[GRASS-dev] [GRASS GIS] #3043: Change default color table

[GRASS GIS]

#3043: Change default color table
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  Reporter:  wenzeslaus   |      Owner:  grass-dev@…
      Type:  enhancement  |     Status:  new
  Priority:  blocker      |  Milestone:  7.2.0
 Component:  Raster       |    Version:  svn-trunk
Resolution:               |   Keywords:  r.colors, d.rast, rainbow
       CPU:  Unspecified  |   Platform:  Unspecified
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Comment (by mlennert):

 Replying to [comment:4 wenzeslaus]:
 > `viridis` is now available in trunk (try `r.colors`). This color table
 was developed for Matplotlib based on color properties and color
 perception and then it won the community voting. See the attachments to
 see how it behaves including gray scale print and simulated color
 blindness (I can share also the full resolution images).

 Without some kind of legend, it is difficult to understand what is what in
 your color_tables_overview... Generally, it seems to me that rainbow and
 bcyr provide greater contrasts.


 > Is anybody opposed to the change of default color table from `rainbow`
 to `viridis` in GRASS GIS for release 7.2?

 I would vote -0, i.e. I'm opposed to this change, but not enough to stop
 it if others all agree on it.

 I'm not convinced that viridis is better. More so, I think that if we
 provide a default color table of which we say that it is good (better than
 rainbow), we should make our criteria more explicit. Why do you find
 viridis good (better than other color tables) ? Just aesthetics ? What is
 good for matplotlib, might not be good for GRASS...

 More fundamentally, and to repeat myself: IMHO there is '''no''' good
 default color table. Color tables qualities are context and target
 dependent. I personally thus prefer not to pretend that we can provide a
 good color table by default.

 Moritz

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Ticket URL: <https://trac.osgeo.org/grass/ticket/3043#comment:5>
GRASS GIS <https://grass.osgeo.org>