> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.timeinpixels.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.timeinpixels.com/nobe-omniscope/scopes/false-color.md).

# False Color

False Color maps luma, chroma, saturation, or hue values to a color overlay, making it easy to judge exposure and color relationships at a glance. Every color band and its threshold can be fully customized.

<figure><img src="https://565437294-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MFqn5MuayPgQPMZ9pwf%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-547c92559dd8ec45d03720baac50b53d6df065fc%2F2026-02_false-color.jpg?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption><p>False Color scope with the R3D preset</p></figcaption></figure>

## Display Modes

| Mode                 | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Luma**             | Maps luma (Y') to false color (default). Luma is the weighted sum of the non-linear R'G'B' channels; the weights follow the active color space (Rec. 709: 0.2126 / 0.7152 / 0.0722; Rec. 2020: 0.2627 / 0.6780 / 0.0593). |
| **HDR**              | HDR-aware mode with dedicated, spec-aligned presets for **PQ** (SMPTE ST 2084) and **HLG** (ITU-R BT.2100 / BT.2408) signals. Scale labels are shown in display-referred nits. See [HDR Mode](#hdr-mode) below.           |
| **Saturation (HSL)** | Maps HSL saturation to false color                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| **Saturation (HSV)** | Maps HSV saturation to false color                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| **Chroma**           | Maps channel spread (`max(R,G,B) - min(R,G,B)`) to false color. Useful when you want a DCTL-style saturation heat map based on chroma rather than HSL/HSV saturation.                                                     |
| **Hue**              | Maps hue angle to false color                                                                                                                                                                                             |

## Built-in Presets

OmniScope ships with 21 built-in false color presets covering common camera and monitor workflows:

| Preset                      | Style                             |
| --------------------------- | --------------------------------- |
| **R3D**                     | Smooth — RED cameras (default)    |
| **R3D Legacy (v2.x)**       | Gradient — older RED workflow     |
| **Flanders**                | Gradient — professional reference |
| **SmallHD (50x, 70x)**      | Gradient                          |
| **SmallHD (DPx)**           | Gradient                          |
| **ARRI**                    | Sharp                             |
| **Atomos**                  | Sharp                             |
| **Atomos 2**                | Sharp                             |
| **BlackMagic Video Assist** | Smooth                            |
| **Zacuto**                  | Sharp                             |
| **VideoDevices PIX-E4**     | Smooth                            |
| **VideoDevices PIX-E12**    | Smooth                            |
| **Skintones**               | Smooth — skin tone reference      |
| **Highlights**              | Smooth — highlight range focus    |
| **Shadows**                 | Smooth — shadow range focus       |
| **Saturation**              | Gradient — saturation mapping     |
| **Sony Log**                | Sharp — S-Log3 style              |
| **Canon Log**               | Sharp — C-Log3 style              |
| **RED Log**                 | Sharp — IPP2 style                |
| **ARRI LogC4**              | Sharp — LogC4 curve               |
| **Universal Cine Log**      | Sharp — universal log standard    |

<figure><img src="https://565437294-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MFqn5MuayPgQPMZ9pwf%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-d5d0a4d090fc5dc74d517e1be2674cf3b845c158%2F2026-02_false-color-presets-menu.jpg?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption><p>Preset selection menu</p></figcaption></figure>

Each preset defines up to 15 color stops with configurable transition sharpness — **Smooth** (continuous gradient), **Sharp** (hard color cuts), or **Gradient** (mixed).

## Preset Manager

The Preset Manager lets you browse, import, and organize false color presets. It lists both **built-in presets** and **user presets** stored in the application support folder. You can load presets from `.tfc4` / `.fc4` files on disk, save custom presets, rename, or delete user presets.

<figure><img src="https://565437294-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MFqn5MuayPgQPMZ9pwf%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-852f52396009b9f4c104b1a049abc19f4969873a%2F2026-02_false-color-presets.jpg?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption><p>False Color Preset Manager</p></figcaption></figure>

User presets are stored in `~/Library/Application Support/NobeOmniScope/presets/` on macOS.

## Scale

A color ruler displays the active preset's mapping alongside the image. The scale type determines the unit labels:

| Scale            | Description              |
| ---------------- | ------------------------ |
| **IRE**          | Standard broadcast units |
| **8-bit**        | 0–255 levels             |
| **10-bit**       | 0–1023 levels            |
| **mV**           | Millivolts (analog)      |
| **ST 2084 (PQ)** | HDR nit levels           |
| **HLG**          | HLG nit levels           |

### Side Scale

Move the scale outside the picture area so it doesn't cover the image. Toggle **Scale on side** in the scope settings.

