Color Palette Configurator HDA

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The Color Palette Configurator makes it easy to customize Houdini's node colors. I created this tool to make network organization more flexible and visually appealing.

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Getting Started
• Features
• Main Color List
• Gradient Generator
  • Step 1: Creating Gradients
  • Example Cosine Parameter Effects
  • Built-in Presets
  • Step 2: Using Gradient Samples
• Text-Based Colors
• Exporting Colors
  • Sharing Palettes
• Troubleshooting
• Colors Not Updating
• Colors Look Different
• Need Help?

Overview

By default, Houdini gives you 36 colors in the network palette. This tool lets you: - Modify these colors - Create new color schemes - Generate color gradients - Import and export palettes

Getting Started

1. Find the tool in: OBJ/SOP Tab Menu → Node Weaver → Color Palette Configurator
2. The interface shows:
3. Location of default Houdini color palette file
4. Import/export options
5. Main colors list tab
6. Gradient generator control tab
7. Text-based palette tab

Features

Main Color List

The main colors list determines what gets imported from files or exported to them: - Click any color to edit - Colors appear in the network view color picker (C key) in order, left to right, top to bottom - The "Color Palette File" parameter controls: - Where colors save when using "Save Colors to File" - Where colors load from when using "Populate Colors from File" - Default location matches Houdini's manual color palette save location

Gradient Generator

Step 1: Creating Gradients

There are three ways to generate gradients:

1. Manual Entry

2. Set values directly as you would in other Houdini gradients

3. Screen Sampling

4. Click and drag anywhere on screen to sample colors

5. Useful for sampling from images or satellite map data

6. Cosine Formula (credit: Inigo Quilez)

7. Creates smooth, pleasing gradients
8. Parameters:
   • Brightness, Contrast, Frequency, and Offset
   • Each has R, G, and B values
   • Parameters control how each color channel cycles through the cosine wave

Example Cosine Parameter Effects

Examples using only the Red channel:

• Brightness 0.5, Contrast 0.5, Frequency 1, Offset 0:

• Brightness 0.5, Contrast 1, Frequency 2, Offset 0:

• Brightness 0, Contrast 0.25, Frequency 1.5, Offset -0.25:

Built-in Presets

The tool includes several presets:

• Infrared

• Earth/Ice

• Aqua, Black, Red, White, Aqua

• Flower Blossom

• Cosmic

• Neon

• Peach, Crimson, Peach, Aqua, Peach

• Watermelon

• Blueberry

Step 2: Using Gradient Samples

To add gradient colors to your palette:

1. Set "Number of Samples" and click "Create Samples From Gradient"
2. Review generated colors in the multiparm below
3. Colors aren't added to Main Color List yet
4. Adjust, remove, or add colors as needed
5. Click "Add Gradient Samples to Main Color List"
6. "Delete From Here After": Clears samples after adding
7. "Add to Top": Places colors at start of list instead of end

Text-Based Colors

Import colors from: - Hex codes - Adobe Color CSS format (from color.adobe.com)

Options: - Add directly to Main Color List - Generate gradient from colors (evenly spaced)

Exporting Colors

• Save Colors to File: Saves to the location specified in "Color Palette File" parameter
• Must end in /config/opColorPalette.def
• Must save in either:
  • Houdini preferences folder (default)
  • Custom Houdini tools folder
• Palette update takes effect after Houdini restart

Sharing Palettes

• If you want to share your palette with anyone, give them the opColorPalette.def file.
• Same file location requirements apply if the colors are to appear in their Houdini installation.
• If you want to package an opColorPalette.def file in your own package, put it in an optional folder in case your users already have a color palette they want to keep.

Troubleshooting

Colors Not Updating

File Location Issues: - File must be named opColorPalette.def - Must be in a /config folder - Base folder must be in either: - Houdini preferences folder (default) - Custom Houdini tools folder

Example paths:

Windows: C:/Users/YourUsername/Documents/HoudiniTools/NodeWeaver/config/opColorPalette.def
Mac: /Users/YourUsername/Documents/HoudiniTools/NodeWeaver/config/opColorPalette.def
Linux: /home/YourUsername/HoudiniTools/NodeWeaver/config/opColorPalette.def

Multiple Files: - Having opColorPalette.def in external packages overrides preferences folder - Either update external file or delete it

After Changes: - Restart Houdini to rescan folders

Colors Look Different

• In Color Editor window, disable "Enable Color Correction" in top bar (looks like greyscale ramp)

Need Help?

If you run into issues: 1. Check if restarting Houdini helps 2. Look through existing issues 3. Open a new issue