Color spectrums are used to assign color to hatch maps, prism maps, and gradient maps. Custom color spectrums can be created by clicking the Custom button at the bottom of the color spectrum list.
The color spectrum has specific colors assigned to nodes along the spectrum. MapViewer automatically blends colors between the nodes to produce a smooth color gradation over your map. After you create a color spectrum, you can add the color spectrum to MapViewer or save the spectrum for use on other computers. Several predefined color scales are available in MapViewer.
Assigning Colors
The Custom Color Spectrum dialog allows you to specify the colors to the map. Blended colors are achieved by creating anchor nodes along a color bar and assigning specific colors to the specified anchor nodes. Colors are linearly interpolated between adjacent anchors. To add a color node to the spectrum, hold down the CTRL button on your keyboard while clicking above the color spectrum. To delete a node, select it and then press DELETE on your keyboard.
The Color field identifies the selected color in the color palette. To change or assign a color to a color node, click on the node and then click on a color in the color palette. If you do not see a color you like, click the Custom Color button to create a color in the Custom Color dialog.
Color Spectrum Range
The Scaled node value displays the value of the selected node based on a scale from 0 to 1. The first and last nodes are permanently fixed to 0 and 1. To place a color node at a given location along the 0 to 1 range, type the value in the Scaled node value field. For example, to start a color change halfway through your data, place a node at the Scaled node value of .5.
Saving a Color Spectrum
Click the Save button in the Custom Color Spectrum dialog to create a color spectrum file [.CLR] based on the current color spectrum settings. When you click the Save button, the Save As dialog is displayed. Type the file name for the color spectrum file and click the OK button. The file is saved for use with other data files.
Loading a Color Spectrum
The Load button opens an existing color spectrum file [.CLR]. When you click the Load button, the Open dialog. Locate the [.CLR] files and double-click the file you want to use and the color spectrum is updated to show the color spectrum file settings.
Color Spectrum List
Once you have created a color spectrum you can add it to MapViewer's palette and you can rearrange or delete color spectrums.
The Color spectrum list displays all of the available color spectrums. This list includes all of the color spectrums included with MapViewer, along with any spectrums you have created or loaded. If you have color spectrums that you use frequently, you may want to move them to the top of the Color spectrum list. Arrange the color spectrums by selecting a spectrum and clicking the Move to top, Move up, Move down, or Move to bottom buttons.
The Name field allows you to name new color spectrums. Use a name that does not already exist.
Click the Add to list button to add the color spectrum defined in the Edit color spectrum group to the Color spectrum list.
Click the Replace button to replace the selected spectrum in the Color spectrum list with the one defined in the Edit color spectrum group.
If you want to remove a spectrum from the Color spectrum list, select the spectrum and click the Remove from list button.
See Also