Scene background color code

[nmyshkin]

Can anyone explain to me the format of the scene background color value as seen in the xml file? I'm working with an old version of Tasker (for Eclair) on an e-ink device and the interface for color picking and transparency leaves much to be desired. Therefore I've been editing the xml files to get my desired effects. But...the color "code" used for the scene background is meaningless to me. As an example, I recently got an effect I wanted by trial and error from the color picker completely by accident. When I looked at the xml file I saw"-499571599" for the background color.

What is that?

[Sean Williams]

What is that?

Looks like a decimal colour. Try this.

[nmyshkin]

Hmm. Seems like too many or too few digits depending on how you look at it. The hex is 1DC6DB8F. I guess that's 8 digits like the rest of the colors. So the 1D is transparency? Why is this one value different and what's with the minus sign? Sometimes the value is just -1.

Seems really odd.

[Robert Ryan]

Convert an Android decimal color to its hexadecimal representation in aRGB format. 

-16776961 (opaque blue) = ff0000ff

    A1: Variable Query 

        Variable: %color 

        Input Type: Numeric / Integer 

        Default: -16776961 

        Layout: Variable Query 

        Timeout (Seconds): 40 

        Show Over Keyguard: On 

        

    A2: Variable Convert 

        Name: %color 

        Function: Decimal to Hex 

        

    A3: Test Variable 

        Type: Length 

        Data: %color 

        Store Result In: %length 

        

    A4: Variable Section 

        Name: %color 

        From: 9 

        Length: 8 

        Adapt To Fit: On

        If %length > 8

        

    A5: Flash 

        Text: %color 

        Long: On 

[Sean Williams]

So the 1D is transparency?

The two hexadecimal digits are for the "alpha".

Why is this one value different and what's with the minus sign?

I believe its when evaluated as a signed int.

Sometimes the value is just -1

White is -1

 

Seems really odd.

Yes, try this one instead - I tested, this time it works. 

Or Roberts converter above looks good.

[Robert Ryan]

All about android color, including some common values, can be found here. The decimal integers are the two's-complement representation of the hex color code. 

[nmyshkin]

On Friday, July 13, 2018 at 5:12:34 AM UTC-7, Robert Ryan wrote:

All about android color, including some common values, can be found here. The decimal integers are the two's-complement representation of the hex color code. 

Wow, thank you both! It still strikes me as odd that this one color designation should be in a completely different format from the others, but there is probably some good reason not known to mere mortals.

The good news is that I employed the information you gave me and came up with exactly the result I wanted, first try!!

Thanks again.

[nmyshkin]

Whoops...spoke too soon.

I have a translucency image from a framework-res.apk that I am trying to duplicate for a scene background. The image is black--totally, at least that's what a little utility program tells me (#000000) it also tells me that the transparency value is #99. If I am understanding this correctly, that is 60% transparent (makes sense, as this is the "dimming" overlay when a major interactive flash is displayed).

If I put this information together I have #99000000? But this gives me a decimal value of 2566914048 and Tasker is having none of that.Too many digits, and not even a negative sign.

Where did I go wrong?

[Robert Ryan]

You can't use Tasker's built in hex to decimal because it does an unsigned conversion. Here we need to do a two's complement conversion. 

Luckily, the is a Java function for this Color.parseColor().

#99000000 = -1728053248

        Test

        

    A1: Variable Query 

        Title: Hex Color 

        Variable: %hex_color 

        Input Type: Normal Text 

        Default: 99000000 

        Layout: Variable Query 

        Timeout (Seconds): 40 

        Show Over Keyguard: On 

        

    A2: Java Function 

        Return: %color 

        Class Or Object: Color 

        Function: parseColor

        {int} (String) 

        Param: #%hex_color 

        

    A3: Flash 

        Text: %color 

        Long: On 

        

    A4: Set Clipboard 

        Text: %color 

        Add: Off 

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[nmyshkin]

Thank you! That worked perfectly, but I'm not sure I can wrap my head around these conversions. And some people think The Book of the Dead is full of arcane stuff!!