[matplotlib-devel] RFC: candidates for a new default colormap

I am forwarding a message from Nathaniel Smith which is the start of a long thread on matplotlib-devel
http://news.gmane.org/gmane.comp.python.matplotlib.devel
related to changes that are in the works for matplotlib, and that are therefore of interest to matplotlib users. Specifically, we will be updating the default color cycle for line plots, and the default colormap for image-type plots, including contourf and pcolormesh. The most important part of Nathaniel's message is the link:

     https://bids.github.io/colormap/

which has been updated since his first message below.

Note that we are looking for a new *default* colormap--the one that will be used if you have not specified an alternative in your matplotlibrc file, your function keyword arguments, or anywhere else. It does not in any way limit your ability to specify a colormap that you prefer for a particular application, or as your own default. Rather, it should be a good all-around choice, that works reasonably well in a variety of applications, and that most people will find *comfortable* as well as functional. It will become part of matplotlib's "look"; it should attract rather than repel prospective and new users. We have some consensus about some of the other criteria, and these are coded into the tool that Nathaniel and Stéfan have developed for generating colormaps. So far, 4 alternatives generated with this tool have been proposed at the link above; more might be added.

Eric

···

-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: [matplotlib-devel] RFC: candidates for a new default colormap
Date: Tue, 2 Jun 2015 18:46:21 -0700
From: Nathaniel Smith <njs@...789...>
To: matplotlib-devel@lists.sourceforge.net <matplotlib-devel@lists.sourceforge.net>

Hi all,

As was hinted at in a previous thread, Stéfan van der Walt and I have
been using some Fancy Color Technology to attempt to design a new
colormap intended to become matplotlib's new default. (Down with jet!)

Unfortunately, while our Fancy Color Technology includes a
computational model of perceptual distance, it does not include a
computational model of aesthetics. So this is where you come in.

We've put up three reasonable candidates at:
     https://bids.github.io/colormap/
(along with some well-known colormaps for comparison), and we'd like
your feedback.

They are all optimal on all of the objective criteria we know how to
measure. What we need judgements on is which one you like best, both
aesthetically and as a way of visualizing data. (There are some sample
plots to look at there, plus you can download them and play with them
on your own data if you want.)

We especially value input from anyone with anomalous color vision.
There are some simulations there, but computational models are
inherently limited here. (It's difficult to ask someone with
colorblindness "does this look to you, the same way this other picture
looks to me?")

-n

--
Nathaniel J. Smith -- http://vorpus.org

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If we have to reply on this thread, I would choose Option C.

I don’t like A,B because of the strong black at the edges, which

sometimes saturate plots whose values vary a lot. I prefer C over

D because of a personal preference towards darker colours.

Joy

···

On Fri, Jun 5, 2015 at 2:12 AM, Eric Firing <efiring@…202…> wrote:

I am forwarding a message from Nathaniel Smith which is the start of a

long thread on matplotlib-devel

http://news.gmane.org/gmane.comp.python.matplotlib.devel

related to changes that are in the works for matplotlib, and that are

therefore of interest to matplotlib users. Specifically, we will be

updating the default color cycle for line plots, and the default

colormap for image-type plots, including contourf and pcolormesh. The

most important part of Nathaniel’s message is the link:

 [https://bids.github.io/colormap/](https://bids.github.io/colormap/)

which has been updated since his first message below.

Note that we are looking for a new default colormap–the one that will

be used if you have not specified an alternative in your matplotlibrc

file, your function keyword arguments, or anywhere else. It does not in

any way limit your ability to specify a colormap that you prefer for a

particular application, or as your own default. Rather, it should be a

good all-around choice, that works reasonably well in a variety of

applications, and that most people will find comfortable as well as

functional. It will become part of matplotlib’s “look”; it should

attract rather than repel prospective and new users. We have some

consensus about some of the other criteria, and these are coded into the

tool that Nathaniel and Stéfan have developed for generating colormaps.

