How to use Drips Psx Efx

Version 1.4 of DripsPsxEfx is compatible only with Blender 4.4 and up.
Version 1.3 of DripsPsxEfx is compatible only with Blender 4.2 and 4.3.
Version 1.2 of DripsPsxEfx is compatible only with Blender 4.1.
If you are using Blender 4.0 or any earlier versions, please make sure to use DripsPsxEfx 1.1.

Go to Edit > Preferences, and under “File Paths” set up a new path to the directory that contains the “DripsPsxEfx.blend” and the “blender_assets.cats.txt”.
Choose “Save Preferences” before closing the window.
By opening the Asset Browser, the content is now available in all of your projects.

DripsPsxEfx.blend

The DripsPsx.blend file contains all the necessary components for working with the DripsPsxEfx effects. It serves as a comprehensive resource, showcasing the setup for various effects and providing concise documentation for each node in the corresponding node editor.

Use the outliner in the top right to select and activate the desired example scene:

MainScene

This scene demonstrates the fundamental setup for DripsPsxEfx. It features a static scene with a simple camera animation. To witness the retro effects in action, press play. For a deeper understanding, explore the Geometry Node Editor, Shader Editor, and Compositor.

Char

In this scene, you’ll find a character with an Armature Modifier and a straightforward animation. Pay attention to the order of modifiers: first, apply the Armature Modifier, and then the Geometry Nodes Modifier containing the DripsPsxEfx Nodes. This sequence ensures that the animation occurs before applying effects like vertex snapping.

VertexLight

This scene showcases the setup for gouraud shading (vertex light). Unlike standard shading, which calculates light for each pixel, gouraud shading computes light for each vertex and interpolates the results between neighboring vertices.

DripsPsxEfx Setup

Let's say we want to apply DripsPsxEfx on this basic scene:

Vertex Snapping

Open the Geometry Node Editor.

Add a new Geometry Node Modifier to the object. You can name the node tree. I’ve named it “PSX FX”.

To apply the effect to all objects in the scene:

Select all the objects. Lastly, select the object that holds the modifier.

Press “Ctrl + L” and choose “Copy Modifiers” to apply the modifier to all selected objects.

Open the Asset Browser.

Navigate to “DripsPsxEfx > Geometry Nodes”.

Depending on the camera type you are using, choose the corresponding vertex snapping node. For a perspective camera, use the “Vertex Snapping - Camera Perspective” Node.

Simply drag and drop it into the Geometry Node Editor.

Connect the vertex snapping node between the input and output nodes.

The node will automatically detect the active camera.

Copy the camera’s Resolution, Focal Length, and Sensor Width values into the node.

Obtain the Resolution from the Output Properties.

Retrieve the Focal Length and the Sensor Width from the camera’s Data Properties.

When everything is set up correctly, the object’s vertices will be snapped to the grid defined by the Vertex Snapping Node.

Toggle “Show Debug Grid” to visualize the grid in the viewport.

Affine Mapping

Open the Asset Browser and navigate to “DripsPsxEfx > Geometry Nodes.” Locate the “Affine Mapping Constructor” Node.

Drag this node into your geometry node tree and connect it after the Vertex Snapping Node.

Ensure that the “UV’s Name” matches the naming of your object’s UV Maps.

Open the Shader Node Editor. From “DripsPsxEfx > Shader Nodes”, add the “Affine Mapping Coordinates” Node to your shader node tree.

Use this newly added node for your texture’s coordinates.

Remember to follow these steps for all the materials in your scene that require the affine mapping effect.

Keep in mind that on objects with few vertices, the distortion might appear extreme, as seen on the ground plane.

This behavior is expected with affine mapping and can be mitigated by adding more geometry.

Culling

Use culling to disable objects or vertices outside the camera’s frustum or those that are far away.

Drag and drop the nodes from “DripsPsxEfx > Geometry Nodes” into your geometry node tree.

For Frustum Culling, don’t forget to copy the camera settings into the node (Resolution, Focal Length, and Sensor Width).

