Volume colors outside range inverted

[z.campbell@…]

The following bug report has been submitted:
Platform:        macOS-26.4-arm64-arm-64bit
ChimeraX Version: 1.10 (2025-06-26 08:57:52 UTC)
Description
"Surface color by volume data value" displays inverted colours for values outside of set range.

Steps:
Open a density mrc and coloring mrc.
Use the "surface color" tool in mode "by volume data value" to colour the former by the latter. Manually set the red-white-blue threshold values so that they do NOT cover the full range of surface values.
Observe that surface areas with values below the minimum show up as bright blue and above the maximum show up as bright red, rather than the reverse as expected, resulting in a very abrubt and confusing contrast. Image for illustration attached.

Log:
UCSF ChimeraX version: 1.10 (2025-06-26)  
© 2016-2025 Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.  
How to cite UCSF ChimeraX  

> open
> /Users/campbell/Desktop/workspaces/hd_tn298-Comb_2025/LocalRes/job308/relion_locres.mrc

Opened relion_locres.mrc as #1, grid size 270,270,270, pixel 2.59, shown at
level 50, step 2, values float32  

> open
> /Users/campbell/Desktop/workspaces/hd_tn298-Comb_2025/LocalRes/job308/relion_locres_filtered.mrc

Opened relion_locres_filtered.mrc as #2, grid size 270,270,270, pixel 2.59,
shown at level 0.0132, step 2, values float32  

> hide #!1 models

> volume step 1

> ui tool show "Surface Color"

> color sample #2.1 map #1 palette 6,#ff0000:8,#ffffff:10,#0000ff outsideColor
> #808080

Map values for surface "surface": minimum 8.835, mean 13.55, maximum 25.35  

> color sample #2.1 map #1 palette 10,#ff0000:12,#ffffff:14,#0000ff
> outsideColor #808080

Map values for surface "surface": minimum 8.835, mean 13.55, maximum 25.35  

> color sample #2.1 map #1 palette 10,#ff0000:12,#ffffff:20,#0000ff
> outsideColor #808080

Map values for surface "surface": minimum 8.835, mean 13.55, maximum 25.35  

> color sample #2.1 map #1 palette 10,#ff0000:12,#ffffff:40,#0000ff
> outsideColor #808080

Map values for surface "surface": minimum 8.835, mean 13.55, maximum 25.35  

> color sample #2.1 map #1 palette 10,#ff0000:20,#ffffff:40,#0000ff
> outsideColor #808080

Map values for surface "surface": minimum 8.835, mean 13.55, maximum 25.35  

> color sample #2.1 map #1 palette 0,#ff0000:20,#ffffff:40,#0000ff
> outsideColor #808080

Map values for surface "surface": minimum 8.835, mean 13.55, maximum 25.35  

> color sample #2.1 map #1 palette 10,#ff0000:20,#ffffff:30,#0000ff
> outsideColor #808080

Map values for surface "surface": minimum 8.835, mean 13.55, maximum 25.35  

> color gradient #2.1 map #1 palette 10,#ff0000:20,#ffffff:30,#0000ff
> outsideColor #808080

Map values for surface "surface": minimum 0.000758, mean 0.1714, maximum
0.7093  

> color sample #2.1 map #1 palette 10,#ff0000:20,#ffffff:30,#0000ff
> outsideColor #808080

Map values for surface "surface": minimum 8.835, mean 13.55, maximum 25.35  

> color sample #2.1 map #1 palette 10,#0000ff:20,#ffffff:30,#ff0000
> outsideColor #808080

Map values for surface "surface": minimum 8.835, mean 13.55, maximum 25.35  

> color sample #2.1 map #1 palette 10,#ff0000:20,#ffffff:30,#0000ff
> outsideColor #808080

Map values for surface "surface": minimum 8.835, mean 13.55, maximum 25.35  

> color sample #2.1 map #1 palette #ff0000:#ffffff:#0000ff outsideColor
> #808080

