UniqueColorGenerator

Stand-alone implementation of algorithm used in multiple of my research projects for demonstrative purposes.

Overview

This tool generates n unique, visually distinct colors using the HSV (Hue, Saturation, Value) color space. The algorithm ensures maximum color separation by distributing hues equidistantly across the hue spectrum (0-360°), while maintaining full saturation and brightness for visual distinction.

Algorithm

The color generation process follows these steps:

1. Input: Integer n representing the number of unique colors needed
2. Hue Calculation: Calculate equidistant hue values across the 360° spectrum
   • Hue step = 360° / n
   • Hues = [0°, step, 2×step, ..., (n-1)×step]
3. HSV Parameters:
   • Hue: Variable (0-360°), calculated as above
   • Saturation: Fixed at 100% (1.0)
   • Value: Fixed at 100% (1.0)
4. RGB Conversion: Convert each HSV triplet to RGB (0-255, 0-255, 0-255)
5. Output: List of RGB tuples

Why This Approach?

• Maximum Visual Separation: Equidistant hues ensure the largest possible difference between colors
• Full Saturation & Brightness: Fixed at 100% ensures vibrant colors to increase distinguishability
• Deterministic: Same input n always produces the same color set
• Scalable: Works for any number of colors from 1 to 100+

Usage

GUI Application

Run the interactive GUI to visualize the color generation process:

python color.py

The GUI provides:

• Input field for number of colors (n)
• Real-time process visualization showing:
  • HSV parameter calculations
  • Equidistant hue values
  • RGB conversion details
• Visual color swatches in a grid layout
• Detailed table with RGB values, hex codes, and hue angles

Programmatic Usage

Import the generate_colors function for use in your own code:

from color import generate_colors

# Generate 8 unique colors
colors = generate_colors(8)

# Each color is an RGB tuple: (R, G, B) with values 0-255
for i, rgb in enumerate(colors):
    print(f"Color {i+1}: RGB{rgb}")
    # Example output: Color 1: RGB(255, 0, 0)

Example Output

For n = 6, the algorithm generates:

• Color 1: Hue = 0° (Red)
• Color 2: Hue = 60° (Yellow)
• Color 3: Hue = 120° (Green)
• Color 4: Hue = 180° (Cyan)
• Color 5: Hue = 240° (Blue)
• Color 6: Hue = 300° (Magenta)

Technical Details

HSV to RGB Conversion

The implementation uses Python's built-in colorsys module for accurate color space conversion. The conversion process:

1. Normalize hue from 0-360° to 0-1 range
2. Use colorsys.hsv_to_rgb(h, s, v) where:
   • h = normalized hue (0-1)
   • s = saturation (1.0 = 100%)
   • v = value (1.0 = 100%)
3. Scale RGB values from 0-1 to 0-255 range
4. Round to nearest integer

Edge Cases

• n = 0: Returns empty list
• n = 1: Returns single color (red, hue = 0°)
• n > 100: GUI limits to 100 colors for performance (function itself has no limit)

Requirements

• Python 3.6+
• Standard library only:
  • colorsys (HSV to RGB conversion)
  • tkinter (GUI - usually included with Python)
  • math (for calculations)

No external dependencies required!

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.