Visualization of colors/colorsStart/colorsEnd

[kengruven]

In the OFL fixture editor, if you put 3 (comma-separated) colors in a ColorPreset, it draws 3 circles for the 3 colors.

In the OFL fixture editor, if you have a range (colorsStart/colorsEnd), it draws all the start colors in a row, one circle each, then an ellipsis (...), then one circle each for the end colors.

On the OFL webpage (e.g., https://open-fixture-library.org/cameo/hydrabeam-100 channel "Color Macros"), a ColorPreset with multiple colors in an array is shown as a single circle, divided up into pie slices of the various colors.

On the OFL webpage (e.g., fixture https://open-fixture-library.org/showtec/horizon-8 channel "Macro Colors"), a ColorPreset with colorsStart/colorsEnd will also put both of those colors into one circle, divided up like pie slices.

(OFL doesn't seem to have any fixtures with both colorsStart/colorsEnd and an array of colors in these, so I don't know how they interact.)

I find the inconsistencies here to be confusing. I think what I'd expect is:

• ranges (start/end) should always use 2 circles, with an ellipsis between them; non-ranges should use a single circle
• multiple colors (in an array) should always use the colored pie slices
• the editor and webpage should be the same

[FloEdelmann]

the editor and webpage should be the same

Yes, makes sense.

ranges (start/end) should always use 2 circles, with an ellipsis between them

In fixture capabilities, we only allow a single icon or color circle, because that's what most software is capable of displaying. So we'd have to change the fixture editor to collapse all entered colors (in colorsStart and colorsEnd) into a single color circle with colored pie slices. Would that be an improvement in your opinion?

[kengruven]

In fixture capabilities, we only allow a single icon or color circle, because that's what most software is capable of displaying.

There's several possible ways of interpreting this sentence and I'm not sure what you mean. What kind of software, and displaying how?

So we'd have to change the fixture editor to collapse all entered colors (in colorsStart and colorsEnd) into a single color circle with colored pie slices. Would that be an improvement in your opinion?

Do you mean putting all of colorsStart and colorsEnd into the same circle? No, I don't think that makes sense.

In every other case where there's a range, OFL displays both ends, separated by an ellipsis, like "Intensity off…bright" or "Color temperature warm…cold". It does this for colors in the editor already. Is there a reason a color range can't display like "Color 🔴…🟢" on the webpage, too?

[FloEdelmann]

What kind of software, and displaying how?

In lighting software like QLC+ or Millumin; capabilities only have a single icon as a visual representation.

Do you mean putting all of colorsStart and colorsEnd into the same circle?

Yes, exactly.

Is there a reason a color range can't display like "Color 🔴…🟢" on the webpage, too?

1. To match how lighting software behaves.
2. Because it looks better, because all the capability icons are vertically aligned. This would not be the case if some capabilities have two icons and some only have one.