Alpha mapping

Alpha mapping or transparency mapping is a technique in 3D computer graphics involving the use of texture mapping to designate the amount of transparency/translucency of areas in a certain object.^[1]^[2]

Alpha mapping is used when the given object's transparency is not consistent: when the transparency amount is not the same for the entire object and/or when the object is not entirely transparent.^[1] If the object has the same level of transparency everywhere, one can either use a solid-color alpha texture or an integer value.^{[citation needed]}

The alpha map is often encoded in the alpha channel of an RGBA texture used for coloring, but can also exist as a standalone greyscale or coloured texture.^[1]^[2] An alpha map is often used in conjunction with a textured flat surface as part of billboarding.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Birn, Jeremy (4 November 2013). Digital Lighting and Rendering. Pearson Education. pp. 288–289. ISBN 978-0-13-343917-5.
^ ^a ^b Goulekas, Karen (27 July 2001). "transparency mapping". Visual Effects in a Digital World: A Comprehensive Glossary of Over 7000 Visual Effects Terms. Morgan Kaufmann. p. 520. ISBN 978-0-12-293785-9.

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[birn-1] Birn, Jeremy (4 November 2013). Digital Lighting and Rendering. Pearson Education. pp. 288–289. ISBN 978-0-13-343917-5.

[goulekas-2] Goulekas, Karen (27 July 2001). "transparency mapping". Visual Effects in a Digital World: A Comprehensive Glossary of Over 7000 Visual Effects Terms. Morgan Kaufmann. p. 520. ISBN 978-0-12-293785-9.

[1]

[2]

v t e Texture mapping techniques
Local	Displacement mapping Normal mapping Parallax mapping UV mapping UVW mapping Relief mapping Alpha mapping Bump mapping Occlusion mapping Specular mapping
Environment	Cube mapping Sphere mapping Environment mapping

See also

References