Alphacapture

Alphacapture is a term used across digital imaging, graphics, and data-collection contexts to describe tools, processes, or algorithms that capture alpha information. It is not the name of a single standardized product; rather, alphacapture denotes any component that handles the alpha channel, which encodes transparency, or that records alpha-valued parameters in a workflow.

In image processing and video compositing, alphacapture typically refers to extracting or isolating the alpha channel from image or video frames. The extracted alpha mask is used for compositing, matte generation, masking, or alpha blending, and may be stored separately (for example as a grayscale image) or embedded in a file format that supports alpha.

In software development and data acquisition, alphacapture can describe modules or libraries that capture alpha information from render buffers, screen content, or experimental data streams. Implementations vary by platform and may provide features such as real-time alpha extraction, conversion between color spaces with alpha, or integration with pipelines for asset processing or analysis.

Because alphacapture is not standardized, users should consult documentation for the specific tool or library in use to understand supported formats, performance characteristics, and licensing. Related concepts include the alpha channel, image and video compositing, screen capture, and matte creation.