Color Gradients

This page covers functions with the heman_color_ prefix.

One-pixel tall images can be interpreted as gradients, also known as lookup tables.

Creating Gradients

Clients can import a gradient using heman_import_u8, or they can create one from scratch:

heman_image* heman_color_create_gradient(int width, int num_colors, const int* cp_locations, const heman_color* cp_colors)
Create a 1-pixel tall, 3-band image representing a color gradient that lerps the given control points.
Parameters:
  • width (int) – Desired number of entries in the lookup table.
  • num_colors (int) – Number of control points. Must be at least 2.
  • cp_locations (int*) – The X coordinate of each control point. The first value must be 0 and the last value must be width - 1.
  • cp_colors (heman_color*) – The RGB values of each control points.

Gamma Correctness

The following two images both depict the interpolation of (1,0,0) to (0,1,0). Can you tell which one is more correct?

_images/correct.png _images/incorrect.png

The image on the left is more correct; it interpolates the colors by first unapplying gamma to the control point colors, then performing linear interpolation, then re-applying gamma. Heman does this automatically when you call heman_color_create_gradient, but the behavior can be controlled with the following function.

void heman_color_set_gamma(float f)

This sets some global state that affects lighting and color interpolation. The default value is 2.2.

Applying Gradients

heman_image* heman_color_apply_gradient(heman_image* heightmap, float minheight, float maxheight, heman_image* gradient)

Create a 3-band image with the same dimensions as the given heightmap by making lookups from a 1-pixel tall color gradient. The heightmap values are normalized using the given minheight, maxheight range.