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Author Topic: Colour and light measurements using portable Android platform  (Read 30896 times)

GWGill

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Re: Colour and light measurements using portable Android platform
« Reply #40 on: August 30, 2015, 10:05:33 pm »

I hope this is answered in the Help for ColorMeter:  how do you position the sensor when measuring lamps and do you use the ambient diffuser? I'm about to buy ColorMeter just to satisfy curiosity about my desk lamp and my Phillips LED bulbs.
Sorry, no - I'm not sure what sort of advice would be appropriate, since there are so many possible situations, and it's reasonably common sense stuff. (I'm open to suggestions though.)

If you are just trying to measure color temperature and CRI, it's not that hard - make sure the lamp illuminates the instrument, and that there is not too much stray light from other sources contaminating the result. Ambient/illuminance mode is appropriate. If in doubt, take a few different readings from different locations, and see which seem most representative.
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Lundberg02

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Re: Colour and light measurements using portable Android platform
« Reply #41 on: August 31, 2015, 02:15:33 am »

It's not common sense for someone who has never done it before, so.....
Anyway, I'll do it with and without, hang it on the lamp, position it under the lamp, with and without other lights on in the room; and any other variables I can think of. I have a black photo cloth I can drape over the setup.
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srialto

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Re: Colour and light measurements using portable Android platform
« Reply #42 on: September 29, 2015, 08:41:26 pm »

"a commercial app for the Android platform where there is virtually no competition"
This is great! I don't disparage Apple but I love it when things come out on platforms I use.

Jack Hogan

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Re: Colour and light measurements using portable Android platform
« Reply #43 on: May 28, 2018, 10:15:20 am »

Graeme

Any chance a version with saving spectral measurements will be on horizon? Just checking - as v1.2 came and I have not found it there. Thanks

Hi Graeme,

How is the version of ArgyllPro ColorMeter that saves/transfers spectral measurements coming along?  It's one of the main reasons why I bought your app and it shouldn't be that hard to do since you already have that functionality in ArgyllCMS.

Jack
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GWGill

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Re: Colour and light measurements using portable Android platform
« Reply #44 on: May 28, 2018, 08:40:38 pm »

How is the version of ArgyllPro ColorMeter that saves/transfers spectral measurements coming along?  It's one of the main reasons why I bought your app and it shouldn't be that hard to do since you already have that functionality in ArgyllCMS.
Hello Jack, it is something I've been working on, amongst other pressing tasks (life spirals a bit out of control at times). Unfortunately a lot of the work will be invisible, such as getting the application working with the latest Android API level (a new Google mandate), as well as testing on a more modern tablet running Android 7.1 rather than depending on an emulator that can't talk to a real instrument. So I'm planning on enabling the logging support, as well as adding the much requested IES TM-30-15 color rendering index in the next release. Reports will be some release after that though.
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Jack Hogan

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Re: Colour and light measurements using portable Android platform
« Reply #45 on: May 29, 2018, 02:45:22 am »

Hello Jack, it is something I've been working on, amongst other pressing tasks (life spirals a bit out of control at times). Unfortunately a lot of the work will be invisible, such as getting the application working with the latest Android API level (a new Google mandate), as well as testing on a more modern tablet running Android 7.1 rather than depending on an emulator that can't talk to a real instrument. So I'm planning on enabling the logging support, as well as adding the much requested IES TM-30-15 color rendering index in the next release. Reports will be some release after that though.

Thanks Graeme.  They've been three years in the making, what's so time consuming about it?  You already have the functionality and file structure in ArgyllCMS and we don't need anything fancy: just stick with KISS at first and put the log files on a Drive or as an attachment to email (you can use the 'Share' infrastructure).  That's all most folks need, the rest is just a cherry on top.

Jack
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WayneLarmon

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Re: Colour and light measurements using portable Android platform
« Reply #46 on: May 29, 2018, 09:49:53 pm »

Unfortunately a lot of the work will be invisible, such as getting the application working with the latest Android API level (a new Google mandate), as well as testing on a more modern tablet running Android 7.1 rather than depending on an emulator that can't talk to a real instrument. So I'm planning on enabling the logging support, as well as adding the much requested IES TM-30-15 color rendering index in the next release. Reports will be some release after that though.

I just tested ColorMeter on my Google Pixel 2 that runs Android 8.1.0 and it runs fine.  I'm also eagerly awaiting logging.  Screen shots only go so far.

And IES TM-30-15 support.  I recently bought some hardware store LED bulbs (that cost less than $10 (USD) ea.) that tested CRI > 90 and TLCI > 96, with a high R9 value.  But I'm a bit suspicious of their true color rendering ability.
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WayneLarmon

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Re: Colour and light measurements using portable Android platform
« Reply #47 on: May 30, 2018, 07:43:04 am »

Thanks Graeme.  They've been three years in the making, what's so time consuming about it?  You already have the functionality and file structure in ArgyllCMS and we don't need anything fancy: just stick with KISS at first and put the log files on a Drive or as an attachment to email (you can use the 'Share' infrastructure).  That's all most folks need, the rest is just a cherry on top.

What do "most folks need"?  For me, I want to be able to measure once and analyze later.  As an example, I've used Argyll's iccgamut and viewgam to generate 3D plots of .icc and .icm profiles.  I have a Perl script that uses iccgamut and viewgam  generate plots like this (to show why sRGB isn't a good color space for preparing images for offset printing.)  Scroll down to see the metadata.

My script generates as many plots as I define in config files.  (Also scroll down to see data on the complete collection.)

I'd like to do the same thing with spectral measurements.  Measure an illuminant once and then generate as many web pages containing plots and data as I define in config files.  Depending on what I want to showcase. 

When I use ColorMeter now, all I can do now is make a collection of screen shots.  If I had measured an illuminant years ago and no longer have the illuminant now I am out of luck if I want to do a different analysis.

These are my wants.  I imagine that others have different wants.  I suspect this may be why it may take some time to add saving data to ColorMeter.  (And may imply a different "ColorMeter Pro" suite of programs.  Or "ColorMeter Hobbyist", in my case.)
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Jack Hogan

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Re: Colour and light measurements using portable Android platform
« Reply #48 on: May 30, 2018, 10:11:03 am »

What do "most folks need"?  For me, I want to be able to measure once and analyze later.  As an example, I've used Argyll's iccgamut and viewgam to generate 3D plots of .icc and .icm profiles.  I have a Perl script that uses iccgamut and viewgam  generate plots like this (to show why sRGB isn't a good color space for preparing images for offset printing.)  Scroll down to see the metadata.

My script generates as many plots as I define in config files.  (Also scroll down to see data on the complete collection.)

I'd like to do the same thing with spectral measurements.  Measure an illuminant once and then generate as many web pages containing plots and data as I define in config files.  Depending on what I want to showcase. 

When I use ColorMeter now, all I can do now is make a collection of screen shots.  If I had measured an illuminant years ago and no longer have the illuminant now I am out of luck if I want to do a different analysis.

These are my wants.  I imagine that others have different wants.  I suspect this may be why it may take some time to add saving data to ColorMeter.  (And may imply a different "ColorMeter Pro" suite of programs.  Or "ColorMeter Hobbyist", in my case.)

Nice plots Wayne! 

The main value I see in Color Meter as a light savvy photographer is not having to cart around my laptop whenever I want to capture spectral data at the scene or at my home.  If I have to hustle with a laptop then I might as well use free ArgyllCMS.

Data export is a function that would be assumed to be included by anyone buying the app.  Imagine if cameras only allowed you to see your shots on the camera's screen but not export it.  But ArgyllPro's marketing material and documentation does not state that you cannot export that data.  I was surprised when I bought it and I couldn't find an easy way to access it.  I went to the online manual and looked for the 'export' or 'log' or 'file' menu but nada, I couldn't believe it.   I did not return the product for a refund only because I think Graeme is a champ and deserves my support anyways - and I trusted him when he said that the 'feature' was coming almost Real Soon Now (three years ago).

As for what customers want I think it's pretty simple, especially if you KISS (at least at first): we want access to the data that was collected (read through this thread for the opinion of other identically-minded souls), just like in ArgyllCMS.  It's not rocket science, there are standard file types and ArgyllCMS already uses them so there is no need to reinvent the wheel.  It should also be relatively easy to do, because Android has built-in infrastructure to easily share text data (e.g. 'Share').  So I think it's just a matter of gently prodding Graeme to do the professional thing and deliver on what he promised he was going to do three years ago.

Now would be good :) 

Jack

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WayneLarmon

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Re: Colour and light measurements using portable Android platform
« Reply #49 on: May 30, 2018, 11:11:26 am »

Nice plots Wayne!

I was inspired by the plots that are on Dry Creek Photo.  My plots were for my own curiosity and need some more work for public consumption.  But I'm sure you get the drift.

I think anybody providing 3D gamut plots uses the same ArgyllCMS programs that I did to do all the heavy lifting of generating the actual 3D plots.  For which we all owe a debt to Graeme.

Quote
The main value I see in Color Meter as a light savvy photographer is not having to cart around my laptop whenever I want to capture spectral data at the scene or at my home.  If I have to hustle with a laptop then I might as well use free ArgyllCMS.

Data export is a function that would be assumed to be included by anyone buying the app.

What would a typical photographer do with data?  I know enough programming to wrap scripts around the programs that do the complicated parts but I'm pretty sure that most photographers don't have a copy of Programming Perl next to their computer.

"Light savvy" photographers should be using ColorMeter.  I've been trying to make this point on, um, another photography forum that you are familiar with, for years.  To no avail.  The professional photographers deal directly with lighting dealers and everybody else shares folk wisdom.

I'd like to get past the first part of getting more light savvy photographers using ColorMeter.   However, if ColorMeter was used by more photographers and if it did export data, that it would be really good to pool spectral test results of various lights. 

« Last Edit: May 30, 2018, 11:32:20 am by WayneLarmon »
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Alexey.Danilchenko

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Re: Colour and light measurements using portable Android platform
« Reply #50 on: May 31, 2018, 06:48:03 am »

Thanks Graeme.  They've been three years in the making, what's so time consuming about it?  You already have the functionality and file structure in ArgyllCMS and we don't need anything fancy: just stick with KISS at first and put the log files on a Drive or as an attachment to email (you can use the 'Share' infrastructure).  That's all most folks need, the rest is just a cherry on top.

Have been waiting for this as well - same as for Jack, I got it mostly for that reason to have a portable app to log the captured spectrum on the go and analyze later.
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