One of the newest additions to the list of CryENGINE rendering capabilities is the lens flare system. The lens flare system, which was added to CryENGINE only recently, is more than just a simple lens flare effect. It is a full-blown system with tools to create and set up new lens flares easily. In real life, lens flare effects are caused by light sources hitting a lens and the light being scattered.

Of course, the approach that CryENGINE takes is a bit simpler and does not simulate actual rays of light being scattered on the game camera. In the engine, lens flare effects are caused by lights and can be seen as a property of light sources. You can have any light source in CryENGINE cause lens flare effects by adding a lens flare property to it. This workflow makes it very easy to add lens flares to your level. Once a light has a lens flare property set, a special lens flare material will be applied, which allows rendering of all kinds of effects.