ColorKu
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#204 ColorKu
Several issues, some bugs some possibly not.
Enable ColorKu requires program restart to take effect, but there is no warning message (as there is when switching to or from default font).
Change Hint Factor changes Candidate size.
It is possible, tho not easy, to get Hints slightly larger relative to Candidates - Candidate Factor 0.12 with Hint Factor 3.0, for example.
Changing Value Factor has no effect.
Hint markers and colour for candidates are on top of candidates (which might be good if made transparent).
Colour for cells is behind ok.
Invalid and Deviations markers don't show on Candidates. On Values they did properly at first, now they don't.
They are there actually, but way too tiny.
Oh, wait.. Value Factor affects the size of deviations/invalid markers on values.
(Btw. I think for Levels and Fonts Reset to Defaults should be set to work independently.)
Overall, quite a pleasant diversion and more 'abstract', to my mind, than standard sudoku.
I think the dark blue value needs some work tho. It looks flat in comparison with shading/highlighting more evident on other colours.
One request I would make at this stage is for a standalone version.
Various settings changes I might like to make in ColorKu (perhaps especially, Colours) I don't want to take effect in standard Hodoku.
Never mind the standalone version remark.
Save configuration preserves changes to colours for hints etc. well enough. So, I have one set of preferences for standard sudoku and another for Colorku - including different palettes.
2.2 (beta) Build 75 on Win XP. Java 6 update 32
"Invalid and Deviations markers don't show on Candidates.", might be a bug.
"Change Hint Factor changes Candidate size.", if not a bug, does make it difficult change hint marker size to easier see the difference between hints and candidates.
And, in case you might be interested in some new artwork..
I attached a couple samples of what I can do.
Yes, its a startup option
Thats a bug, corrected for release 2.2
Bug too, but even if drawn above the ColorKu images they are hardly visible...
Yes you are right. Do you have suggestions for better colors?
Im am always interested in artwork (for example better looking filter buttons, maybe with a seperate "inactive" version)!
I do like the color images too, but since I have to create them "on the fly" in configurable colors, I would need a transparent mask, that can be painted above a colored circle and create the intended result. Can you do this? Right now I am using grayscale pictures with transparent background, that I use to manipulate the color (I attached one as example).
Hoping I understand correctly..
I have attached a transparent mask, which I think will work over any colour and at any scale.
I've tested it over the blue (5) and over the cyan (8), the darkest and palest. My background colours are not transparent to any degree tho - solid colours of different hue, saturation and brightness.
(If it was up to me, I might increase the saturation on some of your colours and maybe tweak the hue a little.)
Looks good on the filter bar too, I think. Possibly a small drop shadow there would enhance the effect. I can make a different mask for the purpose if you wish.
Current scale for filter buttons is 33 pixels. I'd like to know if that is the maximum possible (to allow for shadow).
For ColorKu Filter buttons, how would it look if you could remove the colour and leave the mask in place to show inactive state?
After my first uploads, I wanted to rethink my shading anyhow.
I have now attached a new version of value 8 (cyan). The 'mask' is identical with the one attached, but the saturation is a little higher than the colour you have for 8 (I think).
I have added the mask (see beta version attached), it looks great! Changes in colors: everything you want, but please give me RGB values.
The size of the icons for the toolbar has to be 32x32 (png), or the layout changes too much.
I cant attach the beta version (too big), so I put it on the web site:
http://hodoku.sourceforge.net/beta/220_90/
Give you RGB values?
Sorry, I don't know what you mean. Perhaps I misunderstood your previous mention of "grayscale".
If you want the mask in RGB, that's easy - see newly attached file.
Hey, yeah! It does look pretty cool. :)
I wouldn't mind working a different (more 'glassy') highlighting effect. But, that would depend on my figuring how to do and on where my inclinations might carry me.
Another, fairly easy, option would be for me to tweak the original overlay.
I would need a version which is actually transparent though. The attached "ov078.png" isn't - it has an opaque white 'background. A Photoshop (.psd) version might show the white as a separate layer... I use the GIMP, so .xcf file type (and I'm vaguely thinking a Paintshop file) would work as well.
It is a fun way to play, for sure. I need to resort to easier puzzles though.
Default settings for candidate and hint factors works very well now. Thank you.
I like slightly stronger colours on hints in ColorKu and it seems no problem when using the same colours in standard Hodoku. I could tell you my settings for those, if you like.
Given the size constraints, I'm not sure how well a drop shadow might work for Filter buttons. I'll see what I can do..
One possible bug in Build 90:
Difficulty and Progress indicators 'out of sync' on newly created puzzles.
Difficulty and rating often shows, like, - .
