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2 Table of Contents Welcome to ColorFacts... 4 Installing ColorFacts... 5 Checking for ColorFacts Updates... 5 ColorFacts Registration... 6 ColorFacts Dongle... 6 Uninstalling ColorFacts... 7 Reducing Ambient Light... 7 Aiming the Meter... 8 The ColorFacts Luminance Meter... 8 The ColorFacts Test Colors screen... 8 Measuring Device Primaries... 9 More Accurate Calculations... 9 The ColorFacts Training Wizard The ColorFacts Training Import/Export Wizard Export Training Data Using and Understanding Instruments Common Instrument Tasks Resetting an Instrument Saving Instrument Graphics Saving Instrument Data Uploading a Graphic Printing an Instrument Instrument Properties The CIE Chart CIE Chart Properites The Spectral Scan Spectral Scan Properties The Luminance / Illuminance Meter Luminance / Illuminance Meter Properties The Color Temperature Meter Color Temperature Properties The RGB Levels Meter RGB Levels Properties The Target Meter Target Properties The Histogram Instruments The Luminance / Illuminance Histogram Luminance / Illuminance Histogram Properties The RGB Levels Histogram... 32

3 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S RGB Levels Histogram Properties The Temperature Histogram Temperature Histogram Properties The Test Colors Instrument The Raw Data Instrument Selecting a Color Reference Selecting a White Target Custom Color Reference or White Target Setting the Target By Temperature Setting the Target From a Sample Single Reading Mode Continuous Readings Mode Low IRE Reading Mode High IRE Reading Mode The ColorFacts Dark Reading Wizard The ColorFacts Calibration Wizard The ColorFacts Device Primaries Wizard The ColorFacts Contrast Wizard The ColorFacts Gray Scale Wizard The ColorFacts Brightness Uniformity Wizard External Test Pattern Locations Avia Test Disc Peter Finzel Test Disc Video Essentials Test Disc Adding a New Customer Working with Customer Data ColorFacts Reporting Wizard Reports - Calibration Summary Reports - Detailed Calibration Summary Reports - Chromacity Detail Reports- Display Device Analysis Reports - Detailed Display Device Analysis Options Dialog Options ColorFacts Macros ColorFacts Test Patterns Pioneer Elite C3 Remote Toolbar Activity Animation (the Throbber ) Status Bar Appendix A: Attaching the Spyder2 Colorimeter... 95

4 Welcome to ColorFacts Datacolor ColorFacts Professional is a system for analyzing the performance of video display devices. Graphs, histograms, and meters (collectively called Instruments ) show your display s characteristics in an easy to read manner. Wizards step you through common operations and video display tests. ColorFacts was designed to be fast, accurate and easy-to-use and to support many different types of display devices, hardware instruments, color systems and reference illuminants. The system is designed to hide the complexity and mathematics of color science behind an easy to understand interface.

5 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S Installing ColorFacts ColorFacts is available electronically as a trial download from the ColorFacts Web site or on CD media. If your computer is configured to AutoPlay CD media, you will see the following screen when you insert the CD or launch the autorun.exe program from the download: To install ColorFacts, click on the Install button from this introductory screen. If you should need to manually run the ColorFacts product installation, you can execute the file named, SETUP.EXE, located in the \Install folder. When the Setup program begins, a Wizard will extract the necessary files and place them on your computer. Follow the instructions provided in the Wizard to install the program on your computer. You will need approximately 15 MB of free space to install ColorFacts. Checking for ColorFacts Updates Periodic updates to the ColorFacts application will be available via an Internet download. You can check for a ColorFacts update from within the application by following these steps: 1. Click Start Programs ColorFacts ColorFacts to start the program, if it is not already running. 2. Once ColorFacts is open, click Help Check for Update. 3. The Update Wizard will start and allow you to check the Internet for an update. If an update is found, follow the instructions within the Wizard to install it. Note: You may also allow ColorFacts to automatically check the Internet for updates on start-up by selecting Check for Updates Automatically Using the Internet in the Options screen Preferences tab. ColorFacts has this option turned on by default.

6 ColorFacts Registration ColorFacts Professional (version 6.0+) uses a hardware dongle which plugs into your computer to activate your software and manage the capabilities of the system. You are still encouraged to register your version of ColorFacts with Datacolor so that you can receive product upgrades and technical support. If you do not register, you will not be eligible for any technical support. To learn more about registration process, see Registering ColorFacts - Security Dongle Method. ColorFacts Dongle The ColorFacts Dongle come in two forms: USB and Parallel. Once you install ColorFacts, you will have all the drivers necessary to run either form of the Security Dongle. If at any time you need to Uninstall or Re-install these drivers, you may do so by running the Rockey Driver Installation Program (InstDrv.exe) which is located on your ColorFacts CD (in the Drivers folder) and your Color- Facts installation directory (usually C:\Program Files\ColorFacts\Drivers). USB Security Dongle Parallel Security Dongle With the Security Dongle you will be able to run ColorFacts on any number of computers, but only one computer at a time. Attaching Spyder2 Colorimeter If your model includes a Spyder2 colorimeter, go to Appendix A for setup instructions.

7 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S Uninstalling ColorFacts If you should decide to remove ColorFacts from your computer, you can easily uninstall the software by completing the following steps: 1. Click Start Settings Control Panel. 2. Select the Add/Remove Programs item. 3. Select Datacolor ColorFacts Professional in the list of programs to uninstall. When you click the Uninstall button, ColorFacts and any other installed components will be systematically removed. User-created files (like graphic images and other files) may also be removed. If you do not wish to delete your user-created files, you will need to manually move them. You may also have drivers installed from one or more plug-and-play devices. To remove these, complete the following steps: 1. Click Start Settings Control Panel. 2. Select System. 3. Select the Hardware tab. 4. In the list of devices, right-click on any plug-and-play devices that were used solely with ColorFacts, right-click on the device and select Uninstall from the menu of choices. Reducing Ambient Light For the best results, you may need to control the light that reaches the meter. The meter should only see light that is coming from the display device that is going to be measured. Make sure you reduce or eliminate all light sources other than the device being measured. This may include covering windows, turning off lamps, monitors, other audio or video equipment, etc. Any ambient light that might reach the meter during measurement should be eliminated to avoid incorrect results. Even small amounts of indirect lighting can affect the readings.

8 Aiming the Meter How do I aim the Meter? Once your meter is in place, you may need to aim it to maximize the accuracy of your results. You may skip this step if the meter is physically attached to the display device or if the meter is otherwise clearly pointed correctly. Front projection systems will obtain the most benefit from using this technique to aim the meter. To aim the meter, click Measure Aim Meter. Once the meter is detected, the Luminance Instrument will appear and the meter will begin reading. You will use the Luminance Meter to get feedback on your position and aiming of the meter. The ColorFacts Luminance Meter The ColorFacts Test Colors Screen Position the meter in the center of the Test Colors screen being displayed or the center of the displayed image if you are using external video signals. Display an 80 IRE white field (80% Gray) for aiming the meter. Adjust the position of the meter head until the Luminance is as high as possible. This will be the point where the meter is pointed most directly back into the center of the display device. When you are finished, click the Stop button that appears in the lower left corner of the Status bar. This will take you out of the Aiming Sensor mode. Note: You may also run ColorFacts using a simulated meter to see the features available. This allows you to run the software without having the physical hardware attached. If the meter is not detected, you will get a message box that allows you to choose to run with the Simulated Meter.

9 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S Measuring Device Primaries You can measure your Display Device s primary colors (pure Red, Green and Blue) to determine how the color compares to industry standards. You will see the coordinates of your Display Device s primary colors plotted on top of the primary colors of the standard that is selected next to the words Color Reference in the status bar of the application. The triangle that is drawn encompasses all of the colors that your display device can produce (the color gamut ). In the example above, we can see that the Green primary is perfectly on the HDTV standard, the Blue primary is just slightly larger than the standard, and the Red primary is signifantly larger than the HDTV standard. Many display devices have a color gamut that is smaller than the selected standard. More Accurate Calculations In addition to plotting your display s primaries against a reference, the Measure Device Primaries Wizard has a second purpose: To allow more precise calculations in ColorFacts. When you measure your device primaries, Color- Facts will use those measured values in its calculations. The increase in accuracy is normally rather small, but it can be important in an automated calibration. When you measure the primaries of a display, you determine the relative pull on an achromatic (gray scale) point toward the three respective corners of the triangular color gamut. With the RGB Histogram, ColorFacts is displaying what pull is required to bring the measured grayscale point(s) to the selected target point (like D65). To determine the exact pull, you do need to know exactly where the primaries are. However, exact pull isn t needed except in automated computerized calibrations, and any pull in roughly the right general direction will be fine ( toward Red ), as you will be trying to get the white or gray scale point to plot precisely on the target. For instance, ColorFacts would show 100%,100%,100% for the RGB Levels.

10 Even if you do not measure the primaries of your display, the adjustments indicated will provide pull factors that show you how to reach the target point from the current values. If you would like the percentages displayed to be precisely correct even when you are not close to 100%, 100%, 100%, you can measure the primaries. Without measuring them, the percentages may be off slightly when far away from 100%. This will establish the color gamut that your display device will be able to create and will create the framework for the calculations that the Wizard will need to perform later. Simply stated: You do not need to measure the primaries of your display to have all of the features of ColorFacts work properly. See The ColorFacts Device Primaries Wizard for instructions on measuring your device primaries. The ColorFacts Training Wizard 1. Click Meter Train Meter. The ColorFacts Meter Training Wizard opens. This Wizard will allow you to teach one meter to return results that are similar to another meter. Typically, you would train a lower quality meter to return the results of a higher quality meter, although ColorFacts will allow you to train any supported meter with any other supported meter. To use this Wizard, follow the remaining steps of this Help page. 2. Click Next at the introductory screen, if present. 3. In the step entitled Before You Begin, verify that you meet the necessary requirements to run this Wizard. Most notably, the Meter Training Wizard will require you to have two separate meters available, so that you may train one meter with the other. 1 0

11 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S 4. The next step will allow you to select how you want ColorFacts to generate the test images. If you would like ColorFacts to generate the test images using your Video Card or other supported Signal Generator, select Generated Automatically and select the Signal Generator from the list (see Options --> Hardware to learn how to set the default Signal Generator). If you will be using another source of test images, select the Generated Externally op tion, and use your external source to create the test images when prompted by the Wizard (see Test Image DVD Titles and Chapters). Click Next after you have made your selection. 5. Once you have decided on the source for your test images, you will need to select the meters to train, and actually take the measurements. If ColorFacts is generating the test images, you will only need to select the Master Meter and click the Measure button. ColorFacts will present the test images, measure them, record the data and advance to the next step automatically. If you are generating the test images with another source, you will need to select the meter to serve as the Master, present 100% Red, Green, Blue and White fields and then click each of the Red, Green, Blue and White 1 1

12 buttons while the appropriate test image is being displayed. ColorFacts will record and display the coordinates for each reading. When the entire grid has been filled in with data, click the Next > button to proceed. 6. Repeat a similar operation for the Apprentice Meter. The Apprentice Meter is the meter you would like to train to match more closely the data coming from the Master Meter. 7. Once both meters have taken their measurements, the training of the Apprentice meter is complete, and the training will be in effect immediately. Enter a descriptive name for this meter training information in the text box. Note: Be sure to enter a descriptive name including the master meter name and/or the display device used. This will be helpful if you wish to share your training information with other ColorFacts users using the Color- Facts Training Import/Export Wizard. 1 2

