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I'm using the Color.FromArgb to for determining the brush color. Using this for examplePen p= new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(95, 255, 0, 0)), 6); the problem with this is that I want to use 4 colors of the brushes (red, orange, yellow and green). And I have a condition where depending on the value in this condition the color is chosen with a certain transparency. The problem with this is the transition between the two different colors, for example from green to yellow or from orange to red, the color changes suddenly and I don't want this. I want to transition to be smooth between different colors so for example from orange to red I want it to take the different degrees of oranges till it becomes reddish till it becomes red. The below is a snapshot of my code trying to clarify what I did, so if anyone could please advise, and please let me know if any more clarification needed. So as shown below depending of the value of X the color is determined with a certain intensity, but the problem is in if the last value of X was 10 which means Green and the current is 11 which means the color is Yellow, this makes the view not smooth because the color changed from Green to Yellow without any degrees of smoothness. And I thought that may be using HSV can solve this problem. So if anyone could please advise. 

for(X=0; X<=40; X++)
//this is green phase
if (X == 0)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(75, 0, 255, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 1)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(77, 0, 255, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 2)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(79, 0, 255, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 3)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(81, 0, 255, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 4)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(83, 0, 255, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 5)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(85, 0, 255, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 6)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(87, 0, 255, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 7)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(89, 0, 255, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 8)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(91, 0, 255, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 9)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(93, 0, 255, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 10)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(95, 0, 255, 0)), 6);

    // this is yellow phase
else if (X == 11)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(75, 255, 255, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 12)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(77, 255, 255, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 13)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(79, 255, 255, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 14)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(81, 255, 255, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 15)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(83, 255, 255, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 16)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(85, 255, 255, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 17)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(87, 255, 255, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 18)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(89, 255, 255, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 19)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(91, 255, 255, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 20)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(93, 255, 255, 0)), 6);

    // this is orange phase
else if (X == 21)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(75, 255, 127, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 22)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(77, 255, 127, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 23)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(79, 255, 127, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 24)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(81, 255, 127, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 25)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(83, 255, 127, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 26)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(85, 255, 127, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 27)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(87, 255, 127, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 28)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(89, 255, 127, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 29)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(91, 255, 127, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 30)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(93, 255, 127, 0)), 6);

    //this is red phase
else if (X == 31)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(75, 255, 0, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 32)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(77, 255, 0, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 33)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(79, 255, 0, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 34)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(81, 255, 0, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 35)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(83, 255, 0, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 36)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(85, 255, 0, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 37)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(87, 255, 0, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 38)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(89, 255, 0, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 39)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(91, 255, 0, 0)), 6);
else if (X == 40)
    P = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(93, 255, 0, 0)), 6);
Tak
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1 Answers1

4

Maybe you should take a look into this answer. It helps you to use the methods GetHue(), GetSaturation() and GetBrightness() from the color class and create a new color from these parameters.

By using this you can simply get out the hue of your start and end color and depending on your step size get as much intermediate colors as needed.

Wouldn't it be great to have a method:

int numberOfIntermediateColors = 8;
IEnumerable<Colors> colorPalette = Color.Red.Range(Color.Green, numberOfIntermediateColors);

And here it is:

public static IEnumerable<Color> Range(this Color firstColor, Color lastColor, int count)
{
    float stepHueClockwise = GetStepping(firstColor.GetHue(), lastColor.GetHue(), count, Direction.Clockwise);
    float stepHueCounterClockwise = GetStepping(firstColor.GetHue(), lastColor.GetHue(), count, Direction.CounterClockwise);

    if (Math.Abs(stepHueClockwise) >= Math.Abs(stepHueCounterClockwise))
        return Range(firstColor, lastColor, count, Direction.Clockwise);
    else
        return Range(firstColor, lastColor, count, Direction.CounterClockwise);
}

public static IEnumerable<Color> Range(this Color firstColor, Color lastColor, int count, Direction hueDirection)
{
    var color = firstColor;

    if (count <= 0)
        yield break;

    if (count == 1)
        yield return firstColor;

    float startingHue = color.GetHue();
    float stepHue = GetStepping(firstColor.GetHue(), lastColor.GetHue(), count - 1, hueDirection);
    var stepSaturation = (lastColor.GetSaturation() - firstColor.GetSaturation()) / (count - 1);
    var stepBrightness = (lastColor.GetBrightness() - firstColor.GetBrightness()) / (count - 1);
    var stepAlpha = (lastColor.A - firstColor.A) / (count - 1.0);

