Color Table Creator

Author: Garrett Helms

Overview

Color Table Creator is a graphical user interface (GUI) tool built using Python and Tkinter that allows users to create, edit, and save color tables with a variety of customizable settings. This tool is useful for applications that require a structured approach to color mapping based on data values, particularly in fields such as radar imaging, scientific visualization, or data representation.

Features

• File Menu:

  • Open Color Table: Load an existing color table file.
  • Save Color Table: Save the current color table configuration to a file.
  • Exit: Close the application.

• Settings:

  • Configure Product, Units, Scale, Offset, and Step values for the color table.
  • Define an RF (Reference Field) Color with a color picker.

• Color Entries:

  • Add individual color entries to the color table with custom value ranges.
  • Select color types (single, solid, gradient) and color formats (RGB, RGBA).
  • Screen Color Picker: Select colors directly from the screen.
  • Auto-sorting of color entries based on value.

• Preview Mode:

  • A preview window shows the color gradient of the entire table, with tick marks and labels.
  • Displays the RF Color as a reference in the preview area.

• File Format Compatibility:

  • Supports opening and saving color tables in various formats, including ColorTable blocks and Legacy Formats (SolidColor, SolidColor4, Color, Color4).
  • Capable of handling comments, empty lines, and multi-line definitions in color table files.

Installation

Download the Executable (Recommended)

You can download the latest version of Color Table Creator as an executable file from the Releases section of the repository. After downloading, extract the ZIP file and run the .exe file to start the program.

Run from Source (Alternative)

If you prefer to run the program from source:

1. Download the source code and save it as color_table_creator.py.
2. Install the required Python libraries:

   pip install pillow pyautogui pynput

3. Run the program using:

   python color_table_creator.py

Usage

1. Open the Program: Launch the Color Table Creator and select settings for Product, Units, Scale, Offset, and Step.
2. Add Colors:
   • Click on Add Color to insert a new color entry.
   • Choose a color type (single, solid, gradient) and format (RGB or RGBA).
   • Use Pick Screen Color to capture a color from anywhere on your screen.
3. Preview the Color Table: Click Preview Color Table to visualize the colors and settings before saving.
4. Save the Table: Save your configuration as a text file by selecting Save Color Table from the File menu.

File Format Details

Supported Color Formats

• ColorTable Block: Supports modern ColorTable { ... } format with keys such as Category, Units, Scale, Offset, Step, and RF.
• Legacy Formats:
  • SolidColor: SolidColor: value R G B
  • SolidColor4: SolidColor4: value R G B A
  • Color: Color: value R G B R G B
  • Color4: Color4: value R G B A R G B A
  • RF: Specifies the reference field color as RF: R G B

Example Color Table File

Product: Reflectivity
Units: dBZ
Scale: 1
Offset: 0
Step: 5

SolidColor: 10 255 0 0
SolidColor4: 20 0 255 0 128
Color: 30 0 0 255 255 255 0
Color4: 40 255 255 0 128 0 0 255 128

RF: 255 255 255

License

This software is open-source and free to use for educational or non-commercial purposes. Contact Garrett Helms for additional licensing information.