Progress marker and Remaining difficulty has some various behaviour. Once showing 'invalid', once white with 0% and once stuck on 100% while playing but the colour changing to white way too soon.
Copy and paste Candidates will generally rectify the problem.
I haven't tested this in standard sudoku yet.
A lesser 'issue', because it isn't so likely to use such settings.
I like candidate factor 0.29, and hint factor 1.4 seems to work well enough with it.
But, if hint factor is less than 1.4 hints looks smaller than candidates [?] and there appears to be some misalignment between positions of hints and candidates.
Update on the 'bug':
One thing this program does not like is loading configuration files saved in earlier versions. It messes up a whole range of settings.
I'm pretty sure now that is what caused the problem with Difficulty/rating and Progress display.
Also, I now think Hint Factor 0.28 works best - especially on start up or New Givens. Just my personal preference, that is.
Working on colours. I had no intention of doing anything with your colours which look fine to me at first. But then, the yellow started to stare me down after a while and colour for 7 was a bit too much like default filter colour...
It's a fiddling process, trying to get some kind of 'balance' in intensity and trying what looks best with the overlay.
I'll post the results when I'm done "fiddling". One or two degrees in R:G:B ration can make a noticeable difference...
BTW, my mask doesn't look quite as smooth in the app as it does originally. No big deal, I guess, but it does make it harder to 'balance' colours so as to get the best from it.
Anyway, as I mentioned, I might get around to doing a different style of highlighting. Maybe, one of these days.
Tweaking colours might be a project never finished. As might be looking for better lighting effects, if I ever start. Still, it is a 'game' I like to play.
Beta testing has been a favourite game of mine, though I don't have so much capacity for it now.
My results for colour changes so far:-
Some possibly unnecessary, but a result of comparison with ColoKu colours and visibility against Filters.
The ALS group, in particular, likely being unnecessary changes, but a result of checking against (some fairly unlikely) combinations of default filters, default focus and various cell and candidate and ColorKu colours
COLOURS = R:G:B
ColorKu
1 252:15:10
2 255:146:0
3 255:225:17
4 0:201:0
5 31:32:255
6 220:93:171
7 140:252:103
8 151:249:249
9 254:189:255
Hints
Normal 34:220:79
To Delete 255:94:118
Fins 77:167:255
Endo-Fins 216:178:255
Coloring (Cells/Candidates)
Pen A 254:204:129
Pen B 178:184:248
Pen C 255:173:173
Pen D 134:232:208
Pen E 134:242:128
ALS
ALS 1 197:232:140
ALS 2 255:203:203
ALS 3 178:223:223
ALS 4 252:220:165
I am beginning to have some appreciation of the enormous effort behind such a fine product as HodoKu.
Many thanks to you, once again!!
Best regards,
Colin.
Of course, I can't tell how these colours might appear appear on any other monitor unit ( not to mention available colour settings for each). I have two other monitors where I 'could' test...
But, I find my eyes adjust to colours within a few minutes anyway.
Oh,and..
What I DO find 'necessary' (for me) in ColorKu, is the changes to basic Hint colours - Normal, To delete and Fins.
I'm not so sure about Endo-Fins, because I don't see those except in rather more advanced techniques.
I better give colours a rest after this, I guess
Some subtle changes to colours for Colorku (with fresher eyes) today.
R:G:B
1 252:16:11
2 255:150:0
3 255:226:17
4 0:200:0
5 31:29:255
6 221:92:171
7 140:252:101
8 151:245:249
9 255:187:254
I'm still not entirely satisfied with the dark blue, but there seems nothing I can do to improve it further.
I would like to know if it is possible to use a different mask or an extra layer of shading for this one value alone.
Any feedback much appreciated, thank you.
Personally, I like a drop shadow effect at Vale size too.
I will attach some files here shortly.
Coloured circle is top and centre in relation to mask.
At 78x78 the colour circle is 75x75, at 32x32 it is 31x31. At Candidate size there doesn't seem much difference in size - relative position might still be important tho.
I don't know how this arrangement might work for you. I can easily, I guess, make necessary changes if you like to let me know what you might need.
For example, for the Filter buttons I can make colours 30x30 and/or change drop shadow style. If the position of the circle needs to be anchored more to left or right boundaries, I suppose I can work something out.....
I saved these at higher resolution (120dpi) which seems to make for smoother scaling - on my end it does anyway.
You are getting too fast for me :-)
Thanks a lot for your efforts! Its really valuable for me to have a second pair of eyes looking at the program. The problem with the level scores for example would otherwise have popped up only after release.
There are already attached some new masks.
Two at 78x78, one with shadow one without. I like the shadow, but (and as you mention) the size and position of the colour circle is changed (has to be calculated differently) in relation to the mask. I'm not sure how easy or difficult that might be for you.
