I'm not very experienced with c++ but I ported this snippet over:
//ported from http://cookbooks.adobe.com/post_Useful_color_equations__RGB_to_LAB_converter-14227.html
struct Color{
float R,G,B,X,Y,Z,L,a,b;
};
#define REF_X 95.047; // Observer= 2°, Illuminant= D65
#define REF_Y 100.000;
#define REF_Z 108.883;
Color rgb2xyz(int R,int G,int B){
float r = R / 255.0;
float g = G / 255.0;
float b = B / 255.0;
if (r > 0.04045){ r = pow((r + 0.055) / 1.055, 2.4); }
else { r = r / 12.92; }
if ( g > 0.04045){ g = pow((g + 0.055) / 1.055, 2.4); }
else { g = g / 12.92; }
if (b > 0.04045){ b = pow((b + 0.055) / 1.055, 2.4); }
else { b = b / 12.92; }
r = r * 100;
g = g * 100;
b = b * 100;
//Observer. = 2°, Illuminant = D65
Color xyz;
xyz.X = r * 0.4124 + g * 0.3576 + b * 0.1805;
xyz.Y = r * 0.2126 + g * 0.7152 + b * 0.0722;
xyz.Z = r * 0.0193 + g * 0.1192 + b * 0.9505;
return xyz;
}
Color xyz2lab(float X,float Y, float Z){
float x = X / REF_X;
float y = Y / REF_X;
float z = Z / REF_X;
if ( x > 0.008856 ) { x = pow( x , .3333333333f ); }
else { x = ( 7.787 * x ) + ( 16/116.0 ); }
if ( y > 0.008856 ) { y = pow( y , .3333333333f ); }
else { y = ( 7.787 * y ) + ( 16/116.0 ); }
if ( z > 0.008856 ) { z = pow( z , .3333333333f ); }
else { z = ( 7.787 * z ) + ( 16/116.0 ); }
Color lab;
lab.L = ( 116 * y ) - 16;
lab.a = 500 * ( x - y );
lab.b = 200 * ( y - z );
return lab;
}
Color lab2xyz(float l, float a, float b){
float y = (l + 16) / 116;
float x = a / 500 + y;
float z = y - b / 200;
if ( pow( y , 3 ) > 0.008856 ) { y = pow( y , 3 ); }
else { y = ( y - 