---
title: "Color Mapping Tab"
canonical: "https://documentation.chaos.com/space/VRAYHOUDINI/113280521/Color%20Mapping%20Tab"
format: markdown
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This page provides information on the Color Mapping tab of the V-Ray Renderer parameters.


## **Overview**

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Color mapping (also called tone mapping) can be used to apply color transformations on the final image colors. Sometimes an image can contain a higher range of colors that can be displayed on a computer screen. Color mapping has the task of re-mapping the image values to be suitable for display purposes.

A camera in the real world uses exposure controls to determine how it handles the brightest and darkest parts of a captured image. Similarly, V-Ray uses Color Mapping to help translate the information collected by the sample rays into usable pixels we see within our rendered image.


## **Color Mapping Parameters**

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> Macro (anchor)



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### **Example: Color Mapping Modes**


This example demonstrates the differences between the color mapping modes:

**Note**: The Sibenik Cathedral model was created by Marko Dabrovic.



As seen in the images above, the Linear mapping method clamps bright colors to white, causing bright parts of the image to appear "burnt out". Both the Exponential and HSV exponential modes avoid this problem. While **Exponential** mode tends to wash out the colors and desaturate them, **HSV Exponential** mode preserves the color's hue and saturation.



> Macro (anchor)



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### **Example: Color Mapping Types with VRaySun and Sky**



**Enabled:** On, **Turbidity:** 3.0, **Intensity multiplier**: 1,** Size multiplier**: 1.0



![image](media://74a2d254-cfe5-4b44-8d20-8f00bb8634e5)

**Color mapping:** Intensity Exponential