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Title: Measuring and Modeling the Feature Detection Threshold Functions of Colormaps

Journal Article · · IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics
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Pseudocoloring is one of the most common techniques used in scientific visualization. To apply pseudocoloring to a scalar field, the field value at each point is represented using one of a sequence of colors (called a colormap). One of the principles applied in generating colormaps is uniformity and previously the main method for determining uniformity has been the application of uniform color spaces. In this paper we present a new method for evaluating the feature discrimination threshold function across a colormap. The method is used in crowdsourced studies for the direct evaluation of nine colormaps for three feature sizes. The results are used to test the hypothesis that a uniform color space (CIELAB) gives too much weight to chromatic differences compared to luminance differences because of the way it was constructed. The hypothesis that feature discrimination can be predicted solely on the basis of luminance is also tested. Finally, the results reject both hypotheses and we demonstrate how reduced weights on the green-red and blue-yellow terms of the CIELAB color space creates a more accurate model when the task is the detection of smaller features in colormapped data. Both the method itself and modified CIELAB can be used in colormap design and evaluation.

Research Organization:
Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham, NH (United States); Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR); National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) (United States)
Grant/Contract Number:
AS52-06NA25396; SC-0012438; SC-0012516; AC52-06NA25396; SC0012438; SC0012516; NA15NOS4000200
OSTI ID:
1839832
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1463498
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-18-21476; 8413174
Journal Information:
IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, Journal Name: IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics Vol. 25 Journal Issue: 9; ISSN 1077-2626
Publisher:
Institute of Electrical and Electronics EngineersCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 18 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

Figures / Tables (16)

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Table I(p. 7)table Table I
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Table IV(p. 12)table Table IV
Fig. 14(p. 13)figure Fig. 14

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97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING
colormapping
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