Method for generating numerous harmonious color palettes from two colors

摘要

When the positions of two points within a uniform three dimensional space are known, this invention finds all the planes in the space that pass through an axis determined by those two points. It identifies all the points on each plane by their location and preserves their spatial relationship to one another within the three dimensional space. Every plane in a set of planes derived from a particular pair of points is defined by a unique formula. This invention is especially useful when the points represent units with characteristics dependent on their position in the space. Color systems exemplify this relationship. Several color systems exist in which all reproducible colors are arranged in a three dimensional color solid so that colors progressively change in lightness vertically, in saturation horizontally and in hue as the solid is rotated. Individual colors in these systems are represented by points within the color solid and spacing between these colors has been determined by studies to be perceptually equidistant. The embodiment described in this disclosure utilizes one of these color systems to create and manipulate orderly groups of colors, i.e., color palettes, in which each color is specified by a notational system defining both its location in the color space and its appearance. The most useful form of this embodiment is computer software that generates numerous color palettes and allows the user to view and select color palettes and individual colors. Appendix A contains the source code for this embodiment.