Vertex Light (Gouraud Shading)

Drag the “Vertex Lit” Shader from “DripsPsxEfx > Shader Nodes” into the shader node tree of each material.

Replace the existing Principled BSDF shader with the “Vertex Lit” shader.

This node captures light data that we’ll set up in the geometry node tree.

Drag a Vertex Light Node from “DripsPsxEfx > Geometry Nodes” into your geometry node tree.

It’s advisable to perform vertex lighting after vertex snapping.

To control the position and orientation of a light source, you have two options:

Set it manually in the node.
Use a reference object (e.g., an Empty) to control the point light’s position.

Compositing

Open the Compositor and toggle “Use Nodes” in the Compositor.

To observe real-time post-processing in the viewport, go to Viewport Shading settings and set the Compositor to “Camera” or “Always.”

Drag the desired effect from “DripsPsxEfx > Compositor Nodes” into the compositing node tree and connect it appropriately.

In this example, I’ve used the “Better Dither - Post” node.

Fake Mist

Drag the “Fake Mist” Node into the shader node tree of each material.

Connect it after the main shader (in this case, the “Vertex Lit” Shader).

Ensure the sky color matches the mist color.

Switch to the World Shader and adjust the color of the “Background” Node.

General Tips

When rendering, it’s essential to employ a typical resolution and aspect ratio for the Playstation.
You can refer to the following source for guidance:

Source: Resolution - Emulation General Wiki (gametechwiki.com)
It is recommended to use the Eevee render engine. While Cycles is also an option, achieving a LoFi (low-fidelity) appearance is easier with Eevee.

To eliminate anti-aliasing, navigate to the Render Properties and set the Filter Size under the “Film” section to zero pixels.

For basic color management, choose the “Standard” view transform under the Color Management settings in the Render Properties.

Disable anti-aliasing in your textures by setting the filtering mode to “Closest” in the Image Texture node of your materials.

When working with lights, opt for hard, low-resolution shadows or even no shadows at all.
Since many effects from DripsPsxEfx depend on the camera, it might be convenient to always view your scene through the camera.
Align the view to the camera and toggle “Camera to View”.

Geometry Nodes

Vertex Snapping - Camera Orthographic

Use this node when using an orthographic camera.

Copy the settings for "Camera Resolution X", "Camera Resolution Y", "Camera Orthographic Scale" from your active camera into this node.

Inputs:

Geometry
> Geometry input
Position
> Position data input
Camera Resolution X
> The x-resolution of the camera (should match the resolution set in the Output Properties)
Camera Resolution Y
> The y-resolution of the camera (should match the resolution set in the Output Properties)
Camera Orthographic Scale
> The camera’s orthographic scale (should match the “Orthographic Scale” in the camera’s Data Properties)
Show Debug Grid?
> Visualizes the grid used for vertex snapping
Grid Resolution X
> X-resolution of the vertex snapping grid
Grid Resolution Y
>Y-resolution of the vertex snapping grid
Snap Factor
> Strength of the vertex snapping
Use Custom Camera Object?
> If toggled off, the active camera will be used
Custom Camera Object
> Define a custom camera object, when not wanting to use the active camera

Outputs:

Geometry
> Geometry output
Position
> Position data output

Vertex Snapping - Camera Perspective

Use this node when using a perspective camera.

Copy the settings for "Camera Resolution X", "Camera Resolution Y", "Camera Focal Length" and "Camera Sensor Width" from your active camera into this node.

Inputs:

Geometry
> Geometry input
Position
> Position data input
Camera Resolution X
> The x-resolution of the camera (should match the resolution set in the Output Properties)
Camera Resolution Y
> The y-resolution of the camera (should match the resolution set in the Output Properties)
Camera Focal Length (mm)
> The camera’s focal length in millimeters (should match the “Focal Length” in the camera’s Data Properties)
Camera Sensor Width (mm)
> The camera’s sensor width in millimeters (should match the Sensor Size in the camera’s Data Properties)
Show Debug Grid?
> Visualizes the grid used for vertex snapping
Grid Resolution X
> X-resolution of the vertex snapping grid
Grid Resolution Y
>Y-resolution of the vertex snapping grid
Snap Factor
> Strength of the vertex snapping
Use Custom Camera Object?
> If toggled off, the active camera will be used
Custom Camera Object
> Define a custom camera object, when not wanting to use the active camera

Outputs:

Geometry
> Geometry output
Position
> Position data output

Vertex Snapping - World

Snaps vertices to absolute world coordinates.

