Random Color Generator

• Download Devcop ColorSpaceSample

Introduction

I wanted to create a random color generator.

The initial application was a plot color attribution for a graphic control.

I wanted to be able to put some weight to some color to ensure to stay away from them (like the background color). I haven’t found anything that does that. I decided to code it myself.

The Solution

I started from the excellent code found here on code project from  Guillaume Leparmentier: http://www.codeproject.com/KB/recipes/colorspace1.aspx?msg=4018256#xx4018256xx

In fact, it was so good that I kept 99.9% of it and mainly just added 2 others classes (plus a Form to test).

I only added/modify:

• I changed Color class used from WinForm (System.Drawing) to WPF (System.Windows.Media)
• I added Distance calculation in CIELab.cs
• I added a helper function GetColorDistanceCIELab in ColorSpaceHelper class
• I added ColorGenerator, ColorRatio class and FormTestColorGenerator.

The class is based on random color generation with auto adjustable distance tolerance. High distance tolerance at start but decrease while adding new colors.

The code references Framework.Net 4.0 (and WPF) and the project is VS2010.

References

• http://www.codeproject.com/KB/recipes/colorspace1.aspx?msg=2069306#xx2069306xx
• http://www.easyrgb.com/index.php?X=DELT&H=04#text4

Usage

The main usage is defined in the header comments of ColorGenerator class

Comments copy:

// Main usage:
    ColorGenerator colorGenerator = new ColorGenerator();
    
    // Faster, little bit more color with less distance 
    colorGenerator.Speed = 50; 
    
    // My background, 4 to stay far away 
    colorGenerator.UsedColors.Add(new ColorGenerator.ColorRatio(System.Windows.Media.Colors.Black, 4)); 
    // No White
    colorGenerator.UsedColors.Add(new ColorGenerator.ColorRatio(System.Windows.Media.Colors.White, 1.2)); 
    
    // Grid Color
    colorGenerator.UsedColors.Add(new ColorGenerator.ColorRatio(System.Windows.Media.Colors.LightGray, 1)); 
    System.Windows.Media.Color c = colorGenerator.GetNextColor();

Conclusion

Hope it helps some