Setting Up a Color Map

Prepare a custom color map for the resampled volume.

The color map maps scalar values to a set of colors for interpolating the results. This example includes a color map to make volumes of higher soot density more obvious in two ways:
  • Highlighting the scalars of interest by customizing the color choices -- colors that are isoluminant, or nearly so, make it easier to perceive change in the scalar.
  • Using transparency to emphasize some changes in the scalar range

Color settings for control points are specified as RGB (Red, Green, Blue) in this example. RGB specification is the most common.

  1. Expand the Tools node and right-click the Color Maps node. Select New from the pop-up menu.
  2. In the Create Color Map dialog:
    1. Set Color Space to RGB.
    2. Add three color control points by clicking beneath the color spectrum for each one.


      A total of five color control points are beneath the spectrum.
    3. Select the new control points one at a time and set the Position property to 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75, respectively.
      You are ready to edit the color of each control point.
    4. To edit a color control point, double-click it.
    5. In the Change Color dialog, select the RGB tab and enter values for Red, Green, and Blue for the respective control point as listed in the table below. After you finish the color settings for each control point, click OK.


      Position Red Green Blue
      Left Limit 231 231 231
      0.25 229 216 41
      0.5 236 61 37
      0.75 167 26 25
      Right Limit 51 51 51
    6. Click OK.
  3. Rename the new user 1 color map node, soot_ramp.
  4. To preview the soot density color map in the plane section, select the Scalar Scene 1 > Scalar 1 > Color Bar node and set Color Map to soot_ramp.
    The soot density colors appear in the scalar scene.

  5. Save the simulation.