label2rgb

Convert label matrix into RGB image

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Syntax

RGB = label2rgb(L)
RGB = label2rgb(L,cmap)
RGB = label2rgb(L,cmap,zerocolor)
RGB = label2rgb(L,cmap,zerocolor,order)
RGB = label2rgb(___,'OutputFormat',outputFormat)

Description

example

RGB = label2rgb(L) converts a label image, L into an RGB color image for the purpose of visualizing the labeled regions. The label2rgb function determines the color to assign to each object based on the number of objects in the label matrix. The label2rgb function picks colors from the entire range of the color map.

RGB = label2rgb(L,cmap) specifies the colormap cmap to be used in the RGB image.

RGB = label2rgb(L,cmap,zerocolor) specifies the RGB color of the background elements (pixels labeled 0).

RGB = label2rgb(L,cmap,zerocolor,order) controls how label2rgb assigns colors to regions in the label matrix.

RGB = label2rgb(___,'OutputFormat',outputFormat) enables you to specify that the function return a list of unique colors instead of an RGB image.

Examples

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Open Live Script

Read an image and display it.

I = imread('rice.png'); 
imshow(I)

Create a label matrix from the image.

BW = imbinarize(I); 
CC = bwconncomp(BW);
L = labelmatrix(CC);

Convert the label matrix into RGB image, using default settings.

RGB = label2rgb(L);
figure
imshow(RGB)

Convert the label matrix into an RGB image, specifying optional parameters. This example uses the 'spring' colormap, sets background pixels to the color cyan, and randomizes how colors are assigned to the labels.

RGB2 = label2rgb(L,'spring','c','shuffle'); 
figure
imshow(RGB2)

Input Arguments

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Label image of contiguous regions, specified as one of the following.

  • A matrix of nonnegative integers. Pixels labeled 0 are the background. Pixels labeled 1 make up one object; pixels labeled 2 make up a second object; and so on. You can get a numeric label image from labeling functions such as watershed or labelmatrix.

  • A categorical matrix.

Data Types: single | double | int8 | int16 | int32 | int64 | uint8 | uint16 | uint32 | uint64 | logical | categorical

Color map to be used in the generated color image RGB, specified as one of the following.

Value

Description
c-by-3 matrix of data type double

Color map matrix specifying c colors, each as an RGB triple. c must be greater than or equal to the number of labels, numlabels, in label matrix L. You can compute the number of labels as numlabels = max(L(:)).

If c is greater than numlabels, then label2rgb creates the RGB image using only the first numlabels rows in the matrix.

colormap function

Name of a MATLAB® colormap function, such as 'jet' or 'gray'. See colormap for a list of supported colormaps.

colormap handle

Handle of a colormap function, such as @jet or @gray.

Fill color, specified as a 3-element vector representing an RGB triple or one of the following color abbreviations for numeric label images. label2rgb applies the fill color to the label 0 for numeric label images or the label <undefined> for categorical label images.

Value

Color

'b'Blue
'c'Cyan
'g' Green
'k'Black
'm'Magenta
'r'Red
'w'White
'y'Yellow

Color order, specified as 'noshuffle' or 'shuffle'. The 'noshuffle' order arranges colormap colors to label matrix regions in numerical order. The 'shuffle' order assigns colormap colors pseudorandomly.

Output format of the RGB data returned in RGB, specified as one of the following.

  • 'image' — Return an RGB image. If the size of the input label matrix L is M-by-N, then the size of the output RGB image is M-by-N-by-3.

  • 'triplets' — Return a list of RGB colors. The size of the output is a C-by-3 matrix containing an RGB triplet for each of the C labels in the input label matrix.

Output Arguments

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RGB data, returned as an numeric matrix.

Data Types: uint8

Extended Capabilities

See Also

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Introduced before R2006a

Image Processing Toolbox Documentation

Support