About the Shape Analysis Color Scale

A color scale is available in some of the shape analysis commands. This topic describes the scale and the adjustments which can be made to maximize the effectiveness of your shape analysis.

This page discusses:

About the Color Scale

This section provides an overall view of the color scale.

The color scale is accessed from within a shape analysis command dialog box.

Consider an example of the color scale dialog box from the Surfacic Curvature Analysis command.

The colors and values shown in the scale dialog box are those which had been set the last time you used the command (the preferences are saved when you exit the command). You can however adjust these preferences at any time during any analysis.

Values

There are values on the color scale and also minimum and maximum values at the bottom of the dialog box. This section describes these values and explains how you can adjust them.

The values shown on the scale are the values (from a minimum to a maximum) against which the element is analyzed. Each range of values is assigned a color.

At the bottom of the color scale dialog box, the Min Value and Max Value numbers are the current minimum and maximum values from the element you are analyzing.

Important: The color scale dialog box for the Draft Analysis command does not include Min Value, Max Value or Auto Min Max.

Automatic Adjustment of Values

You can choose to have the values in the scale adjusted automatically. This section explains how.

To choose this option:

In the color scale dialog box, select the Auto Min Max check box.

When a modification to the element you are analyzing causes the minimum or maximum value to change, the system automatically updates the corresponding minimum or maximum value on the scale in the dialog box (and hence all intermediate values also).

Important: Automatic adjustment of values is not possible when using the Draft Analysis command.

Manual Adjustment of Values

You can adjust the values in the color scale manually. This section explains how.

To adjust a value:

Right-click a value in the scale and select one of the following:

  • Edit: allows you to modify the values. The Edit dialog box is displayed: enter a new value using the keypad or the spinner (negative values are allowed) and then click OK. The value is then frozen and displayed on the scale within a green rectangle.

  • Unfreeze: releases a value which had previously been edited to a set value. The unfrozen value is no longer displayed on the scale within a green rectangle.

  • Use Max/Use Min (only available on the maximum and minimum values): allows you to evenly distribute the color/value interpolation between the current limit values, on the top/bottom values respectively, rather than keeping it within default values that may not correspond to the scale of the geometry being analyzed. Once these limit values are set, they are not dynamically updated if subsequently the geometry is modified.

    Setting Use Max is only possible if the maximum value is greater than or equal to the medium value. If this is not the case, unfreeze the medium value and then set Use Max.

    Setting Use Min is only possible if the minimum value is less than or equal to the medium value. If this is not the case, unfreeze the medium value and then set Use Min.

    Interpolation between two set (or frozen) colors/values is linear.

Colors

This section describes the colors shown on the color scale and how they can be adjusted.

The scale is divided into segments of color. Each color segment is assigned a range of values on the scale. On the element you are analyzing, any areas of your analysis within the same range of values are displayed in the corresponding color.

Manual Adjustment of Colors

You can adjust the colors in the color scale manually. This section explains how.

To adjust the colors:

Right-click on a color in the color scale and select one of the following:

  • Edit: displays the Color dialog box which allows you to modify the color (typically used to highlight specific areas of the analysis).

  • Unfreeze: releases a color which had previously been edited. The unfrozen color is returned to the default for its position on the scale.

  • Highlight the analysis, because it limits the number of displayed colors in the color scale. In this case, the selected color is hidden, and the section of the analysis on which that color was applied takes on the neighboring color.

About the Color Scale Variant

You can save the necessary color scale setting as a variant and then reuse it.

Click Creates a new variant and specify name in the Variant Editor dialog box. This variant name becomes available in the Color Scale Variant list. You can modify the current variant or delete it.