Ultimate LUT reference guide for Lens Studio

Lens Studio has a lot of really awesome built-in LUTs. The only problem is that you have no idea what they look like until you add them to your lens. The solution? My comprehensive guide to all the LUTs available in Lens Studio! I created a preview of each LUT applied to all six preview models and to two of the world previews. Hopefully this will take a lot of guesswork out of using the Lens Studio LUTs because now you can preview all the LUTs without needing to add them to your lens.

P.S. I also converted all the…

Lens Studio does a really good job of setting things up behind the scenes so that you can focus on your lens. However, some effects will require you to manually create and adjust cameras, layers, and render targets. You can see an example lens using multiple, distinct post effects by clicking here or by scanning the snapcode below.

The “Big Head” effect is a pretty fun type of filter to create. It is pretty easy to make once you learn the trick of texture projection. You can see an example of this type of effect in action by clicking here or by scanning the below code.

Spark AR “Get Superpowered” Competition

The Spark AR team is running a pretty big competition right now. The theme is “Get Superpowered” and they are looking for anything that has to do with superheros or superpowers. I appreciate the non-specificity of the theme because it allows for some pretty creative filters. So far most of the entries seem to be playing it safe and are sticking pretty close to the theme, but hopefully we’ll start seeing some super imaginative stuff soon.

The prizes for this competition are quite good. Like $160,000 USD worth of prizes going to the top 50 filters good. It is a…

Changing the background on your Instagram and Facebook filters is fairly straightforward, but there is an easier way. Learn just how easy it is to add background segmentation in Spark AR and ensure it is compatible with 3D head decorations. You can see an example of this type of effect in action by clicking here or by scanning the below code.

Letting someone tap to change the background or a post effect is pretty common in lenses. Lens Studio does not have this feature built in, but we can set it up pretty easily with visual scripting. And the best part is, the script is 100% reusable for other projects. You can preview an effect using this technique by clicking here or by scanning the snapcode below.

Introduction

I sometimes hear creators who make “advanced” filters and lenses talk about “simple” LUT/color correction/grain/overlay filters as if they were “inferior.” This needs to stop.

I am going to be referring to any lens that primarily consists of a LUT/color correction, grain, or any other 2D overlay (like a frame around the image or an emoji crown) as a “simple” filter in this article just to keep things, well, simple.

Creating “simple” filters is a super accessible way to get started in augmented reality

Not all lens and filter creators have a background in computer/motion graphics, game design, or computer science. I know a creator who started out creating “simple” filters before they saw…

No one expressed interest in joining the Filter Syndicate, so I think I need to come up with a catchier name and keep up the brainwashing.

“Only” a LUT creator

Every so often I hear a creator talk about how creating LUT/color correction filters is “inferior” to creating things that require knowledge of 3D graphics and/or coding. I don’t agree with this sentiment and I share my thoughts in a blog post here.

Fun find

I was randomly looking through lenses the other day and came across this coincidence. I’m guessing this is a case of both Snapchat and Bshar purchasing/downloading the same stock model. I…