Stage Ordering

The order of pipeline stages affects output quality. anelo uses an opinionated default order, but you can rearrange stages for specific workflows.

Default order rationale

Preprocessing before AI stages

Denoising and deartifacting run before any AI model sees the frames. Noise in the source becomes false micro-structures in depth maps, and compression blocking becomes false edges. Clean input produces clean output.

Upscale before depth

The depth model runs at native resolution — no internal downscaling. A 4K frame produces a more detailed depth map than a 720p frame upscaled after depth estimation. Running upscale first means the depth model gets the best possible input.

Interpolation before depth

Higher frame rates mean smaller inter-frame motion, which makes temporal smoothing in the depth model more effective. The result is less flicker in the stereo output.

Color grading after compositing

Both eyes must receive identical color treatment. Applying a LUT before stereo warping risks slight differences between left and right due to the warp operation. Applying it after compositing guarantees both eyes match.

When to change the order

In most cases the default order produces the best results. Custom ordering is useful when:

• You want to apply a LUT before depth estimation to change the tonal response the depth model sees
• You are running only preprocessing stages and want a specific operation order
• You have a specialized workflow that requires a non-standard pipeline