RGB FUNCTION--Color / Chart Index?

[Jarvis]

I learned about the text color function here a couple of days ago and it makes my head swim with new ideas.

This took me to the RGB function where colors are represented by numbers.

Is there some kind of a color chart available that corrolates the RGB number with the color?

What would be really cool is to click on a color and have the number present itself.

What would be cooler is to click on a color wheel and have the color selected trigger a script that put the appropriate values into a field box that could drive the Text Color Function.

Can anybody direct me to something like this?

Is this an example of a custom function available through Developer 7?

Part of this is a specific question and part of this is the more general goal of just trying to understand what a "function" is.

What is the difference between a function and a calculation?

thanks in advance for your forbearance.

Jarvis

[The Shadow]

Jarvis,

I think the OS color pickers can do this, I'm on MacOS X, and when I select a color in the relationship graph I can also choose "Other..." and one of the choices is to specify RGB values directly, or pick the color from a wheel, etc. It would be nice if there was an easy way to use the color picker from within FM7, but I don't know how to do that.

The colors are standard, you can see an example chart at:

http://entries.the5k.org/171/visualizer.html

But those numbers are given in hexadecimal (base 16), which FM7 doesn't directly support.

But, if you download this example file, you'll see a new custom function called WebColor() that now appears in your calculation dialogs when you edit calculations in this file. WebColor() is a custom function I added using Dev7, using it, you can use the web colors directly, like this:

TextColor( "hello there"; WebColor( "#00FF00" ) )

for a green hello. You can use this function in field definitions or scripts throughout the file regardless of what table you're using. Its just like a calculation, but you can pass parameters to it too.

Well, I think I've at least touched on everything you asked.

[Ap Ruygrok]

Just use the Edit Color function in the standard Paint program of Windows. Move around with your cursor and you will the RGB values change.

[searanger]

I have an adboe color chart on my desk but here are a couple of good links for color charts on line.

http://hotwired.lycos.com/webmonkey/reference/color_codes/

http://www.homepagehelp.com/hexcolors.html

[Jarvis]

Shadow,

I downloaded your example file but the fonts for record values in fields 1, 2 & 3 all showed up as hieroglyphics. I'm running a Mac G4 with OSX Panther ---Developer 7.

Your file showed up with the moniker: Download Php.

I dragged that icon onto the top of my filemaker 7 alias to open the file.

As you can see.... I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer on alot of this computer stuff.

I also could not find your custom function.

Would this be something that is available under the calculation dialog box?

The Web Color function you wrote sounds very useful.

I would like to try some kind of color chart to act as script button to fill in these web color fields.

Just as soon as I can figure out how to find them.

Thanks,

Jarvis.

PS: Could you describe (in twenty five words or less) the difference between a calculation and a function??

[The Shadow]

Jarvis,

If you're having trouble downloading the file, I've placed another copy on my website:

http://www.spf-15.com/fmExamples/

(look for WebColor, the other examples also use custom functions, but are more complex)

It should download a StuffIt archive that MacOSX should auto-unpack to a fp7 file.

The custom function can be found:

-In Pro, in any calculation dialog: in the function list, when viewing all functions alphabetically.

-In Pro, in any calculation dialog: in the function list, when viewing the "Custom Functions" sub-area.

-In Developer, go to "Define -> Custom Functions..." on the same menu as "Define Database..."

Jarvis said:

PS: Could you describe (in twenty five words or less) the difference between a calculation and a function??

A custom function is a named calculation that is not connected to a field, and it uses parameters rather than fields for its inputs, and thus it can be easily reused in other circumstances.

For instance, I could have instead made a calculated field called myWebColor that computed its value from a global field called gHexColor, but then I'd need two create two new versions of these fields for each independent color I wanted on a layout, and that wouldn't be worth it as it would be a maintainence headache. With a custom function, whenever I want that calculation I can call it by name, so its indistinguishable from one of the functions built-in to Pro.

Hope this helps.

[Jarvis]

Thanks Shadow!