prototype of a 'color adjuster'

[Josh Marinacci]

Hi guys. I'm doing some work on the interface for editing fills and I've come up with a new control that's not quite a color picker. It's more of a color adjuster. The idea is thus: when you select a gradient it is applied to the selected shape. The shape then has handles on it to move the gradient around and little color popups for each end. Currently these just use the regular color swatch picker. It would be nicer to let you simply adjust the current color either by hue, saturation, or value.

That's what this new control does. Every time you click on the canvas it will open up and let you modify the current color in one of 3 dimensions.

I've put together a demo here. Please try it out and give me some feedback on how you think it will work. I'd also like to hear what you want from the general color picker interface. Swatches? RGB? HSV? Fractal Painter style triangle dial?

http://goo.gl/8GBIR

It's a double clickable single jar java app. Just click away.

thx,
Josh

Blasting forth in three part harmony!

[Davor Hrg]

Hm,

I was confused and had hard time getting to the color I want.

I think using any standard UI for color choosing

but with direct preview on the selected shape is great.

Color box in the color picker is fixed and the same color

applied to a large shape "looks" different.

So, I am definitely for the direct preview but see no need yet

for different UI for the picker. 

I definitelly would like to have my own global palette of colors and gradients,

as well as a palette local to the file being edited.

Davor Hrg

[Jay Askren]

I think this is an interesting idea.  Here is my first impressions:

1. It wasn't obvious at first to me where I needed to click in order to change the color.  If you could make the circle jump up when hovering over the circle or some indication that I can and should click on it, that could help.  
2. It also seems when I click in the circle multiple times, the three axes jump around and I'm not sure why.  Is it because the axis doesn't get updated on mouse up, but instead on the next time I click?  That feels like a bug.  
3. Every time I click on the circle when it's not exactly in the new spot, the circle jumps to a new spot.  Is that intensional?  It's not likely that I will click precisely on the center of the circle even if I am trying. 
4. Finally, when I click on the circle and drag, I see the color in the center changing, but it's not obvious where on the axes I am.  Either there should be a line perpendicular to the axis that moves around as I drag to show where on that axis I am, or the axes should move as I drag.  

Jay Askren

[Josh Marinacci]

Yeah, I think I'll call this a failed experiment.  My next attempt will be a more traditional HSV color picker (color disk plus slider) but with the cursor centered on the current color when it pops up.  Look for it soon.  I'm also planning on a dynamic color palette that tracks the colors used in your document.

- Josh

[Davor Hrg]

yes,

but please try to implement instant preview so one can see the effect of the change,

any of traditional color picker UI-s with instant preview is a winner for me :)

Davor Hrg