From: hinsen_at_llb.saclay.cea.fr
Date: Wed Sep 29 2004 - 16:02:31 CDT

On 29.09.2004, at 20:05, John Stone wrote:

> size. But, that's why it's implemented with a command rather than
> being a documented constant. A properly written script can query
> these numbers and use the right number of color table entries for
> all versions of VMD. I've just fixed that spot in the documentation.

That comes down to doing the whole color assignment inside a Tcl
script. Not something I am looking forward to, I hate Tcl. Moreover,
there are situations where the number makes a qualitative difference.
Some things can be done with hundreds to thousands of colours but not
with five. So in practice, I do need to know at least the order of
magnitude of colours available before writing a script, independently
if I do it manally or through code.

>> How does VMD use the 1024 entries internally? I suppose the first 17
>> correspond to the 17 named colors. But there must be others that are
>> used for color scales.
>
> VMD uses the 17 main colors for non gradient coloring schemes, and
> uses the next 1024 for gradient color schemes. At present, the main

Just a moment... there are 1024 in total, split into 17 plus 1024?

Worse, it seems that there is nothing left for scripts to play with.
Any new color assignment can ruin an existing color scale.

Wouldn't it be better if VMD did the color management? A script would
say "give me the closest possible color to the following RGB values".
Then scripts could share colors with color scales.

Konrad.