Palettes
Palettes are color schemes that define the colors used by all visual sources in FXCanvas. By selecting different palettes, you can instantly transform the entire look of your lighting output without changing source settings.
What are Palettes?
A palette is a collection of 2 to 20 colors that sources use when generating their visual patterns. Instead of each source having its own fixed colors, sources sample colors from the currently active palette. This powerful separation means:
- One palette change affects all sources — Swap the mood of your entire show instantly
- Sources remain flexible — The same wave or spiral pattern looks completely different with different palettes
- Quick experimentation — Try many color combinations without touching source parameters
Think of palettes as "paint sets" that all your visual sources draw from. Change the paint set, and everything painted with it changes color.
Using the Palettes Panel
The Palettes panel is your central hub for browsing, selecting, and managing color palettes.
Finding the Panel
Look for the Palettes panel in your workspace. It's typically docked alongside other panels or can be opened from the View → Panels menu.
Panel Layout
The panel includes:
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Refresh button (rotate icon) | Reload palettes from disk |
| Columns button (table columns icon) | Choose 1, 2, or 3 column layouts for the palette grid |
| View mode toggles | Filter which palettes are shown |
| Current palette indicator | Shows the active palette name and color count |
| Palette grid | Visual thumbnails of available palettes |
| + New Palette button | Create a new custom palette |
View Modes
Three toggle buttons filter which palettes appear in the list. You can enable multiple modes simultaneously:
| Mode | Icon | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Built-In | cube | Factory palettes that ship with FXCanvas. These cannot be modified but can be duplicated. |
| My Palettes | user | Your custom palettes stored in your user profile. Available across all shows. |
| In Show | theater masks | Palettes saved within the current show file. Only available when a show is loaded. |
Click a toggle button to enable or disable that category. Active toggles appear highlighted.
Selecting a Palette
To activate a palette:
- Click any palette thumbnail in the grid
- The selected palette becomes highlighted
- All sources immediately begin using colors from the new palette
The Current indicator at the top updates to show the active palette name and how many colors it contains.
Palette Thumbnails
Each palette displays as a horizontal gradient thumbnail showing its colors. Hover over any palette to see:
- The palette name
- Whether it's built-in
- Individual color swatches
Understanding Palettes
How Colors Work
Each palette contains a sequence of colors arranged in order. Sources sample from these colors in different ways:
- By index — Some sources pick specific colors (color 1, color 2, etc.)
- By position — Sources can sample along the palette gradient, getting interpolated colors between defined stops
- Cycling — Animated sources may cycle through palette colors over time
The result is that the same source pattern creates very different visuals depending on which palette is active.
Color Count
Palettes can contain between 2 and 20 colors:
- Minimum 2 colors — Required to create any gradient or variation
- Maximum 20 colors — Keeps palettes manageable while allowing rich gradients
The color count appears next to the palette name in the Current indicator. More colors create smoother gradients when sources interpolate between them.
The Gradient View
Palette thumbnails display colors as a continuous gradient from left to right. This represents how sources sample colors:
- Position 0.0 (left edge) returns the first color
- Position 1.0 (right edge) returns the last color
- Positions in between return interpolated colors
This gradient visualization helps you predict how sources will use the palette.
Color Panel
The Color panel provides controls for how colors are sourced and applied across your visual output.
Color Mode
The Color Mode selector determines where your visual sources get their colors from:
| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Palette | Sources use colors from the currently selected palette in the Palettes panel. This is the default and most common mode. |
| Art-Net | Colors are received from an external Art-Net source, allowing DMX control of the color palette. |
| Manual | Edit colors directly using the inline palette editor that appears below the mode buttons. |
Manual Palette Editor
When Manual mode is selected, an inline palette editor appears with color swatches you can click to edit. This is useful for:
- Quick color experimentation without saving a palette
- Live tweaking during performance
- Creating one-off color schemes
The manual palette supports 2–10 colors. Click any color swatch to open a color picker, or use the + Add Color button to add more colors. Right-click a color swatch to access the Remove option.
Creating Custom Palettes
Opening the Palette Editor
To edit a palette:
- Right-click any palette in the Palettes panel
- Select Edit from the context menu
- The Palette Editor window opens (or focuses if already open)
Alternatively, click + New Palette to create a fresh palette and open it directly in the editor.
The Palette Editor Window
The editor displays:
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Editing indicator | Shows which palette you're editing (e.g., "Editing: My Palette") |
| Dirty indicator | An asterisk (*) appears after the name when you have unsaved changes |
| Color list | Numbered rows with color pickers |
| Remove buttons | A "-" button next to each color to delete it |
| + Add Color button | Add new colors to the palette |
| Color count | Shows current and maximum color capacity (e.g., "5/20 colors") |
| Save / Save As... / Revert buttons | Manage your changes |
Adding Colors
Click + Add Color to add a new color to the end of the palette. New colors start as white. You can add colors until you reach the maximum of 20.
Removing Colors
Click the - button next to any color to remove it. You must keep at least 2 colors in every palette, so the remove buttons become disabled when you reach the minimum.
Changing Colors
Click the color swatch to open a color picker:
- Use the color wheel or sliders to choose a color
- Changes apply immediately to the preview
- The palette thumbnail updates in real-time
The color picker supports:
- RGB sliders for precise control
- Hex color input for exact values
- Click-and-drag in the color field for quick selection
Generating Palettes from a Color
Right-click any color in the editor to access the Generate Palette from this Color option. This opens a dialog with four generation modes:
| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Monochromatic | Different shades and tints of the selected color's hue |
| Analogous | Colors next to each other on the color wheel for harmony |
| Complementary | Colors opposite each other on the color wheel for high contrast |
| Triadic/Tetradic | Colors forming triangles or squares on the color wheel for balance |
Click Generate to replace all palette colors with the generated scheme.
Saving Your Palette
- Save — Updates the current palette with your changes. Only available for user-created palettes (built-in palettes cannot be overwritten).
- Save As... — Creates a new palette with a custom name. Use this to:
- Save modifications to built-in palettes as new user palettes
- Create variations of existing palettes
- Give your palette a descriptive name
- Revert — Discards all changes and restores the palette to its last saved state.
When editing a built-in palette, use Save As... to save your changes as a new user palette.
Working with Palette Presets
Preset Storage Locations
Palettes are stored in different locations based on their type:
| Type | Location | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Built-in palettes | Application data folder | Read-only, ships with FXCanvas |
| User palettes | User profile folder | Editable, available across all shows |
| Show palettes | Show file folder | Travel with the show file |
Adding Palettes to a Show
To bundle a palette with your show file:
- Right-click the palette in the list
- Select Add to Show
- The palette is copied to the show's palette folder
This ensures the palette travels with your show file when you share it or move between computers.
Duplicating Built-In Palettes
Built-in palettes are read-only, but you can create editable copies:
- Right-click a built-in palette
- Select Edit to open it in the editor
- Make your changes
- Use Save As... to save as a new user palette
Your copy appears in the My Palettes section and can be freely modified.
Context Menu Options
Right-click any palette in the grid to access these options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Edit | Open the palette in the Palette Editor |
| Set as Active | Make this the current palette |
| Regenerate Thumbnail | Update the thumbnail to reflect current colors |
| Add to Show | Copy the palette to the current show (when a show is loaded) |
| Delete | Remove a user palette (not available for built-in palettes) |
Deleting a palette cannot be undone. You must have at least one palette remaining.
Palette Transitions
When you switch between palettes, FXCanvas can animate the color change smoothly rather than switching instantly. This creates professional-looking transitions that are especially effective during live performances.
Enabling Transitions
Palette transitions are controlled through the Color panel:
- Open the Color panel
- Look for the Palette Transitions section at the bottom of the panel
- Click the Enable Transitions button (rotate arrows icon) to turn on smooth palette changes
- Once enabled, the controls expand to show:
- Duration slider (0.1 to 5.0 seconds) to set transition timing
- Easing dropdown to control how the transition accelerates
How Transitions Work
When you select a new palette while transitions are enabled:
- Colors smoothly blend from the current palette to the new one
- All sources update simultaneously during the transition
- The entire gradient flows naturally from one color scheme to the next
Transitions work smoothly even when switching between palettes with different numbers of colors. The system samples colors by position along the gradient rather than by index, so the visual flow remains smooth regardless of how many colors each palette contains.
Transition Duration
The duration setting controls how long the transition takes:
| Duration | Feel | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| 0.1–0.5s | Quick, snappy | High-energy moments |
| 0.5–2.0s | Balanced | Noticeable but not distracting |
| 2.0–5.0s | Slow, dramatic | Gradual mood changes |
Easing Options
Easing controls the "feel" of the transition:
| Easing | Description | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Linear | Constant speed throughout | Mechanical, predictable transitions |
| Ease In | Starts slow, speeds up | Building anticipation |
| Ease Out | Starts fast, slows down | Natural settling into new colors |
| Ease In-Out | Slow start and end, fast middle | Most natural-feeling transitions |
Ease In-Out is the default and works well for most situations.
Rapid Palette Switching
If you switch palettes again before a transition completes:
- The transition smoothly redirects to the new target palette
- There's no jarring reset — the colors flow naturally from wherever they are
- This allows creative "painting" effects by quickly switching between palettes
When Transitions Are Disabled
With transitions disabled (the default), palette changes are instant:
- Colors switch immediately when you click a new palette
- Useful when you want precise, immediate control
- No processing overhead for transition calculations
Tips and Best Practices
Choosing Palettes for Mood
Different color schemes evoke different emotions:
| Color Type | Mood |
|---|---|
| Warm colors (reds, oranges, yellows) | Energy, excitement, warmth |
| Cool colors (blues, teals, greens) | Calm, professional, serene |
| Saturated colors (bright, vivid hues) | High-energy, attention-grabbing |
| Desaturated colors (muted tones, grays) | Elegant, sophisticated, subtle |
| Mixed palettes (complementary or varied hues) | Creative, artistic, dynamic |
Match your palette to the mood you want to create.
Color Harmony Considerations
Well-designed palettes follow color theory principles:
- Analogous palettes (adjacent hues) create harmony and flow
- Complementary palettes (opposite hues) create contrast and energy
- Monochromatic palettes (one hue, varying lightness) create cohesion
The built-in palettes follow these principles. When creating custom palettes, consider how colors relate to each other.
Matching Event Themes
Create custom palettes that match specific needs:
- Corporate branding — Use company colors
- Holiday themes — Red/green for Christmas, orange/black for Halloween
- Wedding colors — Match the event's color scheme
- Sports teams — School or team colors
Save these as user palettes or add them to show files for easy reuse.
Creating Palettes That Transition Well
When designing palettes specifically for smooth transitions:
- Similar brightness levels — Palettes with comparable overall brightness transition more naturally
- Shared anchor colors — Including one or two similar colors in both palettes creates visual continuity
- Complementary structures — A warm palette and cool palette with similar color distributions swap beautifully
- Gradient flow — Consider how the gradient will morph; place similar hues at similar positions
A "sunset" palette (orange → pink → purple) transitions beautifully to an "ocean" palette (teal → blue → purple) because both end with purple tones.
Performance
Palettes have no performance cost. The color data is simply passed to shaders as uniform values. You can:
- Switch palettes instantly with no lag
- Use palettes with many colors
- Change palettes frequently during performance
- Enable transitions without significant overhead
The GPU does all color sampling and interpolation at full speed regardless of palette complexity. During transitions, the system samples two palettes instead of one, but this additional work is negligible.
Quick Palette Switching
During live performance:
- Keep the Palettes panel visible for quick access
- Use view modes to filter to just the palettes you need
- Click palette thumbnails for instant changes
- Create a curated set of show palettes for the event
- Enable transitions for professional-looking color changes
Related Topics
- Sources — Learn about visual patterns that use palette colors
- Effects — Post-processing effects applied to source output
- Getting Started — Overview of FXCanvas basics