Map values for surface "surface": minimum 8.835, mean 13.55, maximum 25.35  

> color sample #2.1 map #1 palette 5.2,#ff0000:17.09,#ffffff:25.35,#0000ff
> outsideColor #808080

Map values for surface "surface": minimum 8.835, mean 13.55, maximum 25.35  

> color sample #2.1 map #1 palette #ff0000:#ffffff:#0000ff outsideColor
> #808080

Map values for surface "surface": minimum 8.835, mean 13.55, maximum 25.35  

> color sample #2.1 map #1 palette 10,#ff0000:15,#ffffff:20,#0000ff
> outsideColor #808080

Map values for surface "surface": minimum 8.835, mean 13.55, maximum 25.35  

No surface chosen for coloring  

[Repeated 1 time(s)]

> color sample #2.1 map #1 palette 10,#0fc7cf:15,#ffffff:20,#9e205e
> outsideColor #808080

Map values for surface "surface": minimum 8.835, mean 13.55, maximum 25.35  

> color sample #2.1 map #1 palette 10,#0fc7cf:15,#ffffff:20,#9e205e
> outsideColor #808080

Map values for surface "surface": minimum 8.835, mean 13.55, maximum 25.35  

> color sample #2.1 map #1 palette 10,#ff0000:15,#ffffff:20,#0000ff
> outsideColor #808080

Map values for surface "surface": minimum 8.835, mean 13.55, maximum 25.35  

> save /Users/campbell/Desktop/color_bug_image.png width 936 height 657
> supersample 3




OpenGL version: 4.1 Metal - 90.5
OpenGL renderer: Apple M3
OpenGL vendor: Apple

Python: 3.11.4
Locale: en_US.UTF-8
Qt version: PyQt6 6.8.1, Qt 6.8.2
Qt runtime version: 6.8.2
Qt platform: cocoa
Hardware:

    Hardware Overview:

      Model Name: MacBook Pro
      Model Identifier: Mac15,3
      Model Number: Z1C9000SED/A
      Chip: Apple M3
      Total Number of Cores: 8 (4 Performance and 4 Efficiency)
      Memory: 16 GB
      System Firmware Version: 18000.101.7
      OS Loader Version: 18000.101.7

Software:

    System Software Overview:

      System Version: macOS 26.4 (25E246)
      Kernel Version: Darwin 25.4.0
      Time since boot: 30 minutes, 13 seconds

Graphics/Displays:

    Apple M3:

      Chipset Model: Apple M3
      Type: GPU
      Bus: Built-In
      Total Number of Cores: 10
      Vendor: Apple (0x106b)
      Metal Support: Metal 4
      Displays:
        Color LCD:
          Display Type: Built-in Liquid Retina XDR Display
          Resolution: 3024 x 1964 Retina
          Main Display: Yes
          Mirror: Off
          Online: Yes
          Automatically Adjust Brightness: Yes
          Connection Type: Internal


