Say hi to Bloom, a graphic setting you can turn on/off under preferences -> graphics (it is a checkbox).

Wiki defines it as the following.

Bloom (sometimes referred to as light bloom or glow) is a computer graphics effect used in video games, demos and high dynamic range rendering (HDR) to reproduce an imaging artifact of real-world cameras. The effect produces fringes (or feathers) of light extending from the borders of bright areas in an image, contributing to the illusion of an extremely bright light overwhelming the camera or eye capturing the scene.

If you have this setting turned on, your game looks better but your color crystals will most likely look nothing like their previews. Here is an example of the two latest color crystals released in the cartel market

http://i.imgur.com/UE9RcWe.jpg

The color crystal ingame with bloom turned off looks very similar to the preview while the one with bloom turned on looks very different. This has being known issues for a while now but the color crystals from the cartel market have made this issue pop up a bit more under the radar.

I spent last night updating my entire color crystal gallery with bloom on/off so you can see the difference for every color crystal.

You can see it here: http://dulfy.net/2012/05/07/endgame-color-crystals-post-1-2-and-how-to-obtain-them/

There is also a comparison for similar colored crystals with bloom on/off: http://dulfy.net/2012/05/07/endgame-color-crystals-post-1-2-and-how-to-obtain-them/#4

The tor-fashion color crystal gallery have also being updated with bloom/off as well for those who prefer that format: http://tor-fashion.com/crystals/

/bump

/vote

For best thread in forums

I was just having a chat with someone yesterday about the bloom effects regarding the mint green. He didn't seem to get why I would say it looks more like the classic Sunriders Destiny when I see it. On his end he saw only a pale green. I hope he sees this thread. Should get a good kick out of it.

As mentioned before thank you for taking the time to do this with all the colour crystals.

Say hi to Bloom

Hi Bloom!

The question I would have is why wouldn't Bioware have bloom enabled when you are previewing a crystal in order to get a more accurate representation of the color? For crystal such as the advanced blue core crystal that was released not in the last pack but the one before, the difference is really noticeable.

Well, the real answer IMO is that they should do the color crystals such that bloom does not affect them. Not sure what challenges that poses.. but that would be the proper approach IMO.

As to residual differences between in game and preview even with bloom off.. CosmicKat is correct about the ambient lighting. Preview has a default fixed lighting... whereas your in game environment actually has ambient lighting that varies quite a lot.

Personally, I always run the game with Bloom OFF. I personally don't like the saturation effects that come with Bloom.

I wonder what changes (if any) if the colour remapping is disabled, it is enabled by default now.

Client_settings file

AllowColorRemapping = false <--- Turn off

AllowColorRemapping = true <---- Turn on

All preview screens, including in the character customization kiosk, use some kind of neutral lighting that you'll never see in the game. It can be annoying for some things, like setting skin tone on a Chiss. They'll never look exactly the same in the actual game.

Good point. Armor sets are most notable in this regard. It may look shiny in the preview and then look dull in reality.

I wonder... those bloom affect this as well?

I think it must depend on other factors too. I never use Bloom and always have it switched off. But the colour crystals still look very different in preview than they do in reality. This is on a GTX660 with everything else set to high, but bloom off.

This. Things like bloom would drastically affect the saber's corona, but not the actual color.

I've always had bloom turned off myself, as in most games the effect is rather exaggerated. The colors between the preview window and the actual game are always off regardless of this setting.

While I normally appreciate dulfy's input and appreciate all the work done, this only applies to people whose main issue with the differential is the corona.

So, is bloom being applied to lightsabers something BioWare might change in the future? Because look at this:

http://dulfy.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/swtor-blue-core-color-crystal-bloom.jpg

http://dulfy.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/swtor-blue-core-color-crystal-no-bloom.jpg

I guess I have bloom enabled by default. Over time I've seen lightsabers become fuzzier and fuzzier, thicker and thicker, to the point that they appear to be ridiculous nerf bats just as the above. The non-bloom version of this new blue core saber looks really cool. But the bloom version is unusably absurd. Some middle ground would be much appreciated; with the coloration and effects of the first screenshot, but the far lesser thickness of the second screenshot.

I now notice that some of the new mobs on Oricon - specifically the sith with those black/white lightsabers - don't appear to have bloom effects enabled on their blades regardless of whether or not I have the effects enabled in general. And it looks a lot better.

I spent last night updating my entire color crystal gallery with bloom on/off so you can see the difference for every color crystal.

I don't think you get enough "thank you"s. So

Thank you,

Thank you,

Thank you,

Thank you,

Thank you,

Thank you,

Thank you,

Thank you!