A True Color Wheel

Environment: VC4

The following is a code snippet written in VC++ 4.0. It generates a CArray of COLORREF objects
that forms a true color circle. The two input parameters are integers in the range of
0 to 5 to accomodate two sets of radio buttons in a dialog box. I developed this routine
to use in a Mandelbrot fractal generator program. It can be used in math displays where
the color indicates phase shift.

The requirements that I set are that the three primary
colors (red, green, blue) be guaranteed pure and that shadings be evenly spaced. This leads
to the palette sizes being solutions to 3 * 2^n (3 < (int)n < 8). This way the palette starts at a reasonable size and run to the resolution of 24 bit systems. A bug in the 4.0 compiler led me to write this as in-line code rather than a separate function. 4.0 doesn't like accessing template arrays from within a function. The generation code may be written as a separate function in later MFC releases (untested).

Even brightness is achieved by ramping the colors
up and down with the sine/cosine function from 0 to pi/2. I left the ramp calculations unoptimized
so that the equations are more decipherable (ie. 256 * pi / 2 instead of 128 * pi). Even so, the VC
compiler will optimize this calculation for us.

// Input variables. both are in range of 0-5 to work with
// dialog box radio buttons.
// Color shift radio buttons are arranged for the three primary colors
// (Blue, Green Red) in the top row of a 3X2 arrangement and the
// complementary color (Yellow, Magenta, Cyan) in the bottom row.
// Palette generates Blue-Red-Green-Blue sequence as written.
// Palette sizes are calculated by 3 * 2^n (3 < (int)n < 8).
int nPalSize;
int nColorShift;
double pi = 3.1415926535;

// Generate color palette.
// Colors represent the outer edge of a 24 bit (maximum) color palette.
// Colors are equally spaced around the edge of the color circle.
// Use CArray object to use functions and dynamic sizing.
CArray m_colorArray;

// Arrays to translate palette size and color shift
// from parameter array integers. Initial integers
// correspond to radio button values in parameter
// dialog box.
int PalSizeArray[] = { 24, 48, 96, 192, 384, 768 };
// Color shift blue, green, red, yellow, magenta, cyan
int ColorShiftArray[] = { 0, 511, 255, 383, 127, 639 };

nPalSize = PalSizeArray[ nPalSize ];
nColorShift = ColorShiftArray[ nColorShift ];

// First range check
if ( nPalSize > 768 )
	nPalSize = 768;
if ( nPalSize < 24 )
	nPalSize = 24;

// Now set the array size. May be one too big after modifications.
// At least not harmful.
m_colorArray.SetSize( nPalSize + 1 );

// Then set the palette

for ( int n = 0; n <= nPalSize; ++n )
{
	// nFactor calculate position of n in maximized palette ( 768 total colors )
	int nFactor;
	int nRed, nGreen, nBlue;
	nFactor = 768 * n / nPalSize;	// Assure that it runs 0 to 768
	nFactor = nFactor + nColorShift;
	if ( nFactor >= 768 )			// Adjust for color shift
		nFactor = nFactor - 768;

	// Color calculations include sine/cosine functions to create
	// colors at constant radius from center of color circle. This
	// creates a constant brightness level. Math not optimized, left in readable state.
	if ( nFactor <= 256 )
	{
		// Red increasing, no green, blue decreasing
		nRed = int( (double)255 * (sin( ( (double)nFactor/256) * pi / 2 ) ) );
		nGreen = 0;
		nBlue = int( (double)255 * (cos( ( (double)nFactor/256) * pi / 2 ) ) );
		m_colorArray.SetAt( n, COLORREF( RGB( nRed, nGreen, nBlue ) ) );
	}
	else if ( ( nFactor > 256 ) && ( nFactor <= 512 ) )
	{
		// Red decreasing, green increasing, blue 0.
		nRed = int( (double)255 * (cos( ( (double)(nFactor - 256 ) /256) * pi / 2 ) ) );
		nGreen =  int( (double)255 * (sin( ( (double)(nFactor - 256 ) /256) * pi / 2 ) ) );
		nBlue = 0;
		m_colorArray.SetAt( n, COLORREF( RGB( nRed, nGreen, nBlue ) ) );
	}
	else if ( ( nFactor > 512 ) )
	{
		// Red 0, green decreasing, blue increasing
		nRed = 0;
		nGreen =  int( (double)255 * (cos( ( (double)(nFactor - 512 ) /256) * pi / 2 ) ) );
		nBlue = int( (double)255 * (sin( ( (double)(nFactor - 512 ) /256) * pi / 2 ) ) );
		m_colorArray.SetAt( n, COLORREF( RGB( nRed, nGreen, nBlue ) ) );
	}
}

// Now there is CArray of COLORREF objects of nPalSize size.
// The palette guarantees a pure red, blue and green with
// constant brightness and even spacing of colors between primaries.
// If the color shift is set to a secondary color (cyan, magenta
// yellow) then the seconday colors are guaranteed pure.