Inputs:

Geometry
> Geometry input
Position
> Position data input
Increment
> Resolution of the snapping grid
Snap Factor
> Strength of the vertex snapping

Outputs:

Geometry
> Geometry output
Position
> Position data output

Focal Length from FOV

Converts the field of view to focal length if the camera’s Lens Unit is set to “Field of View”.

Can be used in conjunction with the “Vertex Snapping - Camera Perspective” Node.

Inputs:

Camera FOV
> The camera’s field of view (should match the “Field of View” in the camera’s Data Properties)
Camera Sensor Width (mm)
> The camera’s sensor width in millimeters (should match the Sensor Size in the camera’s Data Properties)

Outputs:

Focal Length
> Focal length value (plug this into the “Vertex Snapping - Camera Perspective” Node)

Affine Mapping Constructor

Constructs texture coordinates for affine mapping.
Has to be used in conjunction with the “Affine Mapping Coordinates” shader node.

The object needs an UV map for this node to work.

Set "UV's Name" to the name of your object's UV map (found in Object Data Properties).

Inputs:

Geometry
> Geometry input
UVs Name
> Name of the object’s UV Map (has to match the name of the UV Maps)
Use Custom Camera Object?
> If toggled off, the active camera will be used
Custom Camera Object
> Define a custom camera object, when not wanting to use the active camera

Outputs:

Geometry
> Geometry output

Distance Culling

Disables Vertices or Objects based on the distance to the camera.

Inputs:

Geometry
> Geometry input
Mode
> Choose between “Vertex Mode” and “Object Mode”
Render Distance
> Distance to camera when vertices or objects disappear
Use Custom Camera Object?
> If toggled off, the active camera will be used
Custom Camera Object
> Define a custom camera object, when not wanting to use the active camera

Outputs:

Geometry
> Geometry output
Mask
> Boolean mask (“True” if object or vertex is culled)

Frustum Culling - Camera Orthographic

Disables vertices or objects if they fall out of the camera’s frustum.

Inputs:

Geometry
> Geometry input
Mode
> Choose between “Vertex Mode” and “Object Mode”
Camera Resolution X
> The x-resolution of the camera (should match the resolution set in the Output Properties)
Camera Resolution Y
> The y-resolution of the camera (should match the resolution set in the Output Properties)
Camera Orthographic Scale
> The camera’s orthographic scale (should match the “Orthographic Scale” in the camera’s Data Properties)
Tolerance
> Can be used to extend the frustum area
No Culling Near Camera
> Disables culling near the camera
Near Distance
> Adjust the culling distance if “No Culling Near Camera” is toggled on
Use Custom Camera Object?
> If toggled off, the active camera will be used
Custom Camera Object
> Define a custom camera object, when not wanting to use the active camera

Outputs:

Geometry
> Geometry output
Mask
> Boolean mask (“True” if object or vertex is culled)

Frustum Culling - Camera Perspective

Disables vertices or objects if they fall out of the camera’s frustum.

