Color picker (eyedropper) doesn't work

Feb 03, 2018

Trying to pick a shape's border color to match other on-screen elements.  The eyedropper only works in the dialog box.  Once outside, the chosen color is black no matter what the eyedropper is over.

 

SL version 12.14647.0

105 Replies
Anne Baker

Is there any resolution to this? It happens with me as well, but there is no rhyme or reason to when- for a while, it was fine. Yes, I have multiple monitors (as most developers do!) and no, I am not on a Mac. The holding the right mouse button worked ONCE and then not again. Movie attached. 

Ashley Terwilliger-Pollard

Hi Anne,

I'm sorry you've run into this issue too!

We do have it reported to our team that the eyedropper color picker doesn't work when you're using multiple monitors. It's still an open issue, and in the meantime you could look at disconnecting the second monitor. Also, I know Sam mentioned that it only behaves oddly when using: Format Shape > Color > More Colors > Click the Eyedropper

What you could do instead is use: Format Shape > Color > Eyedropper.

Kenneth also shared that his Windows display setting impacting this too, and checking that he was using a display of 100% (vs. 125%) resolved the issue.

Let me know if either of those workarounds helps! 

Katie Riggio

Hi there, Anne. Appreciate you giving those workarounds a try, and so sorry this bug is getting in the way! 

I'll share your latest update in the report, and will continue to advocate on your behalf. You're in the right place, and I promise we'll keep everyone in this discussion posted on any new information

Joseph Brightman

Saw a note above from Ashley that stated this only effects Format Shape > Color > More Colors > Click the Eyedropper. I'm finding that it effects all uses of the eyedropper tool (e.g. for font color, bg, borders). Also for me, there's no other option to use the tool.

I'm actually having to drop out to an adobe product, use their eyedropper to get the RGB/CMYK values, then bring them back over.

Looking forward to the resolution. Please hurry!

 

Steve Brimley

Has there been a fix to this yet? I get the same thing with multiple monitors. If I unplug them it works. I can get it working (sort of) with just one extra monitor. But as I use the eyedropper, I have a color (colour) box following the eyedropper. Sometimes the distance from the eyedropper to the box changes too. It now seems like it is 300-500 pixels off. 

Joseph Brightman

I might have found a lead on this one. I was having other problems with another app, and this appears to have solved both problems (for now).

I have two bigger monitors attached to a docked laptop with a very small screen, so I had the Display Scaling Setting (Windows 10) set to 150% on the small screen, but not on the large ones.

So, in the display settings, I set all three monitors to display at 100%, and the color picker appears to be grabbing the right pixels now. I haven't tested this extensively, but, it appears to be working for me for now. However, the text on my laptop screen is now tiny, but, I can grab the right colors.

If this is not the solution, I hope it helps to lead someone there!

Zett Zhou
Martin Dean

Hi Joseph

Thanks for the suggestion.  My monitors are both at 100% and the problem still persists!


I believe I've written a suggestion on this thread long ago, but here's how it worked for me: while the Color Picker is active, hover over to the area you wish to pick as usual. When you see the 'wrong' preview from SL, hold down your RightMouseButton, you'll see the SL preview showing the correct color. Now left click while your RightMouseButton is suppressed.

Martin Dean

Here is a related problem concerning the colour picker.

I created a box and filled it using a custom colour (#D40511 - RGB 212,5,17)

I then checked the colour using the picker and it tells me that the colour is now #D40612 - RGB 255,6,18!

(please see a video illustrating this problem) https://vimeo.com/311871468

This raises several serious questions:

  1. Which is the correct colour?
  2. How do I check that a colour is accurate (my client is extremely obsessed with the correct use of their colours
  3. How can I be confident that the work I am doing is not 'changing' without my knowledge?

 

Ashley Terwilliger-Pollard

Hi Martin,

Thanks for sharing that video and example. I tested the same scenario and color options and found that when I went back to look at it with the eyedropper, it showed RGB 212, 6, 18. Still different than the original but much closer than you saw.

I'm sharing an example of this with my team so that we can investigate further!

In the meantime, I did notice that if I went to one of the objects to check the color fill within the fill window and that still showed the correct color, I had set it as. 

I'll keep you posted here on what I hear from my team! 

Leslie McKerchie

Hello Siga and welcome to E-Learning Heroes :)

Thanks for reaching out and letting us know you are running into this issue as well. Are you using an additional monitor? Does this work if you disconnect it?

In addition, were you able to try the solution that Ashley shared above:

It behaves oddly when using: Format Shape > Color > More Colors > Click the Eyedropper
What you could do instead is use: Format Shape > Color > Eyedropper

This conversation is linked to the report so that we can provide any updates in the future.