To convert from RGB (Red, Green, Blue) to normalized RGB, you divide each color component (R, G, and B) by the total sum of all three components. This results in values that represent the proportion of each color in the total color mix.
Here's a breakdown:
Formula:
- Rnormalized = R / (R + G + B)
- Gnormalized = G / (R + G + B)
- Bnormalized = B / (R + G + B)
Explanation:
- Calculate the Total: Sum the values of the Red, Green, and Blue components (R + G + B).
- Divide Each Component: Divide the individual Red, Green, and Blue values by the total calculated in the previous step. This yields the normalized Red, Green, and Blue values.
Example:
Let's say you have an RGB color with the values R = 255, G = 100, and B = 0.
- Total: 255 + 100 + 0 = 355
- Normalization:
- Rnormalized = 255 / 355 ≈ 0.718
- Gnormalized = 100 / 355 ≈ 0.282
- Bnormalized = 0 / 355 = 0
Therefore, the normalized RGB values are approximately (0.718, 0.282, 0). These values represent the proportion of red and green in the color. Note that the normalized RGB values will always sum to 1 (or very close to 1 due to floating-point precision).
Purpose of Normalization:
- Illumination Invariance: Normalized RGB can be more resistant to changes in lighting conditions. If the overall brightness of a scene changes, the normalized RGB values will remain relatively constant as the ratio of red, green, and blue stays the same.
- Color Representation: It provides a way to represent colors as proportions rather than absolute values, which can be useful in various computer vision and image processing tasks.
Important Considerations:
- Zero Sum: If R + G + B = 0, you'll encounter a division by zero error. In such cases, you should handle this exception appropriately, such as setting the normalized RGB values to (0, 0, 0) or using a small epsilon value to avoid the division by zero.