13 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S If you wish, you may view the details of the Training, which are the raw numeric coefficients that convert the data from the Apprentice Meter into the results from the Master Meter on the display device for which they were trained. 8. When a Meter has been trained, your Meter menu and the menu from the Meter icon on the status bar will change to reflect this fact. You will see a new Clear Previous Training item in the menu that will allow you to immediately return to displaying raw data that has not been transformed by the Training. You may also re-train your meter at any time by selecting it from the Load Meter Training Data menu option. Note: The Training is in effect until you explicitly clear it, or until you close ColorFacts. You should be aware that the data you are viewing is having a transformation applied before being presented in the user interface. The ColorFacts Training Import/Export Wizard The ColorFacts Meter Training Import/ Export Wizard allows you to add additional training to your meter(s) or save your existing meter training to a file. This allows you to import training information or share your meter training data with other ColorFacts users. Below are the steps necessary to Import or Export meter training information: Import Meter Training Data: Before you begin this step, you will need to have access to another ColorFacts meter training file or meter calibration string. All ColorFacts users (ver 5.x) or higher will have this file if they have previously ran the ColorFacts Meter Training Wizard. If you do not have this file but would like to import training 1 3

14 information for an earlier version of ColorFacts, you will need to get the meter calibration string for that meter. This string can be located in the registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Datacolor\ColorFacts\Global. CalibrationString. 1. Click Meter Import/Export Training Data. The ColorFacts Training Import/Export Wizard opens. 2. Click Next at the introductory screen, if present. 3. Click Next at the Before You Begin screen. 4. Select Import Training Data at the Import or Export Training Data Screen and click Next. 5. Select how you would like to import meter training information at the Import Training Data - Step 1 screen: Import From Meter Training File or Import Meter Calibration String (Advanced). Import From Meter Training File a. Select or enter the path to the meter training file you would like to import. b. After selecting a valid ColorFacts meter training file, the wizard will list all available meter training items available to import. Select all of the meter training items you would like to import and click Next. Import Meter Calibration String (Advanced) a. Paste or enter the full meter training string in the first text box. Be sure to paste in the entire string or ColorFacts will not use the training information when you connect to the meter. b. Next, select the meter you would like to associate this training data with. Note: Be sure to select the same meter that was used to create the meter training string. 1 4

15 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S 3. Finally, enter a descriptive name for this meter training information. This name is what will appear in the Load Meter Training Data menu option. 4. Click Next to import the new meter training information into ColorFacts. 5. Click Finish to exit the wizard. 6. After successfully importing meter training information into ColorFacts, you can load the meter training by connecting to your meter (be sure to connect to the meter associated with the training data just imported) and selecting the training information from the Meter Load Meter Training Data menu option. Export Training Data Exporting your meter training information allows you to share your training data with other ColorFacts users. Therefore, it is important to name your training data (in the ColorFacts Meter Training Wizard) with a very descriptive name. This will make it easier to determine what the meter was trained with (Master Meter) and what display device the meter was trained against (rptv, DLP, front/rear projector, etc..). To learn more about training a meter see ColorFacts Meter Training Wizard. 1. Click Meter Import/Export Training Data. The ColorFacts Training Import/Export Wizard opens. 2. Click Next at the introductory screen, if present. 3. Click Next at the Before You Begin screen. 4. Select Export Training Data at the Import or Export Training Data Screen and click Next. 5. Select the training information you would like to export from the list. To select all training information for a meter, click the checkbox next to the meter name. 1 5

16 6. Select or enter the file name you would like to save this training file as and click Next to export your training data. 7. Click Finish to exit the wizard. Using and Understanding Instruments The ColorFacts Instruments are the various user-interface tools used in analyzing a display device. This term is used to collectively refer to the meters, charts, and histograms contained in the Main window. The various ColorFacts Instruments can be opened in two ways. 1. From the main menu, click Instruments. An icon in the selected state will indicate currently opened Instruments. 2. If an Instrument is not opened, you may open it by clicking on the Instrument name in the menu. 1 6

17 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S The ColorFacts Instruments will be described in detail in upcoming sections of the documentation and include: CIE Chart Spectral Scan Luminance Meter Color Temperature RGB Levels Target Luminance Histogram Temperature Histogram RGB Levels Histogram Test Colors Raw Color Data Tip: You can also open or close Instruments using the ColorFacts toolbar, or by using the SHIFT+FUNCTION KEY keyboard shortcuts. Click the button for an Instrument that is not open to open the Instrument. If the Instrument is open, click the button for that Instrument to close it. Common Instrument Tasks There are certain operations that all Instruments in ColorFacts can do. All Instruments can be saved as a graphic, saved as data, reset or printed. You can also change the Properties of any Instrument. These operations are available in the Context menu as well as the Main menu. To access the context menu of an Instrument, right-click on the face of the Instrument and a menu of choices will appear. Please see the individual topics below to find out more about a specific task. 1 7

18 Individual Instrument Tasks: Saving an Instrument as a Graphic Saving an Instrument as Data Uploading an Instrument as a Graphic Resetting an Instrument Printing an Instrument Instrument Properties Resetting an Instrument Selecting the appropriate choice in the Context menu can reset one or all of the Instruments. For Instruments that show measurements over time like the CIE Chart and the Histogram Instruments, resetting the Instrument removes the historical data and starts recording new historical data with the next reading. For non-historical Instruments, the Reset command simply clears the Instrument back to its default value until the next reading. For example, resetting the Test Colors Instrument will return it to 100% white. An individual Instrument or the entire collection of Instruments can also be reset through the appropriate options in the Edit menu. Saving Instrument Graphics Any of the Instruments can be saved to a graphics file by selecting the Save [Instrument] As command from the Context menu. Graphics can be saved in the following formats: Windows Bitmap (*.bmp) Choose this format to retain the entire resolution of the Instrument in the graphic file. 1 8

19 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S JPEG File (*.jpg) Choose this format if you intend to publish the Instrument graphics on the Internet, as Web browsers natively support this format. You may lose a small amount of resolution with this format. After the Instrument contents have been saved to a graphic file, the graphic can be displayed on a web page, imported into a document or used in a standard graphics editor application. Saving Instrument Data You can save the data from many of the Instruments to a file for further examination or for importing into another application. You can save Instrument data to a file by selecting the Save [Instrument] Data... command from the File menu or selecting the Save [Instrument] Data... command from the Context menu. The data is saved in the following format: Comma Separated Values (*.csv) Each data element is separated by a comma. Multiple lines (if present) are separated by carriage-return, line-feed character combinations (CRLF). This is a common data exchange format and can be opened directly in Microsoft Excel and Lotus spreadsheet programs among many others. The information can be further analyzed and graphed by a database or spreadsheet application after import. For building automated or semi-automated calibration systems, you may want to consider using the ColorFacts API directly or building a ColorFacts Macro that performs this task. 1 9

20 Uploading a Graphic You can easily upload any of your Instruments by bringing up the Context menu and choosing the Upload option. Once you choose the Upload menu option, the ColorFacts Upload Wizard will open and walk you through the steps of putting your Instrument graphic on the ColorFacts web server. Be sure to resize your Instrument to the proper dimensions before choosing the Upload option. The current instrument size will be the size of your graphic after it is uploaded. After successfully uploading your image, you may share your URL (this link is provided by the ColorFacts Upload Wizard) with colleagues, send it in an message, or post it on your favorite web forum. The Save, Upload and Print options are also duplicated in the traditional location in the File menu. Printing an Instrument You can easily make a hard-copy printout of any Instrument by bringing up the Context menu and choosing the Print option. The Instrument will be enlarged to fill the paper size chosen for the printer. Depending on the colors chosen for the selected instrument, directly printing an instrument may consume a fair amount of printer ink. The Save, Upload and Print options are also duplicated in the traditional location in the File menu. Detailed information on each of the Instruments are discussed in other sections. 2 0

21 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S Instrument Properties Instrument properties provide a way to specify or customize the behavior of one of the Instruments. The properties are unique to each Instrument and can be accessed by right-clicking on the face of an Instrument and choosing the [Instrument] Properties item from the context menu. The CIE Chart In the general sense, the CIE Chart is used to represent the colors that people can see. The entire Shark Fin display (which is everything in the ColorFacts CIE Chart Instrument except for the black background) will contain all of the colors that are visible by a person with normal color vision. The CIE Chart is used in ColorFacts to display the colors for a video color reference (like HDTV or NTSC), as well as the gamut of colors that a display device can create. The coloration of a particular reading will also be presented in the correct location on the CIE Chart, so an information-rich analysis of the gray scale performance of a display is possible. After measuring the Primaries of a display device (see Measuring Device Primaries) the color gamut of the display device will be displayed as a triangle on the chart, which will be drawn over the top of the selected color reference. The larger the color gamut triangle, the more colors the display device is able to produce. You may point your mouse at the corners of the color gamut triangle (or any other readings that are plotted on the chart) to see the chromacity coordinates for any of the primary colors. Chromacity coordinates are a numeric way of representing a color using only the two variables x and y. 2 1

22 From the color gamut triangle on the CIE chart, you will be able to determine how rich the colors will be from a display. For instance, a Red primary that is too high on the chart will indicate that the display device may only be able to produce an orange-red instead of a deep red. Similarly, a Green primary that is too low may indicate that the display device will produce greens that are closer to yellow than what may be desirable. A wide color gamut indicates that the device is able to produce rich, saturated colors. You can select a standard color reference from the Status bar to see how the NTSC, HDTV or PAL standards compare to your device s color gamut. The CIE Chart can also display standard white point illuminants (like Illuminant A, B, C and D65) as well as the black body curve and correlated color temperatures to provide a visual reference point for the plotted information. To display these additional features, right-click over the CIE Chart and select CIE Chart Properties and check the boxes for the features that you would like to see on the chart. NOTE: If you want to compare the Reference color gamut to your device s color gamut, it is necessary to ensure that a pure color source is output through the device. A Signal Generator is usually the tool of choice to give an accurate reading of your device s color gamut. Consumer products such as DVD Players and Computer Graphics will often not be accurate enough for providing a signal accurate enough for critical comparisons. When taking a reading from a display device, the CIE Chart will plot the point where the color lands within the color gamut. One common use of this instrument is to adjust a display device to move an achromatic (gray) point to one of the standard illuminants (typically D65). The dotted lines on the CIE Chart represent the White Target that has been selected in the Status Bar. 2 2

23 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S Another common use of this Instrument is to visualize color shifts that may occur throughout the gray scale range. This can be done most easily by using the The ColorFacts Gray Scale Wizard measurement test. You will see all gray scale points simultaneously plotted with the darkest points closest to the bottom of the stack of points and the lightest points closest to the top of the stack. The White point itself will be displayed as a slightly larger point on the very top of the stack, as shown here: Since the CIE Chart plots color information without regard to luminance, a theoretical perfect display would plot every point precisely at the intersection of the two target dotted lines, and would stack the points so that all of the gray scale points were completely invisible behind the larger White point. CIE Chart Properties CIE Chart Properties: CIE Color Space - Select between the CIE 1931 colorspace (xyy) and CIE 1976 colorspace (L*u*v*). Number of Points - Sets the number of points that are simultaneously displayed on the CIE Chart before the oldest points begin to be removed. Set this value to 1 to only view the last reading taken on the face of the CIE Chart. Show Reference Points - Displays standard illuminants like A, C and D65 along with several correlated color temperatures from 2,000º Kelvin to 10,000 Kelvin. Show Background - Displays the full color CIE Chart behind the plotted data. If this box is cleared, the data will be presented on a white background, possibly more suitable for printed publications. 2 3

24 Black Body Curve - If you have chosen to display the full color CIE Chart background, you can choose to also show the black body curve plotted on the background. The black body curve displays the coloration that a black body will radiate when heated to the temperatures indicated on the chart. Show Secondary Color Targets - Displays the secondary colors (Cyan, Yellow and Magenta) for the display device you are measuring. The Spectral Scan The Spectral Scan Instrument will display a graph of the spectral power distribution (SPD) in the visible range from 380 to 780 nm for meters capable of returning this information. From the Spectral Scan, the tristimulus values are calculated based on the standard observer selected in the Spectral Scan Properties. Other Instruments in ColorFacts are updated from the tristimulus values that are calculated. The Spectral Scan instrument displays a color correct graph of the spectral radiance as shown here: If an instrument is not capable of returning spectral information, this Instrument will automatically disappear from the ColorFacts user interface. It will automatically reappear if a spectral capable hardware meter is connected. This Instrument can be particularly helpful in determining why the Primary colors of a display (pure Red, Green and Blue) do not plot at the expected coordinates on the CIE Chart. You may use this Instrument to find that Green light is leaking into a reading of the Red primary, causing it to be an incorrect chromacity. The graphic or the raw data of the Spectral Scan can be saved by right-clicking on the Instrument and selecting the appropriate option from the menu of choices. 2 4