Inputs:

Geometry
> Geometry input
Mode
> Choose between “Vertex Mode” and “Object Mode”
Camera Resolution X
> The x-resolution of the camera (should match the resolution set in the Output Properties)
Camera Resolution Y
> The y-resolution of the camera (should match the resolution set in the Output Properties)
Camera Focal Length (mm)
> The camera’s focal length in millimeters (should match the “Focal Length” in the camera’s Data Properties)
Camera Sensor Width (mm)
> The camera’s sensor width in millimeters (should match the Sensor Size in the camera’s Data Properties)
Tolerance
> Can be used to extend the frustum area
No Culling Near Camera
> Disables culling near the camera
Near Distance
> Adjust the culling distance if “No Culling Near Camera” is toggled on
Use Custom Camera Object?
> If toggled off, the active camera will be used
Custom Camera Object
> Define a custom camera object, when not wanting to use the active camera

Outputs:

Geometry
> Geometry output
Mask
> Boolean mask (“True” if object or vertex is culled)

Vertex Light - Ambient

Lights the object evenly.
Has to be used in conjunction with the “Vertex Lit” shader node.

Inputs:

Geometry
> Geometry input
Color
> Light Color
Intensity
> Light intensity

Outputs:

Geometry
> Geometry output

Vertex Light - Directional

Global, directional light.
Has to be used in conjunction with the “Vertex Lit” shader node.

Inputs:

Geometry
> Geometry input
Use Reference Object?
> Use an object to control the light’s position and rotation
Light Object
> Reference light object that is used when “Use Reference Object?” is toggled on
Manual Position
> Position of the light source (not really relevant for directional lights, but can be used to place the light gizmo in a convenient location)
Manual Rotation
> Direction of the light source
Color
> Light color
Intensity
> Light Intensity
Diffuse Intensity
> Diffuse shading intensity
Specular Intensity
> Specular shading intensity
Specular Roughness
> Material roughness for specular highlight
Show Gizmo?
> Toggles a gizmo object to visualize the light position and rotation. Only visible in the viewport.
Use Custom Camera Object?
> If toggled off, the active camera will be used
Custom Camera Object
> Define a custom camera object, when not wanting to use the active camera

Outputs:

Geometry
> Geometry output

Vertex Light - Point

Point light.
Has to be used in conjunction with the “Vertex Lit” shader node.

Inputs:

Geometry
> Geometry input
Use Reference Object?
> Use an object to control the light’s position
Light Object
> Reference light object that is used when “Use Reference Object?” is toggled on
Manual Position
> Position of the light source
Color
> Light color
Intensity
> Light Intensity
Radius
> Point light radius
Diffuse Intensity
> Diffuse shading intensity
Specular Intensity
> Specular shading intensity
Specular Roughness
> Material roughness for specular highlight
Show Gizmo?
> Toggles a gizmo object to visualize the light position and radius. Only visible in the viewport.
Use Custom Camera Object?
> If toggled off, the active camera will be used
Custom Camera Object
> Define a custom camera object, when not wanting to use the active camera

Outputs:

Geometry
> Geometry output

Vertex Light - Spot

Spotlight.
Has to be used in conjunction with the “Vertex Lit” shader node.

Inputs:

Geometry
> Geometry input
Use Reference Object?
> Use an object to control the light’s position and rotation
Light Object
> Reference light object that is used when “Use Reference Object?” is toggled on
Manual Position
> Position of the light source
Manual Rotation
> Direction of the light source
Color
> Light color
Intensity
> Light Intensity
Radius
> Spot light radius / angle
Length
> Length of the light cone
Softness
> Softness of the spotlight
Diffuse Intensity
> Diffuse shading intensity
Specular Intensity
> Specular shading intensity
Specular Roughness
> Material roughness for specular highlight
Show Gizmo?
> Toggles a gizmo object to visualize the light position, rotation, radius, length and softness. Only visible in the viewport.
Use Custom Camera Object?
> If toggled off, the active camera will be used
Custom Camera Object
> Define a custom camera object, when not wanting to use the active camera

Outputs:

Geometry
> Geometry output

Shader Nodes

Affine Mapping Coordinates

Affine mapping texture coordinates.
Has to be used in conjunction with the “Affine Mapping Constructor” geometry node.

Output:

Vector
> Affine mapping UV coordinates

Vertex Lit

Vertex light shader.

Has to be used in conjunction with the vertex light geometry nodes.