I made it so the circle is CENTRED and 'anchored' to TOP of mask, if that makes it any easier. Also, I measured the circle and with the shadow mask at 78x78 the circle is 75x75 - and that is exact as far as I can tell. Drop shadow on Values does help the dark blue, more than anything else I can thik of for now.
Candidates don't really need the shadow, and might very likely look better without.
I think you mentioned, somewhere along the line, wanting better looking Filter buttons. I'll give it some thought... there's plenty of possibilities to make filter buttons 'better'.
My first idea of using a drop shadow there looks ok to me, but the size of the colour circle would have to be reduced by one or two pixels to allow for a shadow.
I can make filter buttons as actual 'icons', if you like - once a satisfactory colour set is worked out. A separate "inactive" version too... I'd have to try a few things first. One simple way to make 'inactive' to is remove the highlighting. Working in layers, as I am, it is very easy to do.
I must agree that the basic hint colours I'm using are somewhat intense, they work well (for me) in Colorku though. I don't know where "Cannibalism" ever appears. I can manage Colorku on only Medium difficulty for now anyway.
If I reduce the Red for Cannibilism to, say, 220 then there's a clear distinction between that and the values I'm using for To Delete.
I would then darken Endo-Fins too, for some 'balance' (to my eyes). 224:158:255, for example
But, then.. I can't see, at the moment, that anything more than the three basic Hints (Normal, To Delete and Fins) would be used in ColorKu.
Actually, I prefer an even stronger "To Delete" colour for ColorKu (currently, 255:90:118).
For standard suduko, if I wanted to change it, I suppose I might adjust Alpha channel - to 160, as a rough idea - but, it does then look quite odd on Colors tab.
Reducing Saturation by 20 points, or so, works quite well.
Of course, it is no bother to me to keep separate configurations. Besides, I need to because I use different Value:Candidate:Hint factors, and lighter Filter and Focus colours, for standard sudoku.
Whether or not you can or want to be bothered coding different colours for each play mode, I'll leave up to you.
The increased Hint size for ColorKu is already a very great help, and much appreciated. Thank you!!
I must also agree on the two greens, for 4 & 7, being too similar.
If I may suggest some changes..
4 0:198:40 (more blue)
7 157:255:53 (more 'yellow', and even more distinct against Filter which is what I was trying to achieve.)
Consequently, for aesthetic reasons, I would also make
3 255:229:18
The Orange is too intense for you, hmm..
I was aiming for a more 'true orange' colour. It still looks kinda 'brown' to me, especially with the mask on.
It was the Yellow too intense for me, but we had some similar conversation regarding the Focus yellow colour...
There is no way to account for how colours might look on different monitors.
The beauty of it is that you have made it possible to alter colours at will.
Now I'm wondering, once a default set of colours is determined; How might it be possible to make specially designed Filter icons changeable in colour?
Now, to scale:
I'm woking at 600x600 for circle size, so, of course, I can post images much larger than 78x78.
If you let me know what scale might suit you best, then I will gladly comply.
Sorry, so many words..
A pleasure working with you!!
I'm having some fun, anyroad. :D
On the Difficulty and Progress indicators 'bug':
I found it by loading older configuration files, which would have different difficulty settings - by default and/or by manual changes.
It does mess a whole range of settings.
Including, once, changing Look and Feel to default. Manually changing to Nimbus loaded the wrong font in Solution Path, but the right font in All Steps. Weird...
Upon some vague recall, I think restart program fixed it.
On "Startup" options:
Yes, I see the heading now.
Perhaps a note (above or below the list), 'Takes effect on program restart' or similar? To make the arrangement clearer.
Plus, you could then dispense with the warning message which adds to confusion unless it appears on all startup changes.
"Look and Feel" isn't fully a Startup option - it takes effect without program restart, generally speaking
Getting the appropriate fonts for each Look and Feel (mostly in Preferences dialogue) does require program restart.
Something else I notice since Build 75:
Find all Steps sometimes gets stuck on Searching: ALS.
Progress bars show 0% and 89% consistently.
Doesn't happen on Medium difficulty but, does more on Hard and Unfair levels.
My CPU is a Pentium 4 (HT enabled) 3GHz, and I have 2GB of RAM.
Btw, my Java version is now 7 update 4.
Starting to test on a different monitor. A Dell with colour at "Normal presets" which, in my inexpert opinion, is a pretty good standard to test by.
It's a nice monitor and, actually, the mask looks nice and smooth on that one.
I can't work with it for very long tho.
The yellow seemed the stand out colour there.
