Alpha to coverage

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Short description: Multisampling computer graphics technique

Alpha to coverage[1][2][3] is a multisampling computer graphics technique, that replaces alpha blending with a coverage mask. This achieves order-independent transparency for when anti-aliasing or semi-transparent textures are used. This particular technique is useful for situations where dense foliage or grass must be rendered in a video game.[4]

Alpha to coverage is a sub-pixel version of screen-door transparency, a technique which uses a dithering pattern to simulate transparency with only fully opaque and fully transparent pixels.[5]

Alpha to coverage multisampling is based on regular multisampling, except that the alpha coverage mask is ANDed with the multisample mask. Alpha-to-coverage converts the alpha component output from the pixel shader to a coverage mask. When the multisampling is applied each output fragment gets a transparency of 0 or 1 depending on alpha coverage and the multisampling result.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Golus, Ben (21 October 2021). "Anti-aliased Alpha Test: The Esoteric Alpha To Coverage". https://bgolus.medium.com/anti-aliased-alpha-test-the-esoteric-alpha-to-coverage-8b177335ae4f. 
  2. ↑ "Alpha to coverage | Semantic Scholar". https://www.semanticscholar.org/topic/Alpha-to-coverage/2037914. 
  3. ↑ "Common Rendering Mistakes: How to Find Them and How to Fix Them | Oculus". https://developer.oculus.com/blog/common-rendering-mistakes-how-to-find-them-and-how-to-fix-them/?locale=es_ES. 
  4. ↑ "Configuring Blending Functionality (Windows)". Microsoft Developer Network. http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb205072%28v=vs.85%29.aspx#Alpha_To_Coverage. Retrieved 2013-01-27. "Alpha-to-coverage is a multisampling technique that is most useful for situations such as dense foliage where there are several overlapping polygons that use alpha transparency to define edges within the surface" 
  5. ↑ Enderton, E; Sintorn, E; Shirley, P; Luebke, D (2011). "Stochastic Transparency". IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics 17 (8): 1036–1047. doi:10.1109/TVCG.2010.123. ISSN 1077-2626. https://luebke.us/publications/StochasticTransparency_I3D2010.pdf. 




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