Installed Packages:
    alabaster: 1.0.0
    annotated-types: 0.7.0
    appdirs: 1.4.4
    appnope: 0.1.4
    asttokens: 3.0.0
    auditwheel: 6.4.0
    babel: 2.17.0
    beautifulsoup4: 4.13.3
    blockdiag: 3.0.0
    blosc2: 3.5.0
    build: 1.2.2.post1
    certifi: 2023.11.17
    cftime: 1.6.4.post1
    charset-normalizer: 3.4.2
    ChimeraX-AddCharge: 1.5.19
    ChimeraX-AddH: 2.2.7
    ChimeraX-AlignmentAlgorithms: 2.0.2
    ChimeraX-AlignmentHdrs: 3.6.1
    ChimeraX-AlignmentMatrices: 2.1
    ChimeraX-Alignments: 2.20.2
    ChimeraX-AlphaFold: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-AltlocExplorer: 1.1.2
    ChimeraX-AmberInfo: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Aniso: 1.1.4
    ChimeraX-Arrays: 1.1
    ChimeraX-ArtiaX: 0.6.0
    ChimeraX-Atomic: 1.60.7
    ChimeraX-AtomicLibrary: 14.1.18
    ChimeraX-AtomSearch: 2.0.1
    ChimeraX-AxesPlanes: 2.4
    ChimeraX-BasicActions: 1.1.3
    ChimeraX-BILD: 1.0
    ChimeraX-BlastProtein: 3.0.0
    ChimeraX-Boltz: 1.0
    ChimeraX-BondRot: 2.0.4
    ChimeraX-BugReporter: 1.0.2
    ChimeraX-BuildStructure: 2.13.1
    ChimeraX-Bumps: 1.0
    ChimeraX-BundleBuilder: 1.5.1
    ChimeraX-ButtonPanel: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-CageBuilder: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-CellPack: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Centroids: 1.4
    ChimeraX-ChangeChains: 1.1
    ChimeraX-CheckWaters: 1.5
    ChimeraX-ChemGroup: 2.0.2
    ChimeraX-Clashes: 2.3
    ChimeraX-ColorActions: 1.0.5
    ChimeraX-ColorGlobe: 1.0
    ChimeraX-ColorKey: 1.5.8
    ChimeraX-CommandLine: 1.3
    ChimeraX-ConnectStructure: 2.0.1
    ChimeraX-Contacts: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Core: 1.10
    ChimeraX-CoreFormats: 1.2
    ChimeraX-coulombic: 1.4.5
    ChimeraX-Crosslinks: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Crystal: 1.0
    ChimeraX-CrystalContacts: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-DataFormats: 1.2.4
    ChimeraX-Dicom: 1.2.7
    ChimeraX-DistMonitor: 1.4.2
    ChimeraX-DockPrep: 1.1.4
    ChimeraX-Dssp: 2.0
    ChimeraX-EMDB-SFF: 1.0
    ChimeraX-ESMFold: 1.0
    ChimeraX-FileHistory: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-FunctionKey: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Geometry: 1.3
    ChimeraX-gltf: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Graphics: 1.4.1
    ChimeraX-Hbonds: 2.5.1
    ChimeraX-Help: 1.3
    ChimeraX-HKCage: 1.3
    ChimeraX-IHM: 1.1
    ChimeraX-ImageFormats: 1.2
    ChimeraX-IMOD: 1.0
    ChimeraX-IO: 1.0.3
    ChimeraX-ItemsInspection: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-IUPAC: 1.0
    ChimeraX-KVFinder: 1.6.2
    ChimeraX-Label: 1.1.14
    ChimeraX-ListInfo: 1.2.2
    ChimeraX-Log: 1.2
    ChimeraX-LookingGlass: 1.1
    ChimeraX-Maestro: 1.9.1
    ChimeraX-Map: 1.3
    ChimeraX-MapData: 2.0
    ChimeraX-MapEraser: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-MapFilter: 2.0.1
    ChimeraX-MapFit: 2.0
    ChimeraX-MapSeries: 2.1.1
    ChimeraX-Markers: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Mask: 1.0.2
    ChimeraX-MatchMaker: 2.2.2
    ChimeraX-MCopy: 1.0
    ChimeraX-MDcrds: 2.10.1
    ChimeraX-MedicalToolbar: 1.1