Brightness and Contrast settings make some difference. It is possible to test brightness/contrast balance with a series of shades of grey ( I can make something for the purpose), but I doubt there is any standard colour balance across different monitors.
I changed colour settings on this monitor to, what I think is, default. And working from there..
I already reduced the Orange intensity a little, and it still looks good to me.
More colour tweaks on the way....
For Filter buttons, I don't think 'icons' word work so well because then any colour changes would not take effect there.
I could post shading and highlighting as separate masks.
As mentioned earlier, simply removing the highlight might be an easy way to show inactive state.
Does that sound feasible to you?
On the Find all steps issue:
First of of all, I see what seems to me a 'memory leak' effect after tweaking Preferences (colours) for hours on end. Exit and restart program fixes it.
If I'm not mistaken, I would say the 'memory leak' is what is causing Find all steps to get stuck on Searching ALS:.
Tested by restart program, and Find all steps before going into Preferences.
Sorry be so tiresome about colours.
I wish I had considered monitor settings before I started. It would've saved us both some work. Still, I think it worth the effort considering the excellent quality of the program in general :D
Brightness and contrast settings do make a difference.
According to a test strip I made, both my monitors are set to 100% Brightness and 50% Contrast for best results.
Red, Blue and Green channels are set to equal percentages in 'default' or 'normal' colour options, it seems. If necessary, further brightness can be achieved by increasing all three, R,G&B, channels (on monitor) by equal amounts.
(lol. On the Dell I can push RGB all to 100% without loss of colour. My Samsung doesn't like much above 50% - 54 is ok.)
Using such monitor settings, I think, should help to ensure we are seeing the same colours - near enough to it anyway.
I'm attaching a brightness/contrast test strip, should you care to use it.
There are 19 shades of grey between the black and white.
Increasing brightness makes the darker greys more distinct from each other. Decrease contrast if the lighter greys are indistinct.
Oh, and..
I'll post a new ColorKu set asap, based on changed monitor settings.
Apart from "To delete", I don't think I'll be making any more changes to Hint colours.
I wish I could import different masks in HodoKu, to test some modifications.
Anyway, I think the newer mask (without shadow) still attached is an improvement over the original.
Would it be possible, please, for you to post a version with the newer mask?
IF you can code to use the drop shadow on Values, that would be really sweet. But, never mind it - for the moment.
Oh, and..
IF the circles on Filter Buttons must be 32x32, then there's no way to use a drop shadow with them.. as much as I would like to.
Might I assume you can use more than one layer of masking or swap out one mask and replace it with another?
If so, then (whichever option might most practicable) I can work on an 'inactive' version for you.
Still tweaking colours...
For one thing:
I found the Shift+ Pen A and Pen B somewhat faint in ColorKu.
That is by testing in Multi Colors.
Hey! Very nice that Mode|Learning/Practising now works on on startup. :D
I haven't used it in a while but, I do remember making the feature request.
I have reduced intensity on a number of Hints.
I don't have any problem with visibility of candidates in standard sudoku against basic hints now.
But, then.. I did darken candidates for better 'appeal' and visibility a while ago - at the time you made font configurable.
I have no idea what the default 'colour' is for standard number candidates.
Mine is set to (R:G:B) 100:100:100.
I guess 100% Brightness might seem a bit extreme (besides not being default or 'normal'), but it does work best (on two different monitors) for the darker greys on test strip as attached.
(lol. I wondered why it was 'too big' to attach without compression. I forgot to scale it down to a reasonable size.) There is a scaled down version now attached now.
I forget my preferred B:C settings. Maybe 80:60, or something like it.
Anyway, I suppose, as long as R:G:B channels are equalised on monitor settings brightness and contrast won't matter so much as far as us seeing the 'same' colours goes...
One more thing...
On "Choose color..." dialogue I see HSV and CYMK tabs on one machine but not on the other.
I know that the HSV option is valuable for this kind of exercise - the CYMK might be too..
HSB is valuable as well, but, generally not so precise in adjustment as HSV.
I have been using version 2.1.2 as my main program. I didn't notice either HSV or CYMK until 2.2 (beta) Build 90.
A clean install of 2.1.3 with 220_90.exe shows neither HSV nor CYMK, whereas, installing 2.1.3 OVER 2.1.2 and using 220_90.exe shows both.
The lack of Deviations/Invalid markers in ColorKu is still something of a handicap.
Should I notice puzzle becomes Invalid at any point, then my recourse is to Undo.
Couple ideas I had:
One being, link markers to Hint size rather than Candidate size. - would make markers bigger anyway.
Another idea is, swap out the candidate colour circle and replace it with colour for Deviations or Invalid colour.
Would work well;, if possible to do, with default deviations/invalid colours in ColorKu - I think..