makergb

multidimensional numeric RGB color array from mixed inputs

makergb creates a numeric RGB color array from different (mixed) input elements, including 3- and 6-digit hexadecimal color codes and pre-defined color names.

makergb can handle multidimensional inputs and returns the RGB triplet between 0 and 1 along the highest dimension. It returns a (customizable) default value for missing or non-interpretable input elements.

Pre-defined color names comprise short and long names from Matlab's ColorSpec plus a few extensions including the current and previous Matlab default colors (overall 32 different colors, see image). The emphasis is not on exhaustive color name conversion; for that purpose see various other file exchange submissions, most notably https://de.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/48155-convert-between-rgb-and-color-names

Examples:

string input

>> rgb = makergb("orange")
rgb =
    1.0000    0.5000         0
    
>> rgb = makergb("m"+(1:4))  % Matlab's first four default colors
rgb =
         0    0.4470    0.7410
    0.8500    0.3250    0.0980
    0.9290    0.6940    0.1250
    0.4940    0.1840    0.5560

char or cell array input

>> rgb = makergb(char('red','green','blue'))
rgb =
     1     0     0
     0     1     0
     0     0     1
     
>> rgb = makergb({'red','green','blue','purple'})
rgb =
     1     0     0
     0     1     0
     0     0     1
   0.5     0   0.5

multidimensional input

>> rgb = makergb(["r","g";"y","k"])
rgb(:,:,1) =      rgb(:,:,2) =      rgb(:,:,3) =
     1     0           0     1           0     0
     1     0           1     0           0     0

mixed input color representations with a missing value, default set to white

>> [rgb,tfi] = makergb({'r',[0 1 0],'0000ff',"#F0F",[]}, 'w')
rgb =
     1     0     0
     0     1     0
     0     0     1
     1     0     1
     1     1     1
tfi =
  1×5 logical array
   1   1   1   1   0