Lesson plan

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. 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. If the object has the same level of transparency everywhere, one can either use a solid-color alpha texture or an integer value. 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. An alpha map is often used in conjunction with a textured flat surface as part of billboarding.

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Article summary

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. 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. If the object has the same level of transparency everywhere, one can either use a solid-color alpha texture or an integer value. 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. An alpha map is often used in conjunction with a textured flat surface as part of billboarding.

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Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  3. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

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