    for (int i = 1; i < count; i++)
    {
        yield return color;

        var hueValue = startingHue + stepHue * i;

        if (hueValue > 360)
            hueValue -= 360;

        if (hueValue < 0)
            hueValue = 360 + hueValue;

        color = FromAhsb(
                    Clamp((int)(color.A + stepAlpha), 0, 255),
                         hueValue,
                         Clamp(color.GetSaturation() + stepSaturation, 0, 1),
                         Clamp(color.GetBrightness() + stepBrightness, 0, 1));
    }

    yield return lastColor;
}

    public enum Direction
    {
        Clockwise = 0,
        CounterClockwise = 1
    }

private static float GetStepping(float start, float end, int count, Direction direction)
{
    var hueDiff = end - start;

    switch (direction)
    {
        case Direction.CounterClockwise:
            if (hueDiff >= 0)
                hueDiff = (360 - hueDiff) * -1;
            break;

        default:
            if (hueDiff <= 0)
                hueDiff = 360 + hueDiff;
            break;
    }

    return hueDiff / count;
}

private static int Clamp(int value, int min, int max)
{
    if (value < min)
        return min;

    if (value > max)
        return max;

    return value;
}

private static float Clamp(float value, float min, float max)
{
    if (value < min)
        return min;

    if (value > max)
        return max;

    return value;
}

To get your list of pens without any transparency you can take this simple approach:

var startColor = Color.Green;
var endColor = Color.Red;
var penWidth = 6;

var rainbow = startColor.Range(endColor, 40, bla.Direction.CounterClockwise);
var pens = rainbow.Select(color => new Pen(color, penWidth))
                  .ToList();

// Somewhere else...
int x = RetrieveDesiredCondition();
var neededPen = pens[x];

As far as i can see in your example you like to let the transparency iterate from 75 - 95 for each block of ten colors and a total of four blocks. In that case maybe this algorithm may help:

var startColor = Color.Green;
var endColor = Color.Red;
var penWidth = 6;
var lowerTransparency = 75;
var higherTransparency = 95;
var stepsPerSection = 10;
var sections = 4;
var stepsNeeded = stepsPerSection * sections;

var transparencyRange = higherTransparency - lowerTransparency;
var stepSize = transparencyRange / stepsPerSection;
var rainbow = startColor.Range(endColor, stepsNeeded, Direction.CounterClockwise);
var rainbowWithTransparency = rainbow.Select((color, index) =>
{
    var step = (index % stepsPerSection) * stepSize;
    var neededTransparency = lowerTransparency + step;
    return Color.FromArgb(neededTransparency, color);
});

var pens = rainbowWithTransparency.Select(color => new Pen(color, penWidth))
                                  .ToList();

// Somewhere else...
int x = RetrieveDesiredCondition();
var neededPen = pens[x];
Community
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Oliver
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  • Thanks for the answer! Could you please tell me how to apply the example I already wrote. Where depending on the values of `X` the brush color will change. And I want the change in colouring be smooth as much as possible. So could you please advise? – Tak Sep 17 '13 at 13:29
  • Also, I've went through debugging, but the debug pointer never enters the function `public static IEnumerable Range(this System.Drawing.Color firstColor, System.Drawing.Color lastColor, int count, Direction hueDirection)` although I use step-into, could you please advise how can I enter debug through this function to check the code and understand it? – Tak Sep 18 '13 at 04:02
  • I've used the above answer but with `numberOfIntermediateColors=30` but when I run it, I found different colors rather than red, orange, yellow and green in the results such as blue, purple. I don't know why this is happening? Below snip of my code `IEnumerable colorPalette = System.Drawing.Color.Green.Range(System.Drawing.Color.Red, numberOfIntermediateColors); if (X == 21) Pen = new Pen(new SolidColorBrush(Color.FromArgb(colorPalette.ElementAt(21).A, colorPalette.ElementAt(21).R, colorPalette.ElementAt(21).G, colorPalette.ElementAt(21).B)), 6);`could you please advise? – Tak Sep 18 '13 at 06:14
  • 1
    The `Range` method has a third parameter `Direction`. If it won't be set it takes the *longest way* to get out the maximum of different colors. In your case you have to take the *shorter way* why you have to specify the direction to be `Direction.CounterClockwise` (see my example code). – Oliver Sep 18 '13 at 07:22