    ChimeraX-Meeting: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-MLP: 1.1.1
    ChimeraX-mmCIF: 2.16
    ChimeraX-MMTF: 2.2
    ChimeraX-ModelArchive: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Modeller: 1.5.19
    ChimeraX-ModelPanel: 1.5.1
    ChimeraX-ModelSeries: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Mol2: 2.0.3
    ChimeraX-Mole: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Morph: 1.0.2
    ChimeraX-MouseModes: 1.2
    ChimeraX-Movie: 1.0
    ChimeraX-MutationScores: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Neuron: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Nifti: 1.2
    ChimeraX-NMRSTAR: 1.0.2
    ChimeraX-NRRD: 1.2
    ChimeraX-Nucleotides: 2.0.3
    ChimeraX-OpenCommand: 1.14.1
    ChimeraX-OrthoPick: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-PDB: 2.7.10
    ChimeraX-PDBBio: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-PDBLibrary: 1.0.4
    ChimeraX-PDBMatrices: 1.0
    ChimeraX-PickBlobs: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Positions: 1.0
    ChimeraX-PresetMgr: 1.1.3
    ChimeraX-ProfileGrids: 1.1.2
    ChimeraX-PubChem: 2.2
    ChimeraX-ReadPbonds: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Registration: 1.1.2
    ChimeraX-RemoteControl: 1.0
    ChimeraX-RenderByAttr: 1.6.3
    ChimeraX-RenumberResidues: 1.1
    ChimeraX-ResidueFit: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-RestServer: 1.3.1
    ChimeraX-RNALayout: 1.0
    ChimeraX-RotamerLibMgr: 4.0
    ChimeraX-RotamerLibsDunbrack: 2.0
    ChimeraX-RotamerLibsDynameomics: 2.0
    ChimeraX-RotamerLibsRichardson: 2.0
    ChimeraX-SaveCommand: 1.5.1
    ChimeraX-SchemeMgr: 1.0
    ChimeraX-SDF: 2.0.3
    ChimeraX-Segger: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Segment: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Segmentations: 3.5.7
    ChimeraX-SelInspector: 1.0
    ChimeraX-SeqView: 2.17.1
    ChimeraX-Shape: 1.1
    ChimeraX-Shell: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Shortcuts: 1.2.1
    ChimeraX-ShowSequences: 1.0.3
    ChimeraX-SideView: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-SimilarStructures: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Smiles: 2.1.2
    ChimeraX-SmoothLines: 1.0
    ChimeraX-SpaceNavigator: 1.0
    ChimeraX-StdCommands: 1.19.1
    ChimeraX-STL: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Storm: 1.0
    ChimeraX-StructMeasure: 1.2.1
    ChimeraX-Struts: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-Surface: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-SwapAA: 2.0.1
    ChimeraX-SwapRes: 2.5.2
    ChimeraX-TapeMeasure: 1.0
    ChimeraX-TaskManager: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Test: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Toolbar: 1.2.3
    ChimeraX-ToolshedUtils: 1.2.4
    ChimeraX-Topography: 1.0
    ChimeraX-ToQuest: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Tug: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-UI: 1.45.2
    ChimeraX-Umap: 1.0
    ChimeraX-uniprot: 2.3.1
    ChimeraX-UnitCell: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-ViewDockX: 1.4.4
    ChimeraX-VIPERdb: 1.0
    ChimeraX-Vive: 1.1
    ChimeraX-VolumeMenu: 1.0.1
    ChimeraX-vrml: 1.0
    ChimeraX-VTK: 1.0
