🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1993Jan12.145735.15271@city.cs> lionel@cs.city.ac.uk (Lionel Tun) writes:
>pigeons@JSP.UMontreal.CA (Pigeon Steven) writes:
>> Intensity:=(r*0.299)+(g*0.587)+(b*0.114)
>
>Why is this the case? Is it related to the sensitivity of the eye
>for the different primary cones, or is it to do with physics?

The explanation is physiological rather than physical.

>Does it mean that green is the 'dimmest' colour and blue is
>the 'brightest'? Does it also mean the RGB model is not ideal?

It means that, of the primary colors, green is the `lightest' and blue
the `darkest.'  If we consider also the complements to the primary colors
(yellow, cyan, magenta), then yellow, being a combination of red and green
becomes the lightest.  This fits with intuition for me.  Yellow is a lighter
color than blue.

I don't see it as any flaw in the RGB model.  If you like, you can always
renormalize R, G, B to make the coefficients each 1.  But this would mean
it's no longer possible to reach full saturation on R, G, or B.

-- 
Els Withers                   email: wdw@math2.sma.usna.navy.mil
          phone: (410)267-3192 / fax: (410)267-4883
		  
The real difference between humanity and other animals:  birth-control pills.