colorRamp: Color interpolation

Description

These functions return functions that interpolate a set of given colors to create new color palettes (like topo.colors) and color ramps, functions that map the interval [0,1] to colors (like grey.

Usage

colorRamp(colors, bias = 1, space = c("rgb", "Lab"),
 interpolate =c("linear", "spline"))
colorRampPalette(colors,...)

Arguments

colors

Colors to interpolate

bias

A positive number. Higher values give more widely spaced colors at the high end.

space

Interpolation in RGB or CIE Lab color spaces

interpolate

Use spline or linear interpolation

...

arguments to pass to colorRamp

Value

colorRamp returns a function that maps values between 0 and 1 to colors. colorRampPalette returns a function that takes an integer argument and returns that number of colors interpolating the given sequence (similar to heat.colors or terrain.colors

Details

The CIE Lab color space is approximately perceptually uniform, and so gives smoother and more uniform color ramps. On the other hand, palettes that vary from one hue to another via white may have a more symmetrical appearance in RGB space. The conversion formulas in this function do not appear to be completely accurate and the color ramp may not reach the extreme values in Lab space. Future shanges in the R color model may change the colors produced with space="Lab".

Examples

Run this code

## Here space="rgb" gives palettes that vary only in saturation, as
## intended. With space="Lab" the steps are more uniform, but the hues
## are  slightly purple.
filled.contour(volcano, color =colorRampPalette(c("red","white","blue")), asp = 1)
filled.contour(volcano, color = colorRampPalette(c("red","white","blue"),space="Lab"), asp = 1)

## Interpolating a 'sequential' ColorBrewer palette
YlOrBr <- c("#FFFFD4", "#FED98E", "#FE9929", "#D95F0E", "#993404")
filled.contour(volcano, color = colorRampPalette(YlOrBr,space="Lab"), asp = 1)
filled.contour(volcano, color = colorRampPalette(YlOrBr,space="Lab",bias=0.5), asp = 1)


## space="Lab" helps when colors don't form a natural sequence
m<-outer(1:20,1:20,function(x,y) sin(sqrt(x*y)/3))
rgb.palette<-colorRampPalette(c("red","orange","blue"), space="rgb")
Lab.palette<-colorRampPalette(c("red","orange","blue"), space="Lab")
filled.contour(m,col=rgb.palette(20))
filled.contour(m,col=Lab.palette(20))