Creating a color map

You use the New Color Map wizard to create a color map for your visual project.

About this task

To create a color map:

Procedure

  1. You open the New Color Map wizard in one of the following ways:
    • From the Project Explorer view, click the Globals node. Right-click the Color Maps node. Select Insert Color Map from the pop-up menu. The New Color Map wizard opens.
    • From the Project Explorer view, click the Globals node. Double-click the Color Maps node. The New Color Map wizard opens.
  2. Type a unique name for the color map in the Name field.
  3. Click Distribute.
    The Color Map Breakpoints window opens.
  4. Specify the total number of breakpoints in the Breakpoints list.
  5. Specify the minimum breakpoint data value in the Min value field.
  6. Type the maximum breakpoint data value in the Max value field.
  7. Select the colors you want from the Colors list box.
    You can choose to set the colors to black, to the colors of the rainbow, or to shades of gray.
  8. Click OK.
    The Color Map Breakpoints window closes and the number of breakpoints that you specified are displayed.
  9. Specify the properties of each breakpoint.
    1. Select a breakpoint from the list.
      The breakpoint value and color are displayed.
    2. Specify the breakpoint value in the Breakpoint field.
    3. Click the Active color box.
      The Color window opens.
    4. Select the color that you want to display when the breakpoint is reached and click OK.
      The Color window closes and the new color is displayed in the Active color box.
    5. Click Set.
      The new value and color are set.
    6. Repeat this process for each breakpoint in the list.
  10. For all color maps, click First color to select the first color of the color map. The first color is the color used for all data values that are less than your first break point value.
  11. Specify the type of color transition that you want using the Color Transitions radio buttons. Your choices are:
    • Select Discrete to display a pure color from one breakpoint data value to the next breakpoint data value.
    • Select Blend to blend the colors from one breakpoint data value color to the next breakpoint data value color.
  12. If you have selected to blend the colors from one breakpoint data value to the next breakpoint data value, then you can select a last color for your color map. The last color is the color used for all data values that are greater than your last breakpoint. The last color and the first color appear un-blended in the color map. To select the last color of a blended color map, click Last color.
  13. Click Finish.
    The New Color Map wizard closes and the color map is displayed in the Color Maps folder.