    ChimeraX-WavefrontOBJ: 1.0
    ChimeraX-WebCam: 1.0.2
    ChimeraX-WebServices: 1.1.5
    ChimeraX-Zone: 1.0.1
    colorama: 0.4.6
    comm: 0.2.2
    contourpy: 1.3.2
    coverage: 7.9.1
    cxservices: 1.2.3
    cycler: 0.12.1
    Cython: 3.0.12
    debugpy: 1.8.14
    decorator: 5.2.1
    docutils: 0.21.2
    executing: 2.2.0
    filelock: 3.18.0
    fonttools: 4.58.4
    funcparserlib: 2.0.0a0
    geomdl: 5.4.0
    glfw: 2.9.0
    grako: 3.16.5
    h5py: 3.14.0
    html2text: 2024.2.26
    idna: 3.10
    ihm: 2.2
    imagecodecs: 2024.6.1
    imagesize: 1.4.1
    iniconfig: 2.1.0
    ipykernel: 6.29.5
    ipython: 8.26.0
    ipywidgets: 8.1.7
    jedi: 0.19.1
    Jinja2: 3.1.6
    jupyter_client: 8.6.3
    jupyter_core: 5.8.1
    jupyterlab_widgets: 3.0.15
    kiwisolver: 1.4.8
    line_profiler: 4.2.0
    lxml: 5.3.1
    lz4: 4.4.4
    MarkupSafe: 3.0.2
    matplotlib: 3.10.1
    matplotlib-inline: 0.1.7
    msgpack: 1.1.0
    ndindex: 1.10.0
    nest-asyncio: 1.6.0
    netCDF4: 1.6.5
    networkx: 3.3
    nibabel: 5.2.0
    nptyping: 2.5.0
    numexpr: 2.11.0
    numpy: 1.26.4
    OpenMM: 8.2.0
    openvr: 1.26.701
    packaging: 24.2
    pandas: 2.3.1
    ParmEd: 4.2.2
    parso: 0.8.4
    pep517: 0.13.1
    pexpect: 4.9.0
    pickleshare: 0.7.5
    pillow: 10.4.0
    pip: 25.0.1
    pkginfo: 1.11.1
    platformdirs: 4.3.8
    pluggy: 1.6.0
    prompt_toolkit: 3.0.51
    psutil: 7.0.0
    ptyprocess: 0.7.0
    pure_eval: 0.2.3
    py-cpuinfo: 9.0.0
    pyarrow: 21.0.0
    pycollada: 0.8
    pydantic: 2.11.7
    pydantic_core: 2.33.2
    pydicom: 2.4.4
    pyelftools: 0.32
    Pygments: 2.18.0
    pynmrstar: 3.3.5
    pynrrd: 1.0.0
    PyOpenGL: 3.1.9
    PyOpenGL-accelerate: 3.1.9
    pyopenxr: 1.1.4501
    pyparsing: 3.2.3
    pyproject_hooks: 1.2.0
    PyQt6-commercial: 6.8.1
    PyQt6-Qt6: 6.8.2
    PyQt6-WebEngine-commercial: 6.8.0
    PyQt6-WebEngine-Qt6: 6.8.2
    PyQt6_sip: 13.10.0
    pytest: 8.4.1
    pytest-cov: 6.2.1
    python-dateutil: 2.9.0.post0
    pytz: 2025.2
    pyzmq: 27.0.0
    qtconsole: 5.5.2
    QtPy: 2.4.3
    qtshim: 1.1
    RandomWords: 0.4.0
    requests: 2.32.3
    roman-numerals-py: 3.1.0
    scipy: 1.14.0
    setuptools: 78.1.0
    sfftk-rw: 0.8.1
    six: 1.16.0
    snowballstemmer: 3.0.1
    sortedcontainers: 2.4.0
    soupsieve: 2.7
    Sphinx: 8.2.3
    sphinx-autodoc-typehints: 3.1.0
    sphinxcontrib-applehelp: 2.0.0
    sphinxcontrib-blockdiag: 3.0.0
    sphinxcontrib-devhelp: 2.0.0
    sphinxcontrib-htmlhelp: 2.1.0
    sphinxcontrib-jsmath: 1.0.1
    sphinxcontrib-qthelp: 2.0.0
    sphinxcontrib-serializinghtml: 2.0.0
    stack-data: 0.6.3
    starfile: 0.5.13
    superqt: 0.7.1
    tables: 3.10.2
    tcia_utils: 1.5.1
    tifffile: 2025.3.13
    tinyarray: 1.2.4
    tornado: 6.5.1
    traitlets: 5.14.3
    typing-inspection: 0.4.1
    typing_extensions: 4.14.0
    tzdata: 2025.2
    urllib3: 2.5.0
    wcwidth: 0.2.13
    webcolors: 24.11.1
    wheel: 0.45.1
    wheel-filename: 1.4.2
    widgetsnbextension: 4.0.14
File attachment: color_bug_image.png

color_bug_image.png​

[z.campbell@…]

Added by email2trac

[Eric Pettersen]

Reported by Zac Campbell

[Tom Goddard]

This was fixed in October 2025 in the current ChimeraX 1.11.

​https://github.com/RBVI/ChimeraX/pull/202