Introduction

Sometimes it is feasible to use transparent colors in results presentations of layer results. This could e.g. be to show a background map behind the results or to entirely omit display of certain element values in the color palette.

The MIKE Zero visualization tools Plot Composer (Grid plot and Dfsu plot), Data Viewer and Result Viewer includes options of using transparency in different ways.  The type of contour affects how transparency can be included when visualizing contour colors from the results. There are three options for the contour type as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 - Types of contours

Background color

Some options involve full transparency of the color for Undefined value/Background color. This color is per default white (RGB 255,255,255) in Plot Composer and Result Viewer, but gray (RGB 220,220,220) in Data Viewer. In Data Viewer it is however possible to select this value to be white, see Fig. 2.  Fig. 3 shows an example of using the two different background colors in Data Viewer.

Fig. 2 - Data Viewer: Option to setting background color to white

Fig. 3 - Data Viewer: Colors shown using Box contour, on top of background tiles
Left: Default  background color is  grey, Right: Background color set to white.

In the following plots, the background color in Data Viewer has been set to white.

#1 Box Contour

When using box contour the color for the delete value is always assumed fully transparent. This is the case for the color within the palette, and for values considered land (e.g. outside domain area). Thus having the same color within the color palette may result in the color not being displayed, as shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 - Colors shown using Box contour
Left: Plot Composer, Mid: Data Viewer, Right: Result Viewer

#2 Box contour with transparency

When using Box contour for transparency the color for the delete value is fully transparent, but in addition you get the option to make all other colors transparent as well with a user-specified level, see Fig. 5.
Selecting 0% transparency will give the same result as shown in Fig. 4., selecting 100% transparency you will not be able to see the contours.

Fig. 5 - Specifying Box contour with transparency and transparency level 50%

Fig. 6 - Colors shown using Box contour with transparency (50%)
Left: Plot Composer, Mid: Data Viewer,  Right: Result Viewer

#3 Shaded contour

When using Shaded contour, you also need to specify the treatment of colors, see Fig. 7. This choice will affect the result.

Fig. 7 - Specifying Shaded contour enables three options: ‘Copy colors’, ‘Copy colors with transparency’ and ‘Blend colors’.

#3.1 Copy colors

When using Shaded contour with ‘Copy colors’ there is no transparency. The color for the delete value is shown, including the areas that are not covered by the domain, see Fig. 8.

Fig. 8 - Colors shown using Shaded contour with ‘Copy colors’
Left: Plot Composer, Mid: Data Viewer, Right: Result Viewer

#3.2 Copy colors with transparency

When using Shaded contour with ‘Copy colors with transparency’ the color for the delete value is fully transparent, including areas considered to be land or outside the domain, see Fig. 9.

Fig. 9 - Colors shown using Shaded contour with ‘Copy colors with transparency’
Left: Plot Composer, Mid: Data Viewer, Right: Result Viewer

# 3.3 Blend colors

When using Shaded contour with ‘Blend colors’ all the contour colors are transparent with a user-specified level (percentage, see Fig.10.

Fig. 10 - Specifying Shaded contour with Blend colors, transparency level set to 50%

The color for the delete value is fully transparent, including areas considered to be land or outside the domain, see Fig. 11.

Fig. 11 - Colors shown using Shaded contour with ‘Blend colors’
Left: Plot Composer, Mid: Data Viewer,  Right: Result Viewer

#4 MIKE Animator Plus

MIKE Animator Plus is a visualization program capable of displaying 2D results in a 3D domain. In here you can define the transparency levels for each color individually.  Imagine a case where the water surface is displayed along with the bathymetry. The water surface is colored based in a rainbow palette as shown in Fig. 12.

Fig. 12 - MIKE Animator Plus: Water level colors shown by rainbow palette.

You can pick an individual color from the palette, e.g. yellow, and increase the transparency of the color by reducing the Alpha value from 255 (Non-transparent), see Fig. 13.

Fig. 13 - MIKE Animator Plus: Changing transparency of color

The displayed water surface using yellow color is now 50% transparent, and it is possible to see the bathymetry layer underneath, see Fig. 14.

Fig. 14 - MIKE Animator Plus: Contours shown with transparent yellow color
 

FURTHER INFORMATION AND USEFUL LINKS
 

[Manuals and User Guides]

Visualisation tools in MIKE Zero
Plot Composer
Data Viewer
Result Viewer