Alpha Blending

Src = None
Dest = None

Means there is no alpha blending for the material. The object is rendered completely opaque.

Src = One
Dest = One minus Src alpha

Result: Alpha blending

• Opaque areas (alpha = 1) receive material color.
• Transparent areas (alpha = 0) receive screen buffer color.

The combination is used to create the effect of transparency basing on the alpha component.

Src = Src alpha
Dest = One minus Src alpha

Result: Standard alpha blending

• Opaque areas receive material color, but they are darker and smaller in size, if compared to the previous variant.
• The areas of alpha gradient fading are darkened.
• Transparent areas receive the screen buffer color.

Src = Src color
Dest = One minus Src alpha

Result:

• Opaque areas are also small and even darker and more contrast, if compared to the second and third variants.
• The areas of alpha gradient fading are darkened.
• Transparent areas receive the screen buffer color.

Src = Src color
Dest = One minus Src color

Result:

• Opaque areas are small and of the inverted color.
• The areas of alpha gradient fading are darkened.
• Transparent areas receive the screen buffer color.
• Completely black diffuse material color will result in rendering in screen buffer color.

Src = Src alpha
Dest = One

Result: Alpha-dependent color addition

• In overlapping opaque areas, the material color is added to itself. The areas are very small in size.
• Transparent areas receive screen buffer color.
• Completely black diffuse material color will result in rendering in screen buffer color.

Src = Src color
Dest = Dest alpha

Result: almost the same as the previous variant, but a little less bright and of less distinct material color

Src = One
Dest = One

Result: Color addition

• In overlapping opaque areas the material color is added to itself.
• The areas of alpha gradient fading are bright and distinct.
• Transparent areas receive the screen buffer color.
• Completely black diffuse material color will result in rendering in screen buffer color.

This combination can be used to create halation, particles systems, and volume lights. In this blending mode, the darker the color of the object is, the more transparent it is visualized. By overlaying a lot of layers, overlighting occurs.

Src = Zero
Dest = Src color

Src = Dest color
Dest = Zero

Result (for both variants): Multiplication

• Opaque areas receive screen buffer color multiplied by the material color.
• Transparent areas are black.

If all the material is semitransparent, this combination can be used to create the colored glass.

Src = One minus Src color
Dest = Dest alpha

Result:

• With a non-white color, a completely opaque area seems small and receives the inverted color. In the area of alpha gradient fading, it changes into the summed color. Layers overlapping causes intensification of the color.
• If the diffuse material color is white, completely opaque core areas receive screen buffer color that changes into the summed color as alpha gradient fades.
• Transparent areas are of the screen buffer color.
• Changing the diffuse color multiplier changes the size of the core areas (ring size on the illustration).
• Completely black diffuse material color will result in rendering in screen buffer color.

Src = One minus Src color
Dest = One minus Src color

Result: similar to the previous combination, with the following exceptions:

• With a non-white color, a completely opaque area that receives the inverted color seems bigger in size and darker. In the area of alpha gradient fading, the material color appears dull, tint, and barely visible.
• If the diffuse material color is white, completely opaque core areas receive black color that changes into the summed inverted color as alpha gradient fades.

And the following characteristics remain the same:

• Transparent areas are of the screen buffer color.
• Changing the diffuse color multiplier changes the size of core areas (ring size on the illustration).
• Completely black diffuse material color will result in rendering in screen buffer color.

Src = One minus Dest color
Dest = Dest Alpha

Result:

• Opaque areas are bright and of diffuse material color hue.
• The darker the screen buffer color, the more saturated the material color is.
• Transparent areas are of the screen buffer color.
• Completely black diffuse material color will result in rendering in screen buffer color.

Src = One minus Dest color
Dest = One minus Src alpha

Result:

• In overlapping areas, inversion of the screen buffer color becomes more and more visible with increasing the number of layers.
• Transparent areas are of the screen buffer color.

Src = One minus Dest color
Dest = One minus Src color

Result:

• In overlapping areas, the color is changed from the inverted to the background color and back again.
• Transparent areas are of the screen buffer color.
• Completely black diffuse material color will result in rendering in screen buffer color.

Src = Dest color
Dest = Dest alpha

Result:

• This combination is more suitable for materials of white or bright (of high value) diffuse colors. Otherwise, the material color tint is not visible.
• Transparent areas are of the screen buffer color.

Src = Dest color
Dest = Dest color

Result:

• Opaque areas receive the summed color of material and screen buffer.
• Transparent areas are of the multiplied screen color — darker and more saturated.
• In overlapping areas, the material color of both opaque and transparent (according to alpha component) areas is intensified.