Color Chooser and Color Table Editor Dialogs

Color Chooser Dialog

The Color Chooser Dialog is invoked from the GFE when you depress MB3 over the graphic contour label in the spatial editor. When you MB3 graphic contour label, select the following sequence from the pop-up menus: 'Change Color' -> 'Choose Color'.

The Color Chooser Dialog can be used to change a single-colored graphical feature (i.e., a contour).

The Color Chooser Dialog consists of Hue, Saturation and Value (same as Brightness) entry fields, a color wheel, a color swatch to indicate the old or current color (bottom left corner), a color swatch to reflect the selected color, an "OK" button and a "Cancel" button. The old color swatch (left) indicates the current contour color until the 'OK' or 'Cancel' button is selected.

If you MB1 over the color wheel to the desired color, the circle marker is updated to the cursor location. The selected color is echoed in the 'NEW' color swatch and the Hue, Saturation and Brightness sliders move to the appropriate values corresponding to your selected color.

For advanced users, in A2, an option to select color values numerically is also available as entry fields to the right of the Hue/Saturation/Value entry fields and Color Name entry field that accepts color names in hex. Also new in A2, the user now has the option of selecting the general color family from the Palette row of colors along the bottom of the dialog display. Lastly, the pipette icon allows the user to set the color by sampling it from anywhere on the screen.

If you want to change your graphical-feature, a.k.a. contour, to the new color, select the 'OK' button. Otherwise the 'Cancel' button dismisses the Color Chooser without change to your graphical contour.

A new color can also be selected using the Hue, Saturation or Value entry fields.

The various components of the ColorChooser are shown in the following table:

Component	Description
Hue Entry Field	Using MB1 or MB2, the Hue up/down arrows can be moved from 0 to 360 degrees. Alternately, the new value can be manually typed into the field followed by Return. When the Hue value is modified, the circle marker on the color wheel will correspond to the Hue value in. Simultaneously, the new color will be indicated in the new color swatch.
Saturation Entry Field	Using MB1 or MB2, the Saturation up/down arrows can be moved from 0 to 100 percent. Alternately, the new value can be manually typed into the field followed by Return. When the Saturation value is modified, the circle marker on the color wheel will move along the radius indicating the appropriate color with 0 percent saturation representing white. Simultaneously, the new color will be indicated in the new color swatch.
Value Entry Field	Using MB1 or MB2, the Brightness up/down arrows can be moved from 0 to 100 percent. Alternately, the new value can be manually typed into the field followed by Return. When the Brightness value is modified, the color wheel and the new color swatch reflects the brightness selection with 0 percent brightness representing black. Please note that there may be a short delay in updating the color wheel.
Red	Represents numeric value for the amount of red within the color. Can be either manually typed in, or selected using MB1 or MB2 to move up/down arrows. The color wheel and the new swatch will be modified simultaneously. Accepts values between 0 and 255.
Green	Represents numeric value for the amount of green within the color. Can be either manually typed in, or selected using MB1 or MB2 to move up/down arrows. The color wheel and the new swatch will be modified simultaneously. Accepts values between 0 and 255.
Blue	Represents numeric value for the amount of blue within the color. Can be either manually typed in, or selected using MB1 or MB2 to move up/down arrows. The color wheel and the new swatch will be modified simultaneously. Accepts values between 0 and 255.
Color Name	Represents the hex value for the selected the color. This field is typed in manually and must be a valid color value. The color wheel and the new swatch will be modified simultaneously.
Palette	Allows the selection of the color family, i.e. shade. MB1 on the selected swatch to select the shade. The color wheel and the new swatch will be modified simultaneously.
Pipette Icon	Allows color sampling from the screen. MB1 on the pipette icon, then anywhere on the screen to select the color. The color wheel and the new swatch will be modified simultaneously.
ColorWheel	Contains a small circle showing the current value specified by the sliders. The color wheel will dim and brighten as the Brightness slider is changed.
OLD Swatch	The previous color (current color when the dialog is first presented) is shown.
NEW Swatch	The new chosen color is shown.

ColorTableEditorDialog

The ColorTableEditor is used for Scalar and Vector data types. There is no editor currently available for the Weather data type; the Weather data type is configured through the gfe configuration file weather color table definitions. The ColorTableEditor for Discrete data types use the same data source as Scalar/Vector, but its operations are different. Generally it is a good idea to separate out color tables for Scalar and Vector, from color tables for Discrete.

Scalar/Vector Color Table Editing

The Color Table Editor contains a Color Chooser (without the old color swatch area). A color spectrum appears in the middle section of the dialog. The left and right triangular pointers are labeled with minimum and maximum numerical values corresponding to the weather product. The '>>' and '<<' buttons enable the user to move the pointers in an increment defined by the two entry fields. The top row of the dialog allows the user to select RGB or HSB color model. The bottom half of the dialog contains several buttons that control the operations performed on the spectrum: 'Interpolate', 'Undo', 'Revert', 'Save...', 'Delete...' and 'Office Save As' buttons. The 'Fill' and 'Set' buttons appear to the right of the top and bottom spectrum selection areas. Please note in AWIPS2 any changes are applied automatically. The user has to exit and re-enter GFE should they accidentally exit the color chooser without reverting.

After a color is selected using MB1 (i.e., MB1 somewhere within the spectrum) or the Color Chooser, it is reflected in the rectangular color swatch. To modify the spectrum with the selected color, MB1 over either the left or right pointer. The triangular area will assume the color of the color swatch. With the MB1, the left or right pointer can be moved to the desired weather product value.

Exercise 1

1. Make Temperature an image on the GFE.

2. From the color bar, MB3->Change Color Table To...'->Edit Color Table...'

3. Select a color using the Color Chooser portion of the Color Table Editor.

4. MB1 over the left pointer and move the pointer to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The left triangular pointer will assume the color of the selected color and the color swatch will assume the new color.

5. Slide the top arrow to 40 degree F location of the spectrum.

6. MB1 over the right pointer and move the pointer to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The right pointer will now assume the color of the color swatch.

7. Select the '>' button. The left and right pointers will advance 1 degree F to the right.

8. Select the '<' button. The right and left pointers will decrease 1 degree F to the left.

9. MB1 over the desired color on the spectrum. The color chosen will be reflected in the color swatch.

10. MB1 on the right pointer. The right pointer will now assume the color in the color swatch.

The various controls are described in the following table:

Control	Description
Fill	The 'Fill' button, will fill the selected portion of the spectrum.
Set	The 'Set' button, will set the selected value of the spectrum.
Interpolate	You can linearly interpolate the area selected between the pointers with one of two linear interpolation methods: Red-Green-Blue interpolation (i.e., 'RGB Interpolation' button) or Hue-Saturation-Brightness interpolation (i.e., 'HSB Interpolation' button). The HSB interpolation will 'linearly' interpolate along the shortest angle of the color wheel indicated by the colors of the pointers. The RGB interpolation will linearly interpolate along the 0-255 color intensity scale of red, green and blue between the colors of the pointers.
Undo	The 'Undo' button will restore the previous spectrum.
Redo	The 'Redo' button will restore the previously undone spectrum.
Revert	The 'Revert' button will restore the original spectrum with which the Color Table Editor Dialog started.
Save	'Save' saves the changes to the currently loaded color table.
Save As...	'Save As' brings up a dialog from which the user may enter a name of a color table. The color table is stored under this name and the Transient color table in use is removed. 'Save' has an implicit 'Apply'. You cannot save a Transient color table to EDEX.
Office Save As...	'Office Save As' brings up a dialog from which the user may enter a name of a color table specifically for the office currently loaded.
Delete...	You can 'Delete' an existing color table and it doesn't need to be the one that is displayed. A dialog will be displayed showing a list of names. Highlight or type in an identifier and enter 'Okay'. You can delete Transient color tables that exist in you GFE and other color tables that are stored on the server. CAUTION:  If you delete a spectrum that is being used by another user, their spectrum will revert to the default spectrum. Please consider carefully before using the 'Delete' button.

Exercise 2

1.  Do Exercise 1.

2.  Select the HSB color model, then click 'Interpolate'. The selected area of the spectrum will be linearly interpolated along the HSB color scheme.

3.  Select the RGB color model, then click 'Interpolate'. The selected area of the spectrum will be linearly interpolated along the RGB color scheme.

4.  Select 'Undo'. The selected area of the spectrum will be restored to the pre-interpolation state.

5.  Select 'Fill'. The selected area of the spectrum will be filled with the color in the color swatch.

6.  Select 'Undo'. The selected area of the spectrum will be restored to previous spectrum.

7.  Select 'Set'. The selected area of the spectrum will be set to the color you selected.

8.  Select 'Undo'. The selected area of the spectrum will be restored.

9.  Select 'Revert'. The original spectrum that you began with is restored.

10.  Select the RGB color model and click 'Interpolate'. The selected area of the spectrum will again be linearly interpolated along the RGB color scheme.

12.  Select 'Save'. The new spectrum will be saved to the currently loaded color map.

13.  Select 'Save As...'. The 'Save Color Table' dialog is brought up and you are prompted for a name (i.e., identifier) for the spectrum that you've just created.

14.  Select 'OK'. The new spectrum is now saved.

15.  Select 'Delete'. The 'Delete Color Table' dialog allows you to highlight the spectrum to be deleted or type in the identifier. CAUTION: If you delete a spectrum that is being used by another user, their spectrum will revert to the default spectrum. Please consider carefully before using the 'Delete' button..

16.  Click the X mark in the top right corner. The dialog will exit, however all changes are applied automatically.

Discrete Color Table Editing

The Discrete ColorTable Editor contains a Color Chooser (without the old color swatch area). A color spectrum appears in the middle section of the dialog. The text label contains the selected weather product name and units. In AWIPS2 all of the buttons on the Color Table Editor for Scalar/Vector are available on the Discrete Color Table Editor.

After a color is selected using MB1 click (i.e., MB1 somewhere within the spectrum) or the Color Chooser, it is reflected in the rectangular color swatch. To modify the spectrum with the selected color, MB1 click over the desired discrete key. When you move the mouse over a "block" in the spectrum, the value of that "block", i.e., the discrete key, will be displayed.

Note that Discrete color tables and Scalar color tables should not be shared. Discrete color tables that are saved to EDEX contain exactly the same number of entries as the possible entries in the defined Discrete key. For example, if a KeyTest element contains exactly 3 colors and you reuse that color spectrum for a scalar/vector weather element, then there will only be three colors in that color table.

If a discrete color table has been saved to disk, then the definition for the discrete weather element is expanded, then the new entries will be assigned to "black" until the color table editor is used to define these colors. The original colors for the original set of discrete keys will remain assigned.