25 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S Spectral Scan Properties The Spectral Scan Properties specifically establishes how to treat spectroradiometric data. It only applies to hardware meters that return spectral radiance data. Spectral Scan Properties: Standard Observer Model You can select how to convert the spectral data to tristimulus values that represent the way that a human with normal vision would see the spectral distribution. The choice depends on your application of the data, and on the field of vision of the person who would be seeing the measurement subject. Scale (Y-Axis) This setting determines how tall to make the graph in the Spectral Scan instrument. ColorFacts normally scales all data so that you can see maximum detail in the spectral scan. To do this, the peak value in the spectral distribution is scaled to the highest point on the graph. However, this has the unintended side effect of taking low luminance scans and making them appear much larger than they really are. To have all readings displayed on the same relative scale, you can choose the second option. The Luminance / Illuminance Meter The Luminance / Illuminance Meter will display the light output from the display device. If absolute units are available from the connected meter, the data will be displayed with the unit shown. Otherwise, the relative luminance will be displayed as a unitless quantity. 2 5

26 In addition, some meters report illuminance instead of luminance. If the connected meter returns illuminance information, this Instrument will show itself as the Illuminance Meter instead. If an arrow appears on the side of this Instrument, it indicates that the most recent reading from the connected meter matched or exceeded the bounds of the meter s range. An up arrow indicates that the meter is saturated, or receiving too much light, and a down arrow indicates that the meter is not receiving enough light. Even if the meter is receiving too much or too little light, it may still return data. Luminance / Illuminance Meter Properties Luminance / Illuminance Meter Properties: Text Color - Sets the color that the Luminance is displayed in on the face of this Instrument. The Color Temperature Meter The Color Temperature Instrument continually indicates the closest correlated color temperature (CCT) of the most recent reading taken from the meter. Correlated color temperature refers to the temperature (in Kelvin) that a black body radiator would need to be brought to in order to radiate the given color. Not all colors have a corresponding correlated color temperature, but the Instrument is a very useful guide for gauging colorimetry with respect to the Target White Point and the measurement has a long history of use, so it is a rather familiar metric for many people. In colorimetry, you will typically have a target illuminant (such as D65) or a target correlated color temperature (such as 6,500) or both. The Color 2 6

27 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S Temperature Instrument will indicate the closest correlated color temperature to the color that is being measured. If the correlated color temperature is greater than 40,000 degrees Kelvin or less than 2,000 degrees Kelvin, the Instrument will display > or < 2000, and will remain that way until the CCT comes into the Kelvin range. Color Temperature Properties The RGB Levels Meter The RGB Levels Instrument continually displays the adjustments that would be necessary to make to the Red, Green and Blue color output in order to reach the selected Target White Point. The reference point for all three cylinders is 100%, which is indicated by a dotted gray line on the Instruments. If an Instrument is above or below 100%, the cylinder will indicate the amount of adjustment that is required to reach the target white point. Color Temperature Properties: Text Color - Sets the color that the Color Temperature is displayed in on the face of this Instrument. For example, if the Blue cylinder is at 106%, then Blue is 6% too high. This may be able to be adjusted with controls on the display device. Some possible locations for this adjustment include settings titled Blue Gain, Color, Bias, Gain, Temperature, Subcontrast, Subbrightness, or within a look-up table containing information on converting input signals to output chrominance and luminance (also possibly referred to as a Gamma table). 2 7

28 Adjusting one control may affect the others. In this example where Blue is indicated as being 106% (6% too high), adjusting a control on the display device that moves Blue down 6% may also affect the Green and Red slightly so that they need adjustment as well. The RGB Levels Histogram can be helpful in this regard as that Instrument will show how the RGB levels are changing over multiple readings. The goal of the RGB Levels Instrument is to get all three Instruments as close to 100% as possible with an achromatic (non-colored) input signal, which will converge the display device to the selected target white point. If your display device only contains 2 settings for adjusting color (for instance, Red and Blue), you can easily lock one color channel and prevent it from moving by simply dragging the lock icon and dropping it on the bar you would like to lock. You can alternately right-click on the RGB Levels instrument and make this change in the RGB Levels Properties. If you lock a primary color, the RGB Levels instrument will automatically recalculate and rebalance the two remaining colors to show how they will need to be adjusted to reach the target. RGB Levels Properties RGB Levels Properties: Lock Primary Color - Sets one of the colors to be fixed and unchangeable. ColorFacts will automatically adjust the other two colors to compensate. You only need two color adjustments to reach any specified target. This option can also be set by dragging the Lock icon on the face of the Instrument to one of the three Red, Green or Blue bars. 2 8

29 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S The Target Meter The Target Meter is an Instrument for helping to set an achromatic test image to a specified target value. For instance, it can display the adjustments needed to bring the White point to D65. This Instrument will display the location of the last meter reading taken on a chart that contains a border that will indicate the dominant coloration of the reading. There are two ways to display the Target Meter: Three Axis CIE Chart In this mode, the border of the Instrument will display the Red, Green and Blue primaries around the outside edge and the diagonal lines will show approximate interpolated colors between these primary colors. You will use this Instrument to make adjustments to the display in an attempt to position the White button in the center of the Target. If the White button is too close to the Green edge, you will want to decrease the amount of Green present (or increase the Red or Blue content, which will pull the button in their respective directions). The central area represents the point at which no coloration appears in the reading with regards to the selected target. When you have positioned the White button within the central square, you have reached the selected goal. Two Axis CIE Lab Chart In this mode, the border of the Instrument will contain four colors in a complementary color configuration. The chart displays the Red-Green and Blue-Yellow values, graphically displaying the CIE Lab coordinate system. This configuration may be less desirable than the R,G,B display option unless you specifically need to work in CIE Lab coordinate space. As with the configuration above, the goal will be to move the White button to the central area. When the button drifts too close to one color, you will want to decrease that color, or increase its complementary color to center it. 2 9

30 In both modes, the Target will automatically zoom in as you approach the goal, making it easier to make fine adjustments. Target Properties Target Meter Properties: Style - There are two primary ways to view this Instrument: o Three Axis CIE Chart In this mode, the border of the Instrument will contain the Red, Green and Blue primaries. You will use this Instrument to make adjustments to the display in an attempt to position the White button in the center of the Target. If the White button is too close to Green, you will want to decrease the amount of Green present (or increase the Red or Blue content, which will pull the button in their respective directions). The central area represents the point at which no coloration appears in the reading with regards to the selected target. When you have positioned the White button within the central square, you have reached the selected goal. o Two Axis CIE Lab Chart In this mode, the border of the Instrument will contain four colors in a complementary color configuration. The chart displays the Red-Green and Blue-Yellow values, graphically displaying the CIE Lab coordinate system. This configuration may be less desirable than the R,G,B display option unless you specifically need to work in CIE Lab coordinate space. As with the configuration above, the goal will be to move the White button to the central area. When the button drifts too close to one color, you will want to decrease that color, or increase its complementary color to center it. 3 0

31 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S The Histogram Instruments The Histogram Instruments display their information across readings or over time in a scrolling historical chart. New readings will appear on the right, and will scroll to the left as newer readings replace them. These Instruments are similar to an EKG heart monitor in their appearance and operation. The Histogram Instruments allow you to see how adjustments that you are making have affected the image over time, or to see how the readings plot across a series of presented test images (for instance, in the Gray Scale Wizard measurement series). The Luminance / Illuminance Histogram The Luminance Histogram Instrument displays the luminance of the display device across readings, as a percentage of the maximum luminance recorded. This Instrument is also used to graph the luminance output across the gray scale as used in the The Gray Scale Wizard. The Luminance Histogram indicates absolute black (darkness) at 0% luminance (at the bottom of the chart) and the peak white at 100% luminance (at the top of the chart). You can clear this histogram at any time by right clicking on the face of the Instrument and choosing Clear Luminance Histogram. When used with the Gray Scale Wizard, the Luminance Histogram will also present a dotted reference line that indicates the luminance of an ideal gamma so you can easily determine where in the gray scale the display is displaying too much or too little luminance. The reference line can graph a gamma curve that best fits the actual luminance, or it can be fixed to graph a specified gamma factor. This option can be changed in the Luminance Histogram properties. 3 1

32 Luminance / Illuminance Histogram Properties Luminance / Illuminance Histogram Properties: Background Color - Sets the color of the back ground of the graph. Grid Color - Sets the color of the vertical and horizontal lines that create the grid of the graph. If this is set to the same color as the background, the grid will be invisible. Line Color - The color used to graph the Luminance or Illuminance Reference Color - The color of the dotted line used to represent the target luminance when the target luminance is shown (i.e. After running the Gray Scale Wizard). Reference Gamma - The gamma factor to use when drawing the dottedline reference luminance curve. The Best Fit option will choose the gamma factor closest to the actual gamma response of the display, and the Fixed At: option will force a specific gamma factor to be graphed. Smoothed Line(s) - Reduces angularities and jagged edges in a line graph. Selecting this option only affects the presentation of the graph and does not affect the data. Graph Red, Green, and Blue Separately - Graphs each primary color as its own line instead of graphing the total luminance of the display. Normally luminance is graphed as a single line in this Instrument. The RGB Levels Histogram The RGB Levels Histogram displays the adjustments that would be necessary to perform in order to reach the selected target white point across time or across readings. It is similar to the The RGB Levels Meter with the added ability to display how the settings have been changing as adjustments have been made, or the adjustments that would be necessary to make to reach the target across the gray scale. Like the Luminance Histogram, the RGB Levels Histogram will display new readings on the right and scroll to the left. When the display device 3 2

33 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S is converging on the selected target white point, all three lines in this graph (Red, Green, and Blue) will begin to hover around the 100% reference line. This Instrument is also helpful for analyzing performance across the grayscale from black to white, as you will be able to see how uniformly the display device tracks the selected target white point (i.e. D65). This Instrument is very helpful for focusing on color uniformity issues across the gray scale. If the RGB Levels Instrument has had one of the colors locked, then the RGB Levels Histogram will be graphed with the same color locked. For more information on locking or unlocking a primary color, see the topic on the RGB Levels Instrument. The RGB Levels Histogram can be zoomed to give you a closer look at the data. You can Zoom the graph of this instrument in several ways. To Zoom This Instrument Rotate the wheel of a scroll-wheel mouse. Rotate forward to Zoom in and rotate backward to Zoom out. Click the + (plus) or - (minus) keys to zoom in and out, respectively. These are conveniently available on your numeric keypad. Right-click on the Instrument and choose Zoom [In/Out] from the context menu. RGB Levels Histogram Properties RGB Levels Histogram Properties: Background Color - Sets the color of the background of the graph. Grid Color - Sets the co.lor of the vertical and horizontal lines that create the grid of the graph. If this is set to the same color as the background, the grid will be invisible. 3 3

34 Reference Color - The color of the line used to display the 100% level, the target for the individual Red, Green and Blue Levels. Smoothed Line(s) - Reduces angularities or jagged edges in a line graph. Selecting this option only affects the presentation of the graph and does not affect the data. Graph Start Value - Determines the origin of the graph in relation to the gray scale. You can choose to start the graph at 0% gray (black) up to 50% gray, in 10% increments. This setting can be helpful to remove the low light level readings from the graph if your meter reaches a point in its luminance range where it is no longer accurate. For example, you may choose to start the graph at 30% gray if that is the point below which your meter is no longer accurate with your display device. Note that all data is still retained, it is only the presentation of the graph which is affected. If you were to save the data behind the graph, the full data set would be saved. The Temperature Histogram The Temperature Histogram displays the correlated color temperature (CCT) across time or across readings. It is similar to the Color Temperature Meter with the added ability to display how the temperature is changing as adjustments are made. As with the other Histogram Instruments, the Temperature Histogram displays new readings on the right and scroll to the left and can be cleared, saved, or printed through the Context menu. The Temperature Histogram can also be zoomed to give you a closer look at the data. You can Zoom the graph of this instrument in several ways. 3 4

35 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S To Zoom This Instrument Rotate the wheel of a scroll-wheel mouse. Rotate forward to Zoom in and rotate backward to Zoom out. Click the + (plus) or - (minus) keys to zoom in and out, respectively. These are conveniently avail able on your numeric keypad. Right-click on the Instrument and choose Zoom [In/Out] from the context menu. The zoom has a limited range which can not be extended. Temperature Histogram Properties Temperature Histogram Properties: Background Color - Sets the color of the background of the graph. Grid Color - Sets the color of the vertical and horizontal lines that create the grid of the graph. If this is set to the same color as the background, the grid will be invisible. Line Color - The color used to graph the Color Temperature. Reference Color - The color of the line used to display the average temperature and the the dotted line used to represent the target. Smoothed Line(s) - Reduces angularities and jagged edges in a line graph. Selecting this option only affects the presentation of the graph and does not affect your data. Graph Start Value - Determines the origin of the graph in relation to the gray scale. You can choose to start the graph at 0% gray (black) up to 50% gray, in 10% increments. This setting can be helpful to remove the low light level readings from the graph if your meter reaches a point in its luminance range where it is no longer accurate. For example, you may choose to start the graph at 30% gray if that is the point below which your meter is no longer accurate with your display device. Note that all data is still retained, it is only the presentation of the graph which is affected. If you were to save the data behind the graph, the full data set would be saved. 3 5

36 The Test Colors Instrument The Test Colors Instrument is a convenient way to generate test images from your computer that can be measured with your meter. The instrument consists of a large, solid, resizable field of color, and buttons across the top to allow you to choose the color to be displayed. A small arrow at the right of the colors allows you to choose to display just an achromatic gray-scale palette of colors or an entire array of both primary and secondary colors in 5 IRE increments. A common technique is to position the meter in the center of the Test Colors Instrument, with any other Instruments that you wish to use to analyze the image positioned around it. You can use your arrow keys or the mouse to move among neighboring selections in the Test Images Instrument. The Raw Data Instrument The Raw Data Instrument contains specific scientific information that is generated during the display device readings. Much of this information is presented graphically and more intuitively in the other ColorFacts Instruments, so this Instrument will mainly be of interest only to the color professional. However, if you have access to similar information from other devices, it can be helpful to make numerical comparisons. This Instrument displays data from the meter in a variety of color spaces, including XYZ (tristimulus values), xyy (chromacity coordinates), RGB (Red, Green, Blue), CIE Lch (Lightness, Chroma, Hue), CIE Lab, and CIE Luv. These color spaces are described briefly on the next page: 3 6

37 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S XYZ - The values of the human eye s three responses to the color being presented. xyy - CIE chromacity coordinates x and y are plotted on the ColorFacts CIE Chart. The Y value corresponds to the luminance. These values are a projective transformation of the XYZ tristimulus values. RGB - The device independent chromacity coordinates x,y are converted to the RGB device dependent color for the RGB values, and then scaled to the computer standard 256 unit scale. A value of 255,0,0 means that the measured color is identical to the measured value of your Red primary. A value close to 255,255,0 represents 100% of your Red primary combined with 100% of your Green primary and the color would appear as Yellow. Note that these values are not the RGB values of the displayed test pattern, but of the measured color. CIE LCH - The color of the reading is displayed in levels of Luminance, Chroma and Hue. CIE Lab - The color of the reading is converted to the complementary axis CIE Lab space, displaying the levels of Blue-Yellow (a) and Red-Green (b) with regards to a reference point. Values of 0 and 0 for both a and b indicate that the reading is exactly on the target. CIE Luv - The color of the reading is converted to CIE Luv space, which is a more uniform color space than xyy. Color - This area displays single-value indications of the color, including Correlated Color Temperature (CTT) and Delta E. Selecting a Color Reference The selected Color System and the White Point determine the mathematical transformations that are used to display the graphical information in the Instruments. Properly selecting these two parameters ensures the accuracy of the ColorFacts Instruments. 3 7

38 If you wish to compare the primaries of a device with a specified standard (such as NTSC, PAL, or HDTV), you may select this Color System from the menu that appears when you select the Color System option in the ColorFacts Status bar. Specifying a Color System can also be a convenient way of measuring a device if you are sure that the device corresponds closely with one of the standards listed. The Color System selection can be any one of the following: NTSC PAL / SECAM HDTV NTSC (1953) Manual Entry Selecting a White Target The selection of a standard Illuminant to be used as the White Target determines the reference for Instruments that converge upon a solution. The White Target is selected by clicking on the White Point in the ColorFacts Status bar. Certain Instruments immediately show the effects of your selection of a Color System. Other Instruments only display the effect of the choice as you begin to take readings. For instance, the CIE Chart will immediately update to display the gamut of colors available in the selected Color System. The Manual Entry choice in the menu brings up the Primary Chromacities dialog that allows you to type in the known chromacity coordinates of a color reference that is not listed in the menu. 3 8

39 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S Several Instruments use the selected Target White Point to calculate adjustments that would be necessary to reach the target. For instance, the RGB Levels Meter calculates the amount of Red, Green, and Blue adjustment that would be necessary to reach the selected Target White Point. Similarly, the Target Instrument displays the coloring present in the display based on the selection of the Target White Point and movement that would be necessary to reach the Target White Point. In both the RGB Levels Meter (above) and the Target Meter (below), you will see that there needs to be less red and slightly more blue to reach the Target White Point. When you select a standard Color System (see Selecting a Color System), ColorFacts will automatically set the White Point that is normally associated with that Color System. You may override the automatic selection if you wish by selecting a different white point. The D65 standard illuminant is a common Target White Point selection for video display device analysis and calibration. Custom Color Reference or White Target If the options in the Color Reference or White Target menus do not contain the option you would like to use, you can manually enter the information for these options through this dialog. Under most circumstances, this should not be necessary. It is convenient for the rare situation where you need to customize how the product operates. 3 9

40 When the dialog first appears, the information that is displayed will be the current values of your Red, Green, Blue, Cyan, Yellow, Magenta and White point chromacities. If you have not already manually customized these points, the values will come from the current selections for your Color Reference and White Target. To use this dialog, you will type in the CIE x,y coordinates for the new desired primaries or white point target in the appropriate boxes. In addition, you can set the luminance for the White Target, which will calculate the luminances for each of the primary colors based on the White Target luminance, and may possibly set the target luminance for the Instruments in ColorFacts. The luminance values for the primary colors can not be changed as they are calculated automatically. The White Target can also be set directly in two different ways: from a Correlated Color Temperature (CCT), or from a measured sample. Setting the Target by Temperature You can set a custom Target from a Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) by clicking on the Set From Temp... button and typing in the color temperature in Kelvin in the dialog that appears. 4 0

41 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S The chromacity coordinates for the Cyan, Yellow, Magenta and White points (CIE x,y values) will be calculated and the luminances for the Red, Green and Blue primaries will automatically be recalculated. Setting the Target From a Sample You can set a custom Target from a measured sample by positioning your meter to take a reading from a light source and clicking on the Set From Sample... button in the dialog. You will need to confirm that you are ready to take the reading before the measurement will begin: Once you click OK in the dialog, the sample will be taken with the active meter, and the Custom Color Reference dialog will be updated with the values from the measurement. This is especially convenient if you are trying to match one display to another (see Multi-Display Options ) or if you otherwise have a sample of what you would like to use for your Target. Note: You can configure ColorFacts to use the sample as a Target for both the color and the luminance. For additional details, see Multi-Display Options. When you click OK in the dialog, all of the Instruments will update to indicate that the new White Target is now the goal. Single Reading Mode Select Single Reading from the Measurement menu to take one reading and display the information in the ColorFacts Instruments and then stop. This is useful for taking a one-time snapshot of colorimetric data for analysis, or for comparing two sets of data taken individually. 4 1

42 Continuous Readings Mode Select Continuous Readings from the Measurement menu to repeatedly take readings and update all of the ColorFacts Instruments with the newly acquired data. The Histogram Instruments will scroll the newly acquired data continuously, allowing a convenient way to assess the performance of various adjustments of the display. Continuous Readings is the recommended mode to use when making adjustments to your display device, as feedback to your changes will be quick, clear and obvious. When a reading is being taken, you may see an indication of the activity by the animation on the right-hand side of the toolbar (the throbber ), if you have enabled this feature. You may be able to set the length of time that each reading takes when in Continuous Readings Mode in the Exposure Time Options screen. Low IRE Reading Mode Select Low IRE Reading from the Measurement menu to take one reading and display the information in the ColorFacts Instruments and then stop. This is different from the normal Single Reading Mode because ColorFacts instructs your signal generator to display the gray pattern. This, along with the High IRE Reading hotkey, is useful for adjusting your Display Device s bias and gains. You can configure the IRE percentage for both the Low and High IRE Reading hotkey from the Gray Levels Options Tab. High IRE Reading Mode Select High IRE Reading from the Measurement menu to take one reading and display the information in the ColorFacts Instruments and then stop. This is different from the normal Single Reading Mode because ColorFacts instructs your signal generator to display the gray pattern. This, along with the Low IRE Reading hotkey, is useful for adjusting your Display Device s bias and gains. You can configure the IRE percentage for both the Low and High IRE Reading hotkey from the Gray Levels Options Tab. 4 2

43 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S The ColorFacts Dark Reading Wizard The ColorFacts Dark Reading Wizard measures the signal that your hardware meter returns in the absence of light. Since there is no light providing a valid signal to the meter, any signal that is being returned from the electronics represents noise and eliminating this invalid data will increase the valid signal being returned from the hardware. Not all hardware instruments need to have a Dark Reading, and the menu option will only appear for meters that require the operation. The meter must be detected before the menu item will appear. 1. Before running the Dark Reading Wizard, make sure that no light can enter into the meter. You may be able to position the sensor face-down on a table, press it into dark clothing or use a specially designed device to help you take the Dark Reading. To open the ColorFacts Dark Reading Wizard, click Measure Dark Reading. 2. If the introductory screen appears, dismiss it by clicking Next >. 3. With the meter in place, click Finish. The Wizard will disappear when the Dark Reading is complete. You may be notified when the Dark Reading has finished if you have not turned this feature off. 4. Once you have taken the Dark Reading, you may use the meter to take Light Readings. You may take a new Dark Reading at any time by repeating this process, and you may be prompted to take a new Dark Reading periodically by the software. The ColorFacts Calibration Wizard The ColorFacts Calibration Wizard will assist you in making the electronic adjustments to your display device to calibrate both the gray scale tracking and the luminance output ( gamma ). These two adjustments are a very important part of obtaining a calibrated image. This wizard will walk you through all of the steps necessary to make these adjustments and calibrate your display device by adjusting settings such as Cuts (possibly called Bias or Offsets on your display) and Gains (also called Drives). 4 3

44 Note: Before running this wizard be sure you have made the correct adjustments for the following: Brightness, Contrast, Color, Tint and Sharpness. 1. Click Next if the introductory screen is present. 2. Make sure your ColorFacts Meter is aimed correctly. Normally, this will mean pointing the sensor to the center of where your eye would normally look when watching the image. You wish to calibrate what you see. 3. Make sure all other ambient light sources are off. This includes lamps, computer screens, etc. (see Reducing Ambient Light for more information). 4. Click Next to continue. 5. The following step will allow you to enter any information that may be needed to restore your display device to its original settings. Please be sure to fill out all of the entries before continuing. If your display device does not have a specific setting, leave the field blank and continue to the next. Some display devices may contain additional settings such as: CMS (Color Management System) values, Red/Green/Blue Gamma values, phase, tracking, etc. Click on the Add Additional Notes button to save these values. At any time you can return to this wizard to retrieve these values. Note: You can return to this wizard at any time to retrieve your saved values. 4 4

45 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S 6. The next step will allow you to select how you want ColorFacts to generate the test images. If you would like ColorFacts to generate the test images using your computer s Video Card, select the Generated by ColorFacts option. If you will be using another source of test images (such as a test images DVD), select the Generated Externally option, and use your external source to create the test images when prompted by the Wizard (see Test Image DVD Titles and Chapters). Click Next after you have made your selection. 7. Select the IRE Levels that you would like to use for your Low and High Readings. By default, these values are set to 30% for the Low Reading and 80% for the High Reading. If you selected to use an external test image source (see previous step), ColorFacts will prompt you when to display the test pattern. Click Next after you have made your selection. 8. The wizard will start by determining your peak luminance. This is necessary to make the correct adjustments at the Low IRE and High IRE for your display device. After determining your peak luminance, the wizard will cycle (take readings) between the Low IRE (cuts) and High IRE (gains) levels. You will need to make adjustments (cuts and gains) at each level until you are within the selected tolerance of acceptance (the default is 2%). After reviewing the following screen, click Next to begin the calibration. Note: At any time you can click Cancel or Finish to exit the Calibration Wizard. 4 5

46 9. The screen with the Red, Green and Blue cylinders is where you will spend most of your time in this Wizard. The bars will indicate what adjustments you will need to make in order to reach the target. The Helper Text will tell you in no uncertain terms exactly what you will need to do. For example, in the screen shot below, the Helper Text indicates that you should Decrease Blue Gain. You will need to go into the settings for your dis play, and do precisely that...decrease the blue gain (remembering that it could be called drive instead). If you over-correct, a future step will inform you to adjust it back the other way. You will continue until the Wizard indicates success! The Color Lock allows you to lock a specific color if the adjustment value is maximized in your display, or if your display does not have an adjustment for a specific color (like Green). To use the Color Lock, click and hold the left mouse button and drag the lock image over the color you wish to lock. ColorFacts will automatically make the adjustments to the other colors to compensate for the locked color. The Tolerance Slider allows you to change the tolerance percentage that ColorFacts uses to determine success. 4 6

47 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S 10. Once you have reached your goal, the Wizard will congratulate you and inform you of your success. You will then be prompted to run the Gray Scale Wizard. Make your selection and then click Finish to complete the Calibration Wizard. 11. When you click Finish, the Calibration Wizard will close. If you have indicated that you would like to run the Gray Scale Wizard, that Wizard will begin immediately after. The ColorFacts Device Primaries Wizard The Device Primaries Wizard measures the primary colors of your display device (pure Red, Green, and Blue) to determine the color gamut of the device, which is the range of all colors that it will be able to produce. The Wizard may also measure White and Black at the same time to determine the luminance range of the device. Once you have completed this Wizard, you will see the updated color space displayed in the CIE Chart and how it compares with the selected Color Reference. Running this Wizard will make some of the Instruments in ColorFacts more accurate, but this Wizard does not have to be run in order to calibrate a display. For more information, see The CIE Chart Instrument. To run the Device Primaries Wizard, complete the following steps: 1. Click on the Measure menu and select Device Primaries. The Device Primaries Wizard opens. 2. Click Next from the introductory screen, if present. 3. If you have not done this already, you must set up your Meter before you continue. You may run the Aim Meter test from the Mea sure menu to correctly position the meter for the most accurate readings. 4 7

48 4. Next, make sure you reduce all light sources, other than the display device being measured. See Reducing Ambient Light for details on how to do this. 5. Once you are ready to proceed with the Wizard, click Next. 6. The next step will allow you to select how you want ColorFacts to generate the test images. If you would like ColorFacts to generate the test images using your Video Card or other supported Signal Generator, select Generated Automatically and select the Signal Generator from the list (see Options --> Hardware to learn how to set the default Signal Generator). If you will be using another source of test images, select the Generated Externally option, and use your external source to create the test images when prompted by the Wizard (see Test Image DVD Titles and Chapters). Click Next after you have made your selection. 7. You can choose whether or not to measure the secondary colors for your display device. If you choose Yes, ColorFacts will display seven test patterns instead of four (Red, Green, Blue, Cyan, Yellow, Magenta and White). Click Next after you have made your selection. 8. If ColorFacts will be generating the test images internally, you will need to select how the test images should be created: Note: this option only applies when you select Video Card as your Signal Generator source Using the Windows Desktop (default) - This selection will create the test images using the Windows GDI ( Graphical Device Interface ) library. This is where normal windows are located, and is commonly referred to as the Desktop. 4 8

49 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S Using a DirectX Surface - This selection will cause a new DirectX surface to be created that changes the computer resolution and runs full screen. This is where many games, software DVD players and other highly graphical programs run. The choice of where the Test Images should be created will depend on your application. Normally the two choices yield very similar, if not identical results. However, the two libraries used for creating the test images (GDI and DirectX) have their own color and gamma settings that may affect the results. 9. You are now ready to begin measurements. When you click Finish, the test patterns will be generated and measured. You will see Red, Green, Blue, White and Black images appear if you are letting ColorFacts generate the test images. After these test patterns are measured, you will be presented with the gamut of colors that your device can produce in the CIE Chart. The ColorFacts Contrast Wizard The ColorFacts Contrast Wizard measures and displays your display device s white and black level. From these readings, the device s Contrast Level will be calculated and displayed. 1. Before running the Contrast Wizard, you may wish to ensure that your hardware meter has been recently calibrated to maximize the accuracy of the measurement. To open the ColorFacts Contrast Wizard, click Measure Contrast. 2. Click Next if the introductory screen is present. 3. Once again, make sure your ColorFacts Meter is pointed directly at the display device. 4. Make sure all other ambient light sources are off. This includes lamps, computer screens, etc. (see Reducing Ambient Light for more information). 5. Click Next when you are ready to begin. 4 9

50 6. The next step will allow you to select how you want ColorFacts to generate the test images. If you would like ColorFacts to generate the test images using your Video Card or other supported Signal Generator, select Generated Automatically and select the Signal Generator from the list (see Options --> Hardware to learn how to set the default Signal Generator). If you will be using another source of test images, select the Generated Externally option, and use your external source to create the test images when prompted by the Wizard (see Test Image DVD Titles and Chapters). Click Next after you have made your selection. 7. The Select Testing Technique and Begin Test screen allows you to choose the contrast test technique, Modified ANSI Checkerboard or Full On/Off. Note: this option only applies when you select Video Card as your Signal Generator source ANSI Checkerboard (Modified) -- maintains a medium average picture level (APL) in the test image. The normal 4 x 4 (16 square) ANSI checkerboard will be offset 12.5% so you will not have to move the meter between the light and dark reading. Note: This is not an actual ANSI technique for measuring contrast. The standard ANSI technique involves measuring each of the squares in the checkerboard pattern and averaging the readings before calculating the contrast. However, this does provide a contrast reading from two sequential images that have a medium APL and helps ensure that the meter is in the same exact position for each reading. 5 0

51 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S Full On/Off -- sequential full black and white fields are used for the contrast measurements. 8. If ColorFacts will be generating the test images internally, you will need to select how the test images should be created: Using the Windows Desktop (default) - This selection will create the test images using the Windows GDI ( Graphical Device Interface ) library. This is where normal windows are located, and is commonly referred to as the Desktop. Using a DirectX Surface - This selection will cause a new DirectX surface to be created that changes the computer resolution and runs full screen. This is where many games, software DVD players and other highly graphical programs run. The choice of where the Test Images should be created will depend on your application. Normally the two choices yield very similar, if not identical results. However, the two libraries used for creating the test images (GDI and DirectX) have their own color and gamma settings that may affect the results. 9. Click Next. The Contrast Wizard will begin taking the measurements. 10. Once the Wizard has finished taking the required measurements, you will be shown the black level and white level readings from your display device, and your calculated con trast will be displayed in bold numbers at the top of the results box. The results may be displayed with units if the active meter returns absolute luminance information. 11. When you click Finish, the Contrast Wizard will close. 5 1

52 The ColorFacts Gray Scale Wizard One of the primary objectives in a well-calibrated video system is a gray scale that properly tracks from black to white (0 to 100 IRE) without tint from other colors, and a gamma that outputs the correct luminance from a given incoming video signal. The measurement of gray scale linearity and luminance is the purpose of the ColorFacts Gray Scale Wizard. 1. Click Measure Gray Scale. The Gray Scale Wizard opens. 2. Click Next at the introductory screen, if present. 3. Make sure your meter is pointed directly at the display. For instructions on positioning the meter, see Aiming the Meter. 4. Turn off any other light sources. Refer to the section, Reducing Ambient Light for additional information. 5. Click Next when ready. 6. The next step will allow you to select how you want ColorFacts to generate the test images. If you would like ColorFacts to generate the test images using your Video Card or other supported Signal Generator, select Generated Automatically and select the Signal Generator from the list (see Options --> Hardware to learn how to set the default Signal Generator). If you will be using another source of test images, select the Generated Externally option, and use your external source to create the test images when prompted by the Wizard (see Test Image DVD Titles and Chapters). Click Next after you have made your selection. 7. Choose which gray scale test you want to run. For a faster test, you may choose fewer gray scale levels. For a more detailed test, you may choose one of the tests with more gray scale levels. The number of gray scale levels avail able to you will be determined by the Signal Generator you have selected. 5 2

53 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S 4 Gray Scale Level Series Measurements will be taken at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% white (IRE). With the 0 IRE reading, this will actually result in a total of 5 test images being measured. 10 Gray Scale Level Series -- It will measure the gray scale at every 10% brightness change in the achromatic (gray) scale. Including the 0 IRE reading, this will actually result in a total of 11 test images being measured. 20 Gray Scale Level Series This is the default Gray Scale Test. It will measure the gray scale at every 5% brightness change in the achromatic (gray) scale. Including the 0 IRE reading, this will actually result in a total of 21 test images being measured. 32 Gray Scale Level Series 32 gray scale levels will be measured with this detailed test. In addition to the 0 IRE reading, this will result in a total of 33 test images being measured. 50 Gray Scale Level Series The very detailed test will use 50 gray scale levels to measure the gray scale tracking. In addition to the 0 IRE reading, this will result in a total of 51 test images being measured and will take ap proximately 4 minutes to complete. Display Fields Within a Frame The gray scale test images can be dis played in a black frame to bring down the APL (average picture level). The availability of this option is determined by the Signal Generator and Gray Scale Level Series you have selected. 8. Click Next when you have selected the test that you would like to perform and any associated options. 9. If ColorFacts will be generating the test images internally, you will need to select how the test images should be created: Note: this option only applies when you select Video Card as your Signal Generator source 5 3

54 Using the Windows Desktop (default) - This selection will create the test images using the Windows GDI ( Graphical Device Interface ) library. This is where normal windows are located, and is commonly referred to as the Desktop. Using a DirectX Surface - This selection will cause a new DirectX surface to be created that changes the computer resolution and runs full screen. This is where many games, software DVD players and other highly graphical programs run. The choice of where the Test Images should be created will depend on your application. Normally the two choices yield very similar, if not identical results. However, the two libraries used for creating the test images (GDI and DirectX) have their own color and gamma settings that may affect the results. For most situations, the default Windows Desk top choice will render the fastest and be the best choice. 10. The Gray Scale Wizard has all the information it needs to begin taking measurements. When you click Finish, the gray scale measurements will begin. You will see shades of gray appear sequentially on your display device. As each level is measured, the next level will be presented. 11. After all of the levels are measured, you will have the option to Save your results as Original Analysis or Final Analysis. You can use this data to run reports against using the Color Facts Reporting Wizard. 5 4

55 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S 12. The Original Analysis or Final Analysis data will be stored as calibration information for a customer. You may save multiple calibrations per customer. Select a customer from the list to save your gray scale results to. You can also add a new customer from this screen by selecting --New Customer- - from the Select Customer dropdown (see Customer Address Book for more information). After running the Gray Scan Wizard, you will be shown several Instruments that allow you to analyze the results of the gray scale tracking test. The Temperature Histogram shows the color temperature across the grayscale. Black is on the left of the chart, and white is on the right. The CIE Chart shows where the gray scale points plot on a 2 dimensional scale. A perfect gray scale has all points stacked up exactly on top of each other, at the coordinates of the target illuminant 5 5

56 The Luminance Histogram shows how luminance plots across the grayscale. After running the Grayscale Wizard, the Luminance Histogram displays your display s gamma response as related to a reference. 5 6 The RGB Level Histogram shows how your device s RGB Levels plot across the grayscale. After running the Grayscale Wizard, the RGB Level Histogram displays your display s gamma correction function. The ColorFacts Brightness Uniformity Wizard The ColorFacts Brightness Uniformity Wizard measures the variance between the center and the corner of your display and calculates the uniformity in the brightness across the image. A brightness uniformity ratio of 75% is considered good and uniformity over 85% is excellent. Digital projectors tend to have less of a brightness uniformity roll-off than CRT based projectors. 1. Open the ColorFacts Brightness Uniformity Wizard, click Measure Brightness Uniformity Wizard. 2. Click Next if the introductory screen is present. 3. Make sure your meter is pointed directly at the display device. See Aiming the Meter for additional information on making sure that the meter is positioned correctly. 4. Make sure all other light sources do not reach the meter. See Reducing Ambient Light for more information. 5.Prepare to move the meter. You will need to physically move the meter during the Brightness Uniformity Wizard to take a reading from a corner of the display.

57 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S 6. Click Next when you are ready to begin. 7. The next step will allow you to select how you want ColorFacts to generate the test images. If you would like ColorFacts to generate the test images using your Video Card or other supported Signal Generator, select Generated Automatically and select the Signal Generator from the list (see Options --> Hardware to learn how to set the default Signal Generator). If you will be using another source of test images, select the Generated Externally option, and use your external source to create the test images when prompted by the Wizard (see Test Image DVD Titles and Chapters). Click Next after you have made your selection. 8. If ColorFacts will be generating the test images internally, you will need to select how the test images should be created: Note: this option only applies when you select Video Card as your Signal Generator source Using the Windows Desktop (default) - This selection will create the test images using the Windows GDI ( Graphical Device Interface ) library. This is where normal windows are located, and is commonly referred to as the Desktop. Using a DirectX Surface - This selection will cause a new DirectX surface to be created that changes the computer resolution and runs full screen. This is where many games, software DVD players and other highly graphical programs run. The choice of where the Test Images should be created will depend on your application. Normally the two choices yield very similar, if not identical results. However, the two libraries used for creating the test images (GDI and DirectX) have their own color and gamma settings that may affect the results. 9. The Wizard is ready to take the center reading of the display device. The meter should already be positioned in the center of the display. When the meter is positioned, click Next to take the reading. 5 7

58 10. It is now time to position the meter in one corner of the display, or where the display appears darkest. When you have the meter positioned, click Next to take the corner reading as well. 11. You will be shown the results of the Brightness Uniformity test after the corner reading has been taken. You will see the light output in the corner and in the center of the display and the uniformity will be calculated and dis played. The results may be displayed with units if the selected device profile contains absolute luminance information. 12. When you click Finish, the Brightness Uniformity Wizard closes. External Test Pattern Locations ColorFacts can use external test images for performing the display device analysis. A popular source for the external images is a DVD containing test images. To make navigation convenient, we have listed the Titles and Chapters that you will need to use with ColorFacts in the pages listed below. You may wish to print out the page corresponding to your test DVD for convenience. Test Pattern Reference Information: Avia ColorFacts Test Patterns Peter Finzel Test Disc Video Essentials 5 8

59 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S Avia Test Disc DVD Titles and Chapters Device Primaries: Test Image Title Chapter 100 % Red Title 4 Chapter % Green Title 4 Chapter % Blue Title 4 Chapter 20 Gray Scale Levels (Framed): Test Image Title Chapter 10 % Gray Title 1 Chapter % Gray Title 1 Chapter % Gray Title 1 Chapter % Gray Title 1 Chapter % Gray Title 1 Chapter % Gray Title 1 Chapter % Gray Title 1 Chapter % Gray Title 1 Chapter % Gray Title 1 Chapter % Gray Title 1 Chapter

60 Gray Scale Levels (Full): Test Image Title Chapter 10 % Gray Title 5 Chapter % Gray Title 5 Chapter % Gray Title 5 Chapter % Gray Title 5 Chapter % Gray Title 5 Chapter % Gray Title 5 Chapter % Gray Title 5 Chapter % Gray Title 5 Chapter % Gray Title 1 Chapter % Gray Title 1 Chapter 33 ColorFacts Test Patterns ColorFacts Test Patterns is an external program that you can use to generate various test patterns. Below is a list of Test Patterns that are available (using your Video Card as the selected signal generator) along with a short description of each. For more detailed information regarding these test patterns, please refer to the ColorFacts Test Patterns Help file. Peter Finzel Test Disc Contrast Adjust - The ColorFacts Contrast Adjust pattern is designed to help you properly set the contrast setting of your display device. Brightness Adjust - The ColorFacts Brightness Adjust pattern is designed to help you properly set the brightness setting of your display device. 6 0

61 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S Sharpness Adjust - The ColorFacts Sharpness Adjust pattern is designed to help you properly set the sharpness of your display device. Tracking / Phase Adjust - The ColorFacts Tracking/Phase Adjust pattern is designed to help you properly set the tracking and phase of your display device. Step Gradiant - The ColorFacts Step Gradient pattern is designed to help you properly evaluate and set the dynamic range of your display. PAL PLUGE - The ColorFacts PAL PLUGE Pattern is designed to help you properly set several adjustments on your display device, primarily color and tint as well as brightness and contrast. It was designed with PAL based sources in mind. 6 1

62 NTSC PLUGE - The ColorFacts NTSC PLUGE Pattern is designed to help you properly set several adjustments on your display device, primarily color and tint as well as brightness and contrast. Split Color Bars - The ColorFacts Split Color Bars pattern is designed to help you properly set the Color and Tint controls of your display device. Ansi Checkerboard - The ANSI ( American National Standards Institute ) Checkerboard pattern is designed for measuring contrast ratio while maintaining a medium APL ( average picture level ). In other words, the checkerboard allows you to measure the difference between the level of black and white when the picture has an average intensity of 50% (equal amounts of black and white). Modified Ansi Checkerboard - The Modified ANSI ( American National Standards Institute ) Checkerboard patterns are designed for measuring contrast while maintaining a medium APL ( average picture level ) in a faster and easier way than the full ANSI contrast ratio method. This is not a sanctioned official test pattern, but is quite convenient when used with a single measuring device. The modified ANSI checkerboard allows you to measure the difference between the level of black and white when the picture has an average intensity of 50%. 6 2

63 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S Cross Hatch - The Cross Hatch pattern is designed to help you properly set the convergence and geometry of your display device. Cross Hatch (Modified) - The Reverse Cross Hatch pattern is designed to help you properly set the convergence and geometry of your display device. Color Levels - The Color Levels patterns are designed to assist you with any task where you may need a solid field of a defined color. There are many possible reasons that you may need these patterns, so all three primaries colors are available in every 5% level from 0% to 100%. You can use these along with ColorFacts to create a solid field of color to measure. Gray Levels - The ColorFacts Test Patterns Gray Levels series is designed to assist you with any task where you may need a solid field of gray. There are gray fields available in every 5% level from 0% to 100%. You can use these along with ColorFacts to create a solid gray scale level to measure. 6 3

64 DVD Titles and Chapters Device Primaries: Test Image Title Chapter 100 % Red Title 3 Chapter % Green Title 3 Chapter % Blue Title 3 Chapter 6 Gray Scale Levels: Test Image Title Chapter 10 % Gray Title 5 Chapter 5 20 % Gray Title 5 Chapter 6 30 % Gray Title 5 Chapter 7 40 % Gray Title 5 Chapter 8 50 % Gray Title 5 Chapter 9 60 % Gray Title 5 Chapter % Gray Title 5 Chapter % Gray Title 5 Chapter % Gray Title 5 Chapter % Gray Title 5 Chapter 14 Video Essentials Test Disc 6 4

65 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S DVD Titles and Chapters Device Primaries: Test Image Title Chapter 100 % Red Title 18 Chapter % Green Title 18 Chapter % Blue Title 18 Chapter 18 Gray Scale Levels: Test Image Title Chapter Black Title 10 Chapter % Gray Window Title 17 Chapter % Gray Window Title 17 Chapter % Gray Window Title 17 Chapter % Gray Window Title 17 Chapter % Gray Window Title 17 Chapter % Gray Window Title 17 Chapter % Gray Window Title 17 Chapter % Gray Window Title 17 Chapter % Gray Window Title 17 Chapter 48 The Customer Address Book allows you to save calibration information for each of your customers. Some of the features of the Customer Address Book include: add/remove customers (see Adding a New Customer), customer searching, saving multiple calibrations (ColorFacts Gray Scale Wizard) per customer, adding cali- 6 5

66 bration notes, generate new reports (ColorFacts Reporting Wizard), and view saved reports (reports exported to PDF format). Note: ColorFacts will automatically backup your Customer Address Book when you make changes to your customer data or update gray scale results. The last four backups will be kept in the folder: drive:\program Files\Color- Facts\Backup. You can search for existing customers by typing the customer s name into the Type Name or Select from List textbox. As you type each letter you will see the customer(s) that match your search criteria appear in bold. You may doubleclick, or select Properties to view details about the selected customer (see Working with Customer Data for more information). Adding a New Customer Before you can save gray scale results or generate reports, you must first create a customer. You can add a new customer to your Customer Address Book by selecting New Entry from the file menu or clicking on the New Entry icon in the toolbar. You can also add a new customer directly from the ColorFacts Gray Scale Wizard. When prompted to select a customer, you can choose --New Customer-- to create a new customer on the fly. 6 6

67 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S Working with Customer Data You can view detailed calibration results by selecting the calibration from the list and clicking the View button. You can re-generate a report by clicking on the Run Report button. This will launch the ColorFacts Reporting Wizard which will walk you through the steps of generating the report. You can view saved or exported reports (only available If you have previously exported a report to PDF from the Report Preview screen) by clicking on the View Report button. You must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer before viewing PDF reports. This program is available on your ColorFacts CD. ColorFacts Reporting Wizard Once you save a customer in your Customer Address Book, you can view or change their information at any time. You can also save new Gray Scale results or replace existing Gray Scale results for that customer. Some of the features that are available are: change general information (name, address, phone, ), and view\delete calibration data (Gray Scale readings). The Reporting Wizard will allow you to select, create and print (or save) a report based on previously recorded data. You must run the Gray Scale Wizard 6 7

68 to record the data needed in all reports before trying to access this feature. To create a report using the ColorFacts Reporting Wizard, follow these steps: 1. Click Reports Reporting Wizard. The Reporting Wizard opens. 2. Click Next at the introductory screen, if present. 3. The Wizard will inform you that the pre requisite for all reports is to record the data to be reported on. This can be done by running the Gray Scale Wizard. 4. You will need to select which report you would like to generate from the list that the Wizard presents. Your list may be different than the list in the screen shot below. You will need to try each report to see which ones are most valuable to you. 5. The Report can contain textual information in addition to the data that will be presented in the charts. You will need to select the Gray Scale results saved for a customer from the Customer - Name and Display Device - Date/Make dropdown list. 6 8

69 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S 6.Additional information to display on the report is requested on the next step as well. 7. The next step will allow you to enter your Calibrator s information, along with a company logo (your logo should be approximately 90X70 pixels in size). Your Calibrator information will appear in the bottom left corner of each report. 8. Once the Wizard has gathered enough information to generate the report, click on the Finish button. 9. Your Report will be presented as a Print Preview. To immediately Print the report, you can click on the Printer icon at the top of the report. You may also choose to export the report as a PDF file, which can be ed or placed on a web site. Most reports will be completely contained in a single page. If desired, you can run the Report Wizard again and select a different report with the same data to create a multiple page presentation. 6 9

70 Reports - Calibration Summary The Calibration Summary is one of the reports that can be created by the Color- Facts Report Wizard. It displays before and after readings for chromacity coordinates, temperature tracking and color tracking and appears as shown here: Reports - Detailed Calibration Summary The Detailed Calibration Summary is one of the reports that can be created by the ColorFacts Report Wizard. It displays before and after readings for chromacity coordinates, temperature tracking, color tracking, and IRE data for each graph and appears as shown here: Reports - Chromacity Detail The Chromacity Detail Report is one of the reports that can be created by the ColorFacts Report Wizard. It displays chromacity coordinates and appears as shown here: 7 0

71 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S Reports- Display Device Analysis The Display Device Analysis is one of the reports that can be created by the ColorFacts Report Wizard. It displays a snap shot of a display device at a point in time and shows chromacity coordinates, temperature tracking, luminance tracking and color tracking and appears as shown here: Reports - Detailed Display Device Analysis The Detailed Display Device Analysis is one of the reports that can be created by the ColorFacts Report Wizard. It displays a snap shot of a display device at a point in time and shows chromacity coordinates, temperature tracking, luminance tracking, color tracking, and IRE data for each graph and appears as shown here: Options Dialog The ColorFacts Options menu allows you to set up various options and preferences for controlling how ColorFacts operates. There are six tabs in the ColorFacts Options menu: Hardware, Interface, Exposure, Preferences, Multi- Display and Gray Levels. This is where you might choose to turn on or off the 7 1

72 sound or animation in ColorFacts, or to set the units for the displayed luminance. Displaying the Options Dialog 1. Click Edit Options on the Menu bar. The Options Dialog will appear. 2. Select the Tab for the category of item you would like to modify. Options Interface Tab The Interface Tab contains options that affect the way that ColorFacts appears or operates while running. This tab contains the following items: Tab Contents Animation - The Throbber animation shows that ColorFacts is in the middle of taking a reading or running a process. To select a different animation to show while ColorFacts is busy running a process choose an animation from the drop down list. If you wish to not have an animation play at all, uncheck the Display Animation While Communicating check box. For more information on the animation that appears to the right of the toolbar when activity is taking place, please see the topic about the ColorFacts Throbber. Show Shortcut Keys in Tooltips (i.e. Shift-F7 ) - When checked, ColorFacts will indicate the shortcut key for a toolbar button in a small Tooltip window that appears when your mouse is hovered over the button for a few seconds. The shortcut key can be used instead of clicking the toolbar button for users that would like to use the keyboard for these operations. When unchecked, ColorFacts will display a Tooltip that contains a short description of the button without the shortcut key present. 7 2

73 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S Display IRE Markings After Measuring Gray Scale (7.5, 10, 20...) - When checked, ColorFacts will display indications for percentages in typical IRE terms after running the Gray Scale Wizard. It will indicate the values of 7.5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100 IRE (which is a percentage of peak white) no matter how many gray scale levels were read by the Wizard. When unchecked, ColorFacts will indicate the values where each gray scale reading was taken (for instance, if 32 gray scale levels were measured, the graph would contain an indicator at each of those points). Display Brushed Aluminum Look in User Interface - When checked, ColorFacts will display a brushed aluminum effect in the user interface. If resources are constrained, this option can be unchecked and the application will display a flat gray interface. Reset All Previously Dismissed Dialogs - As you use the ColorFacts application, yellow Help windows may have popped up that allow you to select Do Not Display This Message Again and the message no longer appeared in the application. Clicking this button will cause the dismissed messages to start appearing again. Note: This button is effective immediately. You do not need to click Apply to have this action carried out. Click Apply to apply any changes made in the Options window. Click Cancel if you wish to leave the dialog without saving your changes. Click OK to apply your changes and close the Options window. Click Help to view this information again. Options Exposure Tab The Exposure tab of the Options dialog contains settings that determine how long the connected hardware will gather light to make an analysis. In general, longer exposure times result in more accurate data. 7 3

74 Tab Contents (Top to Bottom) Automatic Exposure Time - When selected, ColorFacts will determine the length of the exposure time based on the luminance of the subject matter and the operation of the hardware. ColorFacts will automatically scale the exposure time up or down to gather an appropriate amount of light to maximize accuracy without causing the reading to take an excessive amount of time. As darker images are displayed, longer exposure times are used and when lighter images are displayed, shorter exposure times are used. This option is the default selection. Manual Exposure Time - Exposure times will be fixed to a specified length of time when this option is selected. Different exposure times can be set for different tasks. All exposure times are expressed in milliseconds (for example, 500 indicates an exposure time of 1/2 second). Note that the entered exposure time will be used regardless of whether that length of time helps to maximize accuracy. Click Apply to apply any changes made in the Options window. Click Cancel if you wish to leave the dialog without saving your changes. Click OK to apply your changes and close the Options window. Click Help to view this information again. Options Hardware Tab The Hardware tab establishes the parameters of communication with the attached hardware meter. This tab contains the following: Tab Contents Meter - By default, ColorFacts will automatically detect any connected hardware and establish the parameters for communication. To enable the default behavior, select the (Auto-Detect) option. 7 4

75 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S If your hardware device takes a long time to be detected, or if you need to set properties of the device, you can select your specific device from the drop-down list. When a specific device is selected, no other device will be detected or initialized for communication. When you select a specific device, you may also be presented with settings that are specific to that device. There is no way to specify these settings in the (Auto Detect) mode, so you will need to select your device in order to do this. Signal Generator - By default, ColorFacts will select your Video Card as the default signal generator. The default signal generator will be used in the following: Low IRE Reading and High IRE Reading modes, Calibration, Device Primaries, Gray Scale, Contrast, and Brightness Uniformity wizards. When you select a specific device, you may also be presented with settings that are specific to that device. Below are some of the settings available: o Port: Allows you to select the COM Port this device is connected to. If you are unsure which port your signal generator is connected to select (Auto Detect). o Change Pattern Delay: Enable this option if your signal generator re-synchronizes after changing patterns (this could cause ColorFacts to take invalid readings). After enabling this option, enter the delay (in milliseconds) you would like to pause after changing each pattern. Click Apply to apply any changes made in the Options window. Click Cancel if you wish to leave the dialog without saving your changes. Click OK to apply your changes and close the Options window. Click Help to view this information again. Options Preferences Tab The Preferences tab of the Options dialog contains settings that allow you to customize the way that ColorFacts works. This tab contains the following: 7 5

76 Tab Contents (Top to Bottom) Photometric Unit - The Photometric unit can be set to display either Metric units or Imperial units, depending on your country, language, measuring system or personal preference. Note that for meters that have a physical hardware switch, it should always be set to the Metric position in order to allow this feature to operate normally, even if you choose to use Imperial units within the software. Play Sound Effects - When checked, ColorFacts will indicate normally silent operations (like the retrieval of data from the hardware meter) with sound effects. When unchecked, the application will be silent. Retain Instrument Title and Border When Saving to File - When checked, ColorFacts will include the Instrument title bar and border when the data from an Instrument is saved. For instance, saving the graph of the Color Temperature Histogram will produce a graphic that contains the title bar for that instrument. This is helpful for taking screen shots or for easily titling a graphic. When unchecked, ColorFacts will save a graphic containing just the data within the Instrument that does not contain the title or border. Automatically Arrange Instruments When Open All is Selected - When checked, ColorFacts will arrange the Instruments when Open All is selected from the Instruments menu. When unchecked, ColorFacts will open all of the Instruments but make no attempt to arrange them. Calculate Luminances of Primaries (Instead of Measuring) - ColorFacts can use one of two slightly different techniques for displaying Instruments that indicate adjustments towards a goal. o Calculate Luminances of Primaries (When this box is checked) - Based on only the color of the Red, Green and Blue primary colors and the measured color of the white point, the luminances of the primaries can be mathematically calculated. Those luminance values are then used in subsequent calculations. The advantage of this technique is that it is mathematically clean since the primary colors calculate precisely to the white point. o Measure Luminances of Primaries (When this box is not checked) - The luminance of the Red, Green and Blue primary colors are measured by the hardware meter and not calculated from the measured color of the white point. The advantage of this technique is that it is experimentally more valid, since the data was not derived mathematically, but actually obtained from the attached meter. 7 6

77 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S Depending on how accurate the hardware instrument is in obtaining color and luminance information, these two options may produce slightly different results. The choice of which option produces more accurate results for your application depends on the hardware being used and the intended use of the data. Some experimentation with the two settings may be necessary. Open all Instruments on Startup - When checked, ColorFacts will automatically open and arrange all instruments in the display window when the application first opens. Double Click Resets Instruments - When checked, you can double-click on the face of an instrument to instantly reset it. This option is off by de fault to prevent the accidental erasure of data. Check For Updates Automatically Using the Internet - When Color Facts is loaded it checks the internet for program updates (this option requires a connection to the internet prior to opening ColorFacts). Constrain Colors To Gamut - When checked, ColorFacts will restrict all colors to the triangular boundary formed by the three primary colors. This constraint ensures that all colors fall within the expected color gamut and does not allow outliers to be plotted outside of the primary color gamut. If a color is read that falls outside of the gamut, it is automatically relocated to the closest possible point on the gamut. Gamut constraints ensure that the transformation and graphing of the data is consistent. When unchecked, ColorFacts will plot all raw data exactly as it is obtained from the connected hardware device without correction and without regard for the color gamut. Click Apply to apply any changes made in the Options window. Click Cancel if you wish to leave the dialog without saving your changes. Click OK to apply your changes and close the Options window. Click Help to view this information again. 7 7

78 Options Multi-Display Tab The Multi-Display tab presents and allows you to set options related to the set-up of video walls and other multi-display systems. This tab contains the following Tab Contents Target Matching Criteria - The Color Matching Criteria allows you to precisely define what is contained in the Target that you are trying to reach with the ColorFacts real-time Instruments. You can choose from the following two settings for this option: 1. Color Only (xy Chromacity Coordinates) [Default] ColorFacts will normally use the Instruments (graphs, meters, etc.) to display the corrections and adjustments that will be needed to reach a defined color goal. This color goal is devoid of any luminance information. For example, the goal may be D65 for the gray scale, and the Instruments will show the corrections necessary to reach that point. The D65 point itself does not have a luminance associated with it, so the adjustments will show how to reach the color only. This is the normal operation of ColorFacts. 2. Color and Luminance (xyy) With video walls and multi-display systems (or in a single display system where a target luminance is known), it is common to wish to match BOTH color and luminance simultaneously. For instance, you may take a measurement of one display and wish to match a second display to it in both color and luminance. 7 8

79 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S When this option is selected, the ColorFacts Instruments will display the corrections and adjustments that will be necessary to match both the color and the luminance. This will often cause all three of the Red, Green and Blue correction values to be on the same side of the 100% target line, and possibly by a significant amount. This is normal, and indicates that the luminance needs to be increased or decreased significantly in order to match the target. Only when BOTH the luminance and the color of the target have been matched will the Instruments in the ColorFacts interface track with the reference (i.e. 100%). Note: If you choose Color and Luminance as your Target Matching Criteria, you should specify the luminance that you would like to match in the Custom Target dialog box. This dialog can be accessed by clicking on the White Target item in the status bar and choosing Custom... from the menu that appears (the last item in the White Target menu) When you choose Custom... from the Target menu, you can specify both the color and luminance for the Target you would like to match. For more information on how to use this dialog, please see the Custom Color Reference topic. Click Apply to apply any changes made in the Options window. Click Cancel if you wish to leave the dialog without saving your changes. Click OK to apply your changes and close the Options window. Click Help to view this information again. 7 9

80 Options Gray Levels Options Tab The Gray Levels Options Tab of the Options dialog contains settings that allow you to customize your Low IRE (F7) and High IRE (F8) hotkeys. The available IRE percentages in the dropdown lists will be based on your selected Signal Generator (see Hardware Options Tab for information on how to configure your signal generator). For example if your signal generator only supports 25 step gray scale levels for full screen, you will be able to select from the following in your dropdown list: 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%. This tab contains the following Tab Contents (Top to Bottom) Low IRE Reading - Select the IRE percentage you want for your Low IRE hotkey. You can take a single Low IRE reading by pressing F7. High IRE Reading - Select the IRE percentage you want for your High IRE hotkey. You can take a single Low IRE reading by pressing F8. Display Test Images Within a Frame - When checked, your active signal generator will display the gray pattern within a frame. Note: Selecting or unselecting this option may change the values in your dropdown lists Click Apply to apply any changes made in the Options window. Click Cancel if you wish to leave the dialog without saving your changes. Click OK to apply your changes and close the Options window. Click Help to view this information again. 8 0

81 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S ColorFacts Macros A ColorFacts Macro is an extension of the ColorFacts Display Device Analysis System that allows you to write your own programming to perform a specialized task. The most common expected uses of the ColorFacts Macro feature is to perform additional tasks that are not available within the standard user interface or to build automated calibration systems that interface directly with a display device. The Macro ability is an advanced feature of the product that is designed to allow the development of specialized solutions. Since the functionality of a ColorFacts macro is left completely up to the developer, technical support on the development of a ColorFacts Macro is not free, and will be handled on a consulting basis. Datacolor, Inc. is available to develop ColorFacts macros for specialized situations or automated calibrations. The ColorFacts Macro Editor uses a VBA-Like language with integrated intellisense, an Immediate window and rich debugging tools to make programming a customized solution as intuitive as possible. Although the development environment is rich, it will be necessary to have knowledge in VB/VBA programming as well as color science to develop a rich Macro. When you enter the Manage Macros screen from the Edit Macros menu, you will be presented with a list of your currently saved Macros. Macros are automatically saved and retrieved from the \Macros folder under the \ColorFacts installation folder. From the Manage Macros screen you can Run, Edit or Delete the selected Macro or Create a new one. 8 1

82 Run Macro - Executes the code contained in the selected Macro. New Macro - Creates a new Macro which is initialized to contain the code contained in the _Default Macro. Note: The _Default Macro is a macro like any other and can be editted to contain the code you would like to have present in all new Macros created in the future. If the _Default Macro is deleted, new Macros will contain simple generic code on initialization. Edit Macro - Opens the Macro Editor window so the selected Macro can be modified, run or debugged. See Macro Editor for additional details. Delete Macro - Erases the selected Macro from the list of Macros and physically deletes the Macro from storage. Macro Help - Displays assistance on Macro creation. ColorFacts Test Patterns ColorFacts Test Patterns is an external program that you can use to generate various test patterns. Below is a list of Test Patterns that are available (using your Video Card as the selected signal generator) along with a short description of each. For more detailed information regarding these test patterns, please refer to the ColorFacts Test Patterns Help file. Contrast Adjust - The ColorFacts Contrast Adjust pattern is designed to help you properly set the contrast setting of your display device. Brightness Adjust - The ColorFacts Brightness Adjust pattern is designed to help you properly set the brightness setting of your display device. 8 2

83 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S Sharpness Adjust - The ColorFacts Sharpness Adjust pattern is designed to help you properly set the sharpness of your display device. Tracking / Phase Adjust - The ColorFacts Tracking/Phase Adjust pattern is designed to help you properly set the tracking and phase of your display device. Step Gradiant - The ColorFacts Step Gradient pattern is designed to help you properly evaluate and set the dynamic range of your display. PAL PLUGE - The ColorFacts PAL PLUGE Pattern is designed to help you properly set several adjustments on your display device, primarily color and tint as well as brightness and contrast. It was designed with PAL based sources in mind. 8 3

84 NTSC PLUGE - The ColorFacts NTSC PLUGE Pattern is designed to help you properly set several adjustments on your display device, primarily color and tint as well as brightness and contrast. Split Color Bars - The ColorFacts Split Color Bars pattern is designed to help you properly set the Color and Tint controls of your display device. Ansi Checkerboard - The ANSI ( American National Standards Institute ) Checkerboard pattern is designed for measuring contrast ratio while maintaining a medium APL ( average picture level ). In other words, the checkerboard allows you to measure the difference between the level of black and white when the picture has an average intensity of 50% (equal amounts of black and white). Modified Ansi Checkerboard - The Modified ANSI ( American National Standards Institute ) Checkerboard patterns are designed for measuring contrast while maintaining a medium APL ( average picture level ) in a faster and easier way than the full ANSI contrast ratio method. This is not a sanctioned official test pattern, but is quite convenient when used with a single measuring device. The modified ANSI checkerboard allows you to measure the difference between the level of black and white when the picture has an average intensity of 50%. 8 4

85 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S Cross Hatch - The Cross Hatch pattern is designed to help you properly set the convergence and geometry of your display device. Cross Hatch (Modified) - The Reverse Cross Hatch pattern is designed to help you properly set the convergence and geometry of your display device. Color Levels - The Color Levels patterns are designed to assist you with any task where you may need a solid field of a defined color. There are many possible reasons that you may need these patterns, so all three primaries colors are available in every 5% level from 0% to 100%. You can use these along with ColorFacts to create a solid field of color to measure. Gray Levels - The ColorFacts Test Patterns Gray Levels series is designed to assist you with any task where you may need a solid field of gray. There are gray fields available in every 5% level from 0% to 100%. You can use these along with ColorFacts to create a solid gray scale level to measure. 8 5

86 Pioneer Elite C3 Remote Overview About the C3 Remote The Pioneer Elite C3 Remote is a program that is designed to assist you in adjusting settings for your Pioneer Elite display device. Changes can be saved for all inputs as ISF Day or ISF Night mode. The following is a list of settings you can change using the C3 Remote: Contrast Brightness Color Tint Sharpness Red, Green, Blue Cuts & Gains CMS (Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Cyan, Magenta) Pioneer Elite C3 Remote Enable RS-232 Mode In order for the C3 Remote to successfully communicate with your Pioneer Elite, you may need to change your communications settings. The Pioneer Elite series allows two types of serial communications: RS-232 and SR+. Communications mode can be changed by remote control operation. 8 6

87 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S To change your communication settings to RS , follow these steps: 1. First make sure your Pioneer Elite is in Stand-By mode. Do this by pressing the Power key on your remote control. 2. Continuously hold down the Home Menu key and press the Power key within 3 seconds (release Home Menu after pressing Power key). After the Pioneer Elite power s on you should see a menu similar to the following: 3. Use your Left and Right arrows to scroll through and locate C. 4. Once selected press the Power key to power off the set. This completes the steps necessary for the C3 Remote to successfully communicate with your Pioneer Elite. Pioneer Elite C3 Remote Firmware Upgrade Screen C3 Remote - Calibration Options About the Firmware Upgrade Screen In order to change ISF Day/Night mode settings, the firmware on your Pioneer Elite media receiver may need to be upgraded. The C3 Remote will prompt you that an upgrade is required and allow you to upgrade the firmware now or wait until later. To start the upgrade process click Go! to begin. To cancel the firmware upgrade, click the Close icon. 8 7

88 During the upgrade process you should see a screen similar to the following: WARNING: DO NOT power off the Pioneer Elite or close the C3 Remote application until this process is complete. Doing so may cause your Pioneer Elite to become inoperable. This process can take up to 5 minutes. Upon completion of the firmware upgrade, you will be prompted to recycle the power on your Pioneer Elite media receiver. To do this simply turn off the receiver, wait 3 seconds, then turn the media receiver on. Click OK to complete the Firmware Upgrade process. Pioneer Elite C3 Remote Display Info Panel About the Display Info Panel The Display Info Panel will list general information about your Pioneer Elite display device. Some of this information includes: model number, power state, current input, last calibration date and calibrator name, input table with calibration status for each ISF mode. 8 8

89 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S You can also view settings for any input by clicking on the input mode in the Input Calibration Chart. For example, the following is a list of default settings for INPUT1: Pioneer Elite C3 Remote Calibrate Panel About the Calibrate Panel The Pioneer Elite allows two (customizable) viewing modes per input: ISF Day Mode and ISF Night Mode. The Calibrate Panel allows you to change settings (contrast, brightness, cuts/gains, etc..) for these modes by input. To begin a calibration for an Input, start out by selecting the Input (highlighted in blue on the image shown) you want to calibrate and then click on the sun (ISF Day Mode) or moon (ISF Night Mode). Finally click on the Calibrate icon to begin the calibration. The following screen will be isplayed: 8 9

90 Menu navigation support both keyboard and mouse interaction. The following table describes keyboard and mouse navigation as well as other icons that relate to calibrations: Up Arrow Down Arrow Right Arrow Left Arrow F5 F6 F9 Double click to go to parent level or press Up Arrow on keyboard when highlighted. Double click to go to next level or press Right Arrow on keyboard when highlighted. Click on this image to save your changes and exit ISF Day or ISF Nigh Mode calibration. Click on this image to cancel your changes and exit ISF Day or ISF Nigh Mode calibration. Returns to parent level in navigation tree or increases the value for the selected setting. Decreases the value for the selected setting. Go to next level in navigation tree or activate the scroll bar. Returns to parent level in navigation tree or deactivate the scroll bar. Take a single reading if ColorFacts Standard or Professional is installed and loaded. Take continuous readings if ColorFacts Standard or Professional is installed and loaded. Stop take readings if ColorFacts Standard or Professional is installed and loaded. After saving your calibration changes, you will be returned to the Display Info Panel which should now be changed to Yes in the Input Calibration Chart for the input you calibrated. You can backup one or all inputs at any time under the Options Panel --> Backup/Restore. 9 0

91 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S Pioneer Elite C3 Remote Options Panel About the Options Panel The Options Panel allow you to adjust your connection settings, backup and restore input settings or reinitialize all your inputs to factory defaults. To Backup and Restore input settings simply click on the Backup/Restore image and select the options you want. The Connection Options allows you to change your RS-232 connection settings as well as show or hide the OSD (On Screen Display). Depending on which device you are using to take measurements, you may need to hide the OSD. 9 1

92 The Screen Size option allows you to change the screen size for the selected input (you can change the selected input from the Calibrate Panel). NOTE: Some inputs do not allow certain screen sizes Toolbar The ColorFacts Toolbar includes all of the Instruments available to analyze your device. Click on any of these Instruments to see that Instrument appear, or click it again to have the instrument disappear. Click on a button in the toolbar image below to find out more about that Instrument: To add or remove the Toolbar to or from the ColorFacts screen, click on View Toolbar. Activity Animation (the Throbber ) As an indication that ColorFacts is in the process of taking a reading and processing the numbers, you may see a graphic on the right hand side of your toolbar that animates during active times, as shown here: When the graphic is idle, no communication with the meter is taking place. When the graphic is animated, ColorFacts is actively communicating with the meter and is preparing to display new data. You may choose the animation you would like to display in the throbber, or turn it off completely in the ColorFacts Communication Options screen. 9 2

93 B E C A U S E C O L O R M A T T E R S Status Bar Understanding the Status Bar The Status Bar is designed to provide you important information on what is happening within ColorFacts and will appear at the bottom of your ColorFacts screen. From left to right, you will find the following information displayed on your Status Bar: 1. Cancel button to stop the current operation (when a cancellable operation is in progress) 2. A textual description of the current activity being performed in the software (if any) 3. The current state of the hardware meter, with the following legend: A dot will indicate that a meter is connected. The dot will be green when a communication channel is open to a physical hardware device. A second dot will indicate that a meter has been trained by another meter. See the Meter Training Wizard for more details. A red dot indicates that ColorFacts is able to receive data, but no communication channel is open. This means that the connected meter is a virtual device that does not need a communication channel open in order to receive data. ColorFacts could be receiving data through the Simulated Meter or through a Manual Entry mechanism or some other non-hardware-based method. A red X indicates that no meter is active and ColorFacts is not able to receive any information from any source. 9 3

94 4. The fourth item is the Color Reference being used for the calculations within the software. 5. The selected White Target. In the screen shot above, the current activity is that the Contrast Wizard is running, a hardware meter is connected and the communications channel is open, the Color Reference is set to the HDTV standard and the White Target is standard illuminant D65. Taking Action from the Status Bar You can also take action directly from the Status Bar. From the status bar, you can click on the appropriate item to: Connect or Disconnect from a meter, as shown in the screen shot above Train a meter Load saved training data View the meter details Select a Color Reference Select a White Target Viewing the Status Bar To add or remove the Status Bar from the ColorFacts screen, click on View Status Bar. 9 4