Getting Started > The Desktop > Colour Picker >
Sampling Colours in a Clip

Sampling pixels in a clip is often the best way of setting the colour you need. For example, to suppress colour spill when keying a clip, the best way to set the colour suppression target is to zoom in on the result clip and then sample the colour spill directly.

You can sample single pixels, take an average along a path, or take an average from inside a selection box.

NoteApplying a LUT or changing exposure/contrast affects the display, but colour picking is done using the original values of the media. Disabling LUTs and resetting exposure/contrast values will show the actual pixel values.

To sample a pixel:

1. Click a colour pot to open the colour picker.

   The Current Colour pot and Reference Colour pot both display the incoming colour.

2. Click Pick.
3. Click in the Player or image window to sample a pixel in the clip.

   The sampled colour appears in the Current Colour pot.

4. To apply the selected colour, click the Current Colour pot.
   TipFrom any colour pot, Shift-click to enter Pick mode. Clicking while dragging the Pick icon over an image will display its RGB values. Click again to transfer the colour to the colour pot.

To sample an average colour along a path:

1. Click a colour pot to open the colour picker.

   The Current Colour pot and Reference Colour pot both display the incoming colour.

2. Click Avg.
3. Drag a path in the Player or image window to take an average from the clip.

   The sampled colour appears in the Current Colour pot.

4. To apply the selected colour, click the Current Colour pot.
   TipTo sample from paths in different parts of the clip, press Alt when finishing the first path-sample and then begin another path elsewhere. Repeat if necessary. Release the cursor without pressing Alt to apply the cumulative average to the Current Colour pot.

To sample an average inside a selection box:

1. Click a colour pot to open the colour picker.

   The Current Colour pot and Reference Colour pot both display the incoming colour.

2. Click Avg.
3. Ctrl-drag a path in the Player or image window to take an average from the clip.

   The sampled colour appears in the Current Colour pot.

4. To apply the selected colour, click the Current Colour pot.