SFMASK

SFMASK is a term used in multiple technical domains to denote a mask associated with a frame, scene, or spatial data. It does not refer to a single, universal standard; its exact meaning depends on the context in which it is used. In computer vision and image processing, an SFMASK is typically a per-pixel mask that labels each location as part of a region of interest or as foreground versus background. Masks can be binary (0 or 1) or grayscale, encoding confidence or opacity levels. They are used in segmentation, compositing, denoising, and optical flow, among others, and may be generated by manual annotation, thresholding, clustering, or deep learning models.

In graphics and video pipelines, SFMASK can also describe a subframe or region mask that controls which pixels receive a particular effect, or which frames participate in a compositing operation. Masks are commonly stored as image files with an accompanying alpha channel, or as separate binary or compressed arrays. They may be stored in formats such as .mask files, image bands, or standard image formats like PNG or TIFF, and are typically aligned to a reference frame or coordinate system to stay synchronized with the data they mask.

In GIS and remote sensing contexts, SFMASK–like masks mark land use classes, cloud cover, or data validity, and are used to mask out invalid or uncertain areas before analysis. Important considerations when working with SFMASKs include edge handling, mask resolution, and the method used to generate them, as these factors influence downstream results.

See also: mask, alpha mask, segmentation, region of interest.