keep trying to balance it better.

Vocabulary:

"Bloom" is the extra light shining out to the SIDES of the light source. It's the crazy blue light in vanilla. I have changed the color of the bloom to white instead of blue (since when does any color light give off blue bloom?). The bloom is very subtle in either version. The "Regular" versions have 32 times less bloom than vanilla, while the "Less" versions have 64 times less.

"Reflections" are the small beams/blobs of light, which protrude upwards/outwards from every light source, dancing around the light source and the halo, following the opposite direction of a straight shot from the middle of the screen to the light source. These were the ones that resulted in total whiteness on your screen (along with the insane bloom). You can see them fucking up everything in vanilla, when you situate a light source at the side of your screen, standing a bit away from it. Vanilla has 5 reflection passes per light source. 5!! The "Regular" versions of this mod have 2 light passes (which I find suitable), and the "Less" versions have 1 pass (effectively making them just an extra light/bloom on the light source). The effect is a LOT less crazy than vanilla, though, because of the general tone-down of the entire effect. Don't knock 'em 'til you try 'em.

The "halo" is the ring of yellowish, whitish, blueish light, that makes it look like you're looking through a camera lens or perhaps a glass space suit helmet. I have made it thinner, more see-through, and less "ghostly". You could hardly see it in vanilla, since all the light passes obscured it. I kinda like it, but if you don't, there are plenty of versions without it.

Copy one (1) of the included .pak files into your MODS folder.

As with all other mods, make sure you delete the DISABLEMODS.TXT file from the PCBANKS directory.

Also, delete your SHADERCACHE directory (if you want to save time while testing several versions, simply delete the files in SHADERCACHE folder named something with "FLARE").

1.2.1 Added versions where I reintroduced the reflections in the middle of the screen, to make suns have more awesome lens flares.

1.2 Improved process. Much better results! Close-up lens flares are less insane, while lens flares from light sources far away, are still clearly visible. Also added several narrower versions, to better fit certain ship HUDs.

1.1 Added some high intensity versions.

1.0 Initial version