Inputs:

Color
> Color input
Alpha
> Alpha input

Outputs:

Shader
> Shader output

Pixelate Coordinates

Manipulates UV coordinates to let textures appear in low resolution and pixelated.

Inputs:

Vector
> UV coordinate input
Resolution
> Resolution of the pixelated UV’s

Outputs:

Vector
> UV coordinate output

Fake Mist

Cheap, shader based mist / fog effect.

Has to be used after your shader node.

Inputs:

Shader
> Shader input
Color
> Mist color
Start Distance
> Distance to the camera from where the mist / fog starts
End Distance
> Distance to the camera where the mist / fog ends
Alpha
> Alpha mask input. Defines transparent areas of the output material

Outputs:

Shader
> Shader output

Posterize - Shader

Reduces the color depth of the input.

Inputs:

Color
> Color input
Color Depth
> Color depth

Outputs:

Color
> Color output

Compositor Nodes

Dither - Post

Combines pixelation, posterization and dithering.

Inputs:

Image
> Image input
Pixel Size
> Pixel Size
Color Depth
> Color depth
Edge
> Shifts the area where the dithering happens between 2 color values. Defines the width of the dither area.
Dither Type
> Choose between 4 different dither types: 2x2 bayer, 4x4 bayer, 8x8 bayer, 16x16 bayer
Dither Randomize
> Randomizes the dither pattern
Dither Threshold
> Threshold value for the dithering
Filter Type
> Filter type used for pixelation (0=Nearest, 1=Bilinear, 2=Bicubic)
Sample Area
> Relative sample area for pixelation

Outputs:

Image
> Image output

Pixelate - Post

Pixel effect.

Inputs:

Image
> Image input
Pixel Size
> Pixel Size
Filter Type
> Filter type used for pixelation (0=Nearest, 1=Bilinear, 2=Bicubic)
Sample Area
> Relative sample area for pixelation

Outputs:

Image
> Image output

Pixelate and Fake Dither - Post

Pixel effect and dither overlay.

Inputs:

Image
> Image input
Pixel Size
> Pixel Size
Blend Dither
> Dither intensity

Outputs:

Image
> Image output

Posterize - Post

Color depth reduction.

Inputs:

Image
> Image input
Color Depth
> Color depth

Outputs:

Image
> Image output

Scanlines

Scanline effect.

Works best with a large pixel size.

Inputs:

Image
> Image input
Image Width
> Image width in pixels
Image Height
> Image height in pixels
Mix Factor
> Intensity of the scanlines
Pattern Scale
> Scale of the scanlines
Brightness
> Brightness adjustment (default is 2)
Sample Area
> Relative sample area for pixelation
Blurriness
> Image blurriness
Screen Distort
> Screen distortion
Screen Dispersion
> Dispersion effect
> Color depth

Outputs:

Image
> Image output

PC CRT

PC CRT effect.

Inputs:

Image
> Image input
Image Width
> Image width in pixels
Image Height
> Image height in pixels
Mix Factor
> Intensity of the CRT pattern
Pattern Scale
> Scale of the CRT pattern
Grid Shape
> Shape/softness of the CRT pattern
Grid Blend
> Strength of the CRT pattern
Brightness
> Brightness adjustment (default is 3)
Sample Area
> Relative sample area for pixelation
Blurriness
> Image blurriness
Screen Distort
> Screen distortion
Screen Dispersion
> Dispersion effect

Outputs:

Image
> Image output

TV CRT

TV CRT effect.

Inputs:

Image
> Image input
Image Width
> Image width in pixels
Image Height
> Image height in pixels
Mix Factor
> Intensity of the CRT pattern
Pattern Scale
> Scale of the CRT pattern
Pattern Scale X
> Width of the CRT pattern
Pattern Offset
> Offsets the CRT pattern every second row
Brightness
> Brightness adjustment (default is 3)
Sample Area
> Relative sample area for pixelation
Blurriness
> Image blurriness
Screen Distort
> Screen distortion
Screen Dispersion
> Dispersion effect

Outputs:

Image
> Image output