So far, 4 alternatives generated with this tool have been proposed at

the link above; more might be added.

Eric

-------- Forwarded Message --------

Subject: [matplotlib-devel] RFC: candidates for a new default colormap

Date: Tue, 2 Jun 2015 18:46:21 -0700

From: Nathaniel Smith <njs@…789…>

To: matplotlib-devel@lists.sourceforge.net

matplotlib-devel@lists.sourceforge.net

Hi all,

As was hinted at in a previous thread, Stéfan van der Walt and I have

been using some Fancy Color Technology to attempt to design a new

colormap intended to become matplotlib’s new default. (Down with jet!)

Unfortunately, while our Fancy Color Technology includes a

computational model of perceptual distance, it does not include a

computational model of aesthetics. So this is where you come in.

We’ve put up three reasonable candidates at:

 [https://bids.github.io/colormap/](https://bids.github.io/colormap/)

(along with some well-known colormaps for comparison), and we’d like

your feedback.

They are all optimal on all of the objective criteria we know how to

measure. What we need judgements on is which one you like best, both

aesthetically and as a way of visualizing data. (There are some sample

plots to look at there, plus you can download them and play with them

on your own data if you want.)

We especially value input from anyone with anomalous color vision.

There are some simulations there, but computational models are

inherently limited here. (It’s difficult to ask someone with

colorblindness "does this look to you, the same way this other picture

looks to me?")

-n

Nathaniel J. Smith – http://vorpus.org



Matplotlib-devel mailing list

Matplotlib-devel@lists.sourceforge.net

https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/matplotlib-devel



Matplotlib-users mailing list

Matplotlib-users@lists.sourceforge.net

https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/matplotlib-users

The best ruler, when he finishes his
tasks and completes his affairs,
the people say
“It all happened naturally”

                                     - Te Tao Ch'ing

I’d choose D.

A and B are too dark. Also, A-C seem to hide some detail in the simulation of color blindness.

···

On 4 June 2015 at 22:42, Eric Firing <efiring@…202…> wrote:

I am forwarding a message from Nathaniel Smith which is the start of a

long thread on matplotlib-devel

http://news.gmane.org/gmane.comp.python.matplotlib.devel

related to changes that are in the works for matplotlib, and that are

therefore of interest to matplotlib users. Specifically, we will be

updating the default color cycle for line plots, and the default

colormap for image-type plots, including contourf and pcolormesh. The

most important part of Nathaniel’s message is the link:

 [https://bids.github.io/colormap/](https://bids.github.io/colormap/)

which has been updated since his first message below.

Note that we are looking for a new default colormap–the one that will

be used if you have not specified an alternative in your matplotlibrc

file, your function keyword arguments, or anywhere else. It does not in

any way limit your ability to specify a colormap that you prefer for a

particular application, or as your own default. Rather, it should be a

good all-around choice, that works reasonably well in a variety of

applications, and that most people will find comfortable as well as

functional. It will become part of matplotlib’s “look”; it should

attract rather than repel prospective and new users. We have some

consensus about some of the other criteria, and these are coded into the

tool that Nathaniel and Stéfan have developed for generating colormaps.

So far, 4 alternatives generated with this tool have been proposed at

the link above; more might be added.

Eric

-------- Forwarded Message --------

Subject: [matplotlib-devel] RFC: candidates for a new default colormap

Date: Tue, 2 Jun 2015 18:46:21 -0700

From: Nathaniel Smith <njs@…789…>

To: matplotlib-devel@lists.sourceforge.net

matplotlib-devel@lists.sourceforge.net

Hi all,

As was hinted at in a previous thread, Stéfan van der Walt and I have

been using some Fancy Color Technology to attempt to design a new

colormap intended to become matplotlib’s new default. (Down with jet!)

Unfortunately, while our Fancy Color Technology includes a

computational model of perceptual distance, it does not include a

computational model of aesthetics. So this is where you come in.

We’ve put up three reasonable candidates at:

 [https://bids.github.io/colormap/](https://bids.github.io/colormap/)

(along with some well-known colormaps for comparison), and we’d like

your feedback.

They are all optimal on all of the objective criteria we know how to

measure. What we need judgements on is which one you like best, both

aesthetically and as a way of visualizing data. (There are some sample

plots to look at there, plus you can download them and play with them

on your own data if you want.)

We especially value input from anyone with anomalous color vision.

There are some simulations there, but computational models are

inherently limited here. (It’s difficult to ask someone with

colorblindness "does this look to you, the same way this other picture

looks to me?")

-n

Nathaniel J. Smith – http://vorpus.org



Matplotlib-devel mailing list

Matplotlib-devel@lists.sourceforge.net

https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/matplotlib-devel



Matplotlib-users mailing list

Matplotlib-users@lists.sourceforge.net

https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/matplotlib-users

I opt for B,
and adding the matlab-default as secondary.

cheers

THomas

Thomas Sprinzing
Dipl.-Ing. (FH)

Labor Tiefdruck
Studiengang Druck- und Medientechnologie

Hochschule der Medien
University of Applied Sciences
Nobelstr. 10
70569 Stuttgart

Telefon: +49 711 8923 2196

www.hdm-stuttgart.de/dt

···

Am 05.06.2015 um 13:20 schrieb Jan Heczko <jan.heczko@...287...>:

I'd choose D.
A and B are too dark. Also, A-C seem to hide some detail in the simulation of color blindness.

On 4 June 2015 at 22:42, Eric Firing <efiring@...202...> wrote:
I am forwarding a message from Nathaniel Smith which is the start of a
long thread on matplotlib-devel
http://news.gmane.org/gmane.comp.python.matplotlib.devel
related to changes that are in the works for matplotlib, and that are
therefore of interest to matplotlib users. Specifically, we will be
updating the default color cycle for line plots, and the default
colormap for image-type plots, including contourf and pcolormesh. The
most important part of Nathaniel's message is the link:

     matplotlib colormaps

which has been updated since his first message below.

Note that we are looking for a new *default* colormap--the one that will
be used if you have not specified an alternative in your matplotlibrc
file, your function keyword arguments, or anywhere else. It does not in
any way limit your ability to specify a colormap that you prefer for a
particular application, or as your own default. Rather, it should be a
good all-around choice, that works reasonably well in a variety of
applications, and that most people will find *comfortable* as well as
functional. It will become part of matplotlib's "look"; it should
attract rather than repel prospective and new users. We have some
consensus about some of the other criteria, and these are coded into the
tool that Nathaniel and Stéfan have developed for generating colormaps.
  So far, 4 alternatives generated with this tool have been proposed at
the link above; more might be added.

Eric

-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: [matplotlib-devel] RFC: candidates for a new default colormap
Date: Tue, 2 Jun 2015 18:46:21 -0700
From: Nathaniel Smith <njs@...789...>
To: matplotlib-devel@lists.sourceforge.net
<matplotlib-devel@lists.sourceforge.net>

Hi all,

As was hinted at in a previous thread, Stéfan van der Walt and I have
been using some Fancy Color Technology to attempt to design a new
colormap intended to become matplotlib's new default. (Down with jet!)

Unfortunately, while our Fancy Color Technology includes a
computational model of perceptual distance, it does not include a
computational model of aesthetics. So this is where you come in.

We've put up three reasonable candidates at:
     matplotlib colormaps
(along with some well-known colormaps for comparison), and we'd like
your feedback.

They are all optimal on all of the objective criteria we know how to
measure. What we need judgements on is which one you like best, both
aesthetically and as a way of visualizing data. (There are some sample
plots to look at there, plus you can download them and play with them
on your own data if you want.)

We especially value input from anyone with anomalous color vision.
There are some simulations there, but computational models are
inherently limited here. (It's difficult to ask someone with
colorblindness "does this look to you, the same way this other picture
looks to me?")

-n

--
Nathaniel J. Smith -- http://vorpus.org

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