---
title: "09 - Projection Strip"
url: "https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/html/09-Real-Lens-Flares_projection-strip.html"
section_path: "VFX > Real Lens Flares > 09 - Projection Strip"
description: "The projection strip contains the various visual elements (core projections and lens simulations/reflections) that comprise a flare. When you select a …"
---

# 09 - Projection Strip

Real Lens Flares

## PROJECTION STRIP

The projection strip contains the various visual elements (core projections and lens simulations/reflections) that comprise a flare. When you select a preset, its layered components appear here. Clicking on any one of these elements will open its customizable properties in the inspector pane.

![Image: VFX_LensFlare_ProjStripAdd-B.png](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/VFX_LensFlare_ProjStripAdd-B.png)

Click the + icon on the projection strip’s left to add a new core projection. (The core projection types are detailed later.) Designer allows up to the following number of core projections to a lens flare and thus to the projection strip:

- **Light Ball**: 1
- **Schmutz**: 1
- **Starburst**: 1
- **Glow Ball**: up to 3
- **Halo**: up to 3
- **Ring**: 1
- **Single Spike**: up to 3
- **Gate Flare**: 1

Note how selecting a core projection, lens simulation, or stylized flare from the presets shows a very limited set of aperture information (along with light source and flare properties settings) in the inspector pane. Essentially, only the graphical representation of the aperture blade configuration and f-stop control are shown (as demonstrated in the first image, below). However, if you select a preset and then click on a core projection in the projection strip, the full assortment of aperture settings appears (second image, below).

![Image: VFX_LensFlare_ProjStrip01a2.png](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/VFX_LensFlare_ProjStrip01a2.png)

![Image: VFX_LensFlare_ProjStrip01b2.png](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/VFX_LensFlare_ProjStrip01b2.png)

VFX Real Lens Flares takes this approach to provide more control granularity as you dig deeper into a lens flare’s components.

It may be useful to isolate certain projections by hiding others, much like turning off visibility for project layers. To do so, mouse-over the strike-out symbol in the top-right corner of a projection’s thumbnail in the strip. Clicking it turns the symbol from white to red and hides that projection’s layer.

![Image: VFX_LensFlare_ProjStrip02.png](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/VFX_LensFlare_ProjStrip02.png)

Finally, the projection strip includes a few additional functions accessible by right-clicking on a strip thumbnail:

![Image: VFX_LensFlare_ProjStrip03B.png](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/VFX_LensFlare_ProjStrip03B.png)

- **Reset**: Reverts the properties of that projection to their default values, NOT to the values saved for that preset. For example, the Hazy Late Summer stylized flare preset has a starburst core projection with Size of 83 percent. Selecting Reset for this will change the size value to 100%, the default for starburst core projections.
- **Hide**: Makes that projection layer invisible, just like selecting the thumbnail’s strike-through symbol.
- **Solo**: Turns all projection layers invisible except that of the selected thumbnail.
- **Delete**: Deletes that thumbnail and its associated projection layer. Alternatively, you can delete a projection by selecting its thumbnail and hitting the Delete key.