<figure><img src="https://565437294-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MFqn5MuayPgQPMZ9pwf%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-c5916ca5a09741fac25fbc86c92981adf3ca2722%2F2026-02_false-color-side-scale.jpg?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption><p>Side scale keeps the image unobstructed</p></figcaption></figure>

## HDR Mode

{% hint style="info" %}
HLG false-color support and the BT.2408-aligned HDR presets are available from version **1.11.45**.
{% endhint %}

Selecting **Mode → HDR** switches False Color to a pair of spec-aligned presets for HDR signals. Use the **Scale** selector to pick between **PQ** (SMPTE ST 2084) and **HLG** (ITU-R BT.2100 / BT.2408).

In HDR mode the scale labels are display-referred nits: PQ labels are absolute (PQ is absolute-nit encoded); HLG labels are computed through the BT.2100 system gamma (γ = 1.2 at reference L<sub>w</sub> = 1000 nits), so they match BT.2408 operational practice (75 % HLG → 203 nits, 38 % HLG → 26 nits, 100 % HLG → 1000 nits).

### HLG Preset (BT.2408)

<figure><img src="https://565437294-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MFqn5MuayPgQPMZ9pwf%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-7d32ced5aaf6618de072df52c3a2bfdf5739b3fe%2F2026-04_false-color-hlg.jpg?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption><p>HLG preset with BT.2408 reference bands: cyan 18 % gray marker, pink skin-tone zone, green ref-white anchor, yellow/orange specular warning, red peak</p></figcaption></figure>

The HLG preset anchors the three BT.2100 structural points — **0 % black**, **75 % HLG diffuse / graphics white (203 nits)**, and **100 % peak display (1000 nits)** — as locked indicators, and surrounds them with BT.2408-aligned reference bands: a **cyan** marker at the **18 % gray card (38 % HLG ≈ 26 nits)**, a **pink** band across the **Fitzpatrick skin-tone range (45 – 60 % HLG ≈ 39 – 85 nits)**, and a specular-highlight warning ramp above diffuse white. Cyan is chosen over green for the 18 % gray marker so it's visually distinct from the green reference-white anchor.

| HLG signal % | Display nits @ L<sub>w</sub> 1000 | Color                       | Purpose                            | BT.2408                       |
| -----------: | --------------------------------: | --------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | ----------------------------- |
|            0 |                                 0 | black (locked)              | Floor                              | —                             |
|       0 → 17 |                           0 → 3.8 | black → dark gray ramp      | Shadow noise floor                 | —                             |
|      17 → 36 |                          3.8 → 23 | mid-gray ramp               | Shadow                             | —                             |
|  **36 → 40** |                       **23 → 30** | **cyan band** (sharp edges) | **18 % gray marker**               | **38 % = 26 nits**            |
|      40 → 45 |                           30 → 39 | gray                        | Lower mid                          | —                             |
|  **45 → 60** |                       **39 → 85** | **pink band** (sharp edges) | **Skin-tone zone**                 | Fitz 1–6 range (Table 2)      |
|      60 → 75 |                          85 → 203 | gray ramp                   | Upper mid → ref white              | —                             |
|       **75** |                           **203** | **green (locked)**          | **HLG Reference / Graphics White** | **75 % = 203 nits**           |
|      75 → 82 |                         203 → 314 | green                       | Lower specular                     | —                             |
|      82 → 88 |                         314 → 459 | green → yellow gradient     | Highlight warning                  | —                             |
|       **88** |                           **459** | **yellow (sharp)**          | **Highlight alert**                | —                             |
|      88 → 95 |                         459 → 722 | yellow → orange             | Near peak                          | —                             |
|     95 → 100 |                        722 → 1000 | orange → red                | Approaching peak                   | —                             |
|      **100** |                          **1000** | **red (locked)**            | **Peak Display**                   | **100 % = L**<sub>**w**</sub> |

Because HLG is display-adaptive, the color anchors are expressed in signal %, not absolute nits — they stay fixed regardless of the mastering display peak. Only the nit labels on the ruler rescale if you change the reference L<sub>w</sub>.

The **Mastering level** and **SDR white level** controls are disabled when the scale is set to HLG — BT.2100 locks HLG reference white and peak at 75 % and 100 % signal regardless of display peak.

### PQ Preset (BT.2408)

<figure><img src="https://565437294-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MFqn5MuayPgQPMZ9pwf%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-3377f3e1769902061968ce0cd13d986782733e72%2F2026-04_false-color-pq.jpg?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption><p>PQ preset with BT.2408 reference bands and mastering-relative highlight warnings (yellow at 0.5× mastering, orange at 0.75× mastering)</p></figcaption></figure>

The PQ preset shares the HLG preset's visual grammar — the same BT.2408 reference bands (18 % gray and skin-tone), the same green-locked HDR reference-white anchor at 203 nits, and a specular warning ramp that **rescales with the user's mastering level**. Because PQ is absolute-nit encoded, all thresholds below 203 nits are expressed in absolute nits (they don't move with the mastering slider); the specular ramp above 203 nits tracks the mastering level so a 4000-nit Dolby Vision master puts the warnings in the right place automatically.

The table below assumes the default mastering level = 1000 nits. The two "mastering-relative" rows (highlight warn and near peak) move proportionally when the slider changes — e.g. on a 4000-nit master, highlight warn lands at 2000 nits and near peak at 3600 nits.

|     Nits @ 1000 mastering | PQ signal % | Color                       | Purpose                                 | BT.2408                    |
| ------------------------: | ----------: | --------------------------- | --------------------------------------- | -------------------------- |
|                         0 |         0.0 | black (locked)              | Floor                                   | —                          |
|                     0 → 4 |      0 → 23 | black → dark gray ramp      | Shadow noise floor                      | —                          |
|                    4 → 23 |     23 → 37 | mid-gray ramp               | Shadow                                  | —                          |
|               **23 → 30** | **37 → 39** | **cyan band** (sharp edges) | **18 % gray marker**                    | **26 nits ≈ 38 % signal**  |
|                   30 → 40 |     39 → 42 | gray                        | Lower mid                               | —                          |
|               **40 → 85** | **42 → 49** | **pink band** (sharp edges) | **Skin-tone zone**                      | Fitz 1–6 range (Table 2)   |
|                  85 → 203 |   49 → 57.5 | gray ramp                   | Upper mid → ref white                   | —                          |
|                   **203** |    **57.5** | **green (locked)**          | **HDR Reference / Graphics White**      | **203 nits = 58 % signal** |
| **500** (0.5 × mastering) |        ≈ 67 | **yellow (sharp)**          | **Highlight warn** (tracks mastering)   | —                          |
| **900** (0.9 × mastering) |        ≈ 74 | **orange**                  | **Near peak** (tracks mastering)        | —                          |
|      **1000** (mastering) |    **74.7** | **red (locked)**            | **Mastering level** (user-configurable) | —                          |
|                     10000 |       100.0 | red (locked)                | ST 2084 ceiling                         | —                          |

The **Mastering level** slider (1000 – 10000 nits) lets a colorist change their grade target on the fly — the red anchor, the yellow highlight warn, and the orange near-peak indicator all shift together, keeping the warnings proportional to the deliverable. The **SDR white level** combo (100 / 203 / 300 nits) moves the green locked anchor, which is useful when conforming to non-BT.2408 ingest styles (e.g. 100-nit SDR-pass-through material).

Unlike HLG, PQ absolute nits differ from PQ signal-%: the PQ curve allocates more of the scale to shadows (10 nits = 38 % signal; 100 nits = 51 % signal). That's why the 18 % gray and skin-tone bands end up proportionally narrower on the PQ scale than on HLG — both are BT.2408-correct in nits; they just land differently on the signal axis.

## Opacity & Blur

* **Opacity** (0–100 %) — blend the false color overlay with the original image for a semi-transparent view.
* **Blur** — soften the false color output to reduce noise in the mapping.

## Custom Range

Enable **Custom Range** to override the full preset with a simple two-color gradient between a minimum and maximum level. Set the min/max percentages and pick the start and end colors.

## Ranges

{% hint style="info" %}
Available from version **1.11.33**.
{% endhint %}

The **Ranges** tab in False Color settings provides numerical editing for every range point in the active preset. Each range boundary is displayed as a slider with its current IRE value. **Cmd-click** (macOS) or **Ctrl-click** (Windows) a slider to turn it into an edit box and type an exact value.

<figure><img src="https://565437294-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-MFqn5MuayPgQPMZ9pwf%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-e109ccc6c29ed61f113359a797c3a9ebea4b4c68%2F2026-03_false-color-ranges.jpg?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption><p>Ranges tab — fine-tune each preset range with precise IRE values</p></figcaption></figure>

The **Minimum** and **Maximum** range points are locked to 0 and 100 IRE respectively. All other range boundaries can be adjusted freely within their allowed range (constrained by neighbouring points).

This is the same set of range points you can drag directly on the false color scale — the Ranges tab simply gives you precise numerical control.

## Color Picker

Hold **Alt** and click on the image to sample a color and create a **color pin**. Pins display the sampled value in your chosen format:

| Format        | Example          |
| ------------- | ---------------- |
| **RGB 8-bit** | R:255 G:128 B:64 |
| **HEX**       | #FF8040          |
| **RGB Float** | 1.0, 0.5, 0.25   |

## Zoom & Pan

Scroll to zoom in (up to 15×), then hold **Space** and left-click drag to pan across the image. A **zoom preview** thumbnail appears in the corner showing the full frame with a yellow rectangle indicating the current viewport. The preview can be toggled off in settings.

## LUT Export

Export the current false color mapping as a standard **3D LUT** (`.cube`) or **VLT** format for use in external applications or on-set monitors.

## Keyboard Shortcuts

Assign shortcuts via the [Action Editor](/nobe-omniscope/action-editor.md) to any of the actions below.

## StreamDeck Actions

| Action          | Description                           |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| **Toggle Solo** | Fullscreen the False Color scope      |
| **Pause**       | Freeze the scope at the current frame |