Colour Codes in BUZ

You may have noticed colour codes in Excel export files for Lead, Quote, Job Tracking, Dispatch Statuses and for Customer Billing. Example:

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Understanding Colour Codes in BUZ Software

BUZ uses signed 24-bit integer colour codes to represent colours. These codes encode the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) values of a colour into a single number, allowing efficient storage and processing. Below is an explanation of how these codes work and how you can interpret them.

What Is a colour Code?

A colour code is a numerical representation of a colour, where:

• Red, Green, and Blue channels are assigned values from 0 to 255.

• Each channel contributes 8 bits to form a 24-bit integer.

For example:

• RGB (164, 70, 70) becomes the hexadecimal code #A44646.

• This can also be represented as a signed integer.

Why Are Some Numbers Negative?

The software uses signed integers, meaning numbers can be positive or negative. If a number is negative, it is still valid and represents a specific colour. The conversion process ensures these numbers are interpreted correctly in BUZ.

How Are colours Converted?

Here’s the process the software uses to interpret a signed integer colour code:

1. If the Number is Negative:

   • Convert it to its unsigned equivalent by adding 2^24 (16,777,216).

2. Convert to Hexadecimal:

   • Break the hexadecimal code into its RGB components.

   • Example: #A44646 becomes (Red: 164, Green: 70, Blue: 70).

3. Display the colour:

   • The software renders the colour based on these RGB values.

Example

FAQs

1. Why can’t I see a list of predefined colours?

2. How do I find the exact RGB values?

3. Can I use my own custom codes?

4. What if the code doesn’t produce a colour?