ColorMapper

Project by Scott Murray

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Red-Green-Blue (RGB) is the traditional color model for computing, but there are many others, including Hue-Saturation-Brightness (HSB), which is more intuitive for humans. Designers and artists working with computational media often have to convert between the two models, so I sought a way to visualize the differences between them.

ColorMapper generates a 3D map of colors and lets you transition between RGB and HSB maps. The mapping translates RGB/HSB values to x/y/z axes in space. So x = Red or Hue, y = Green or Saturation, and z = Blue or Brightness. Press the "R" and "H" keys to switch between mappings. Try dragging the mouse with its right button pressed to control the transition, or with the left button pressed to explore the cube's transitions from different angles.

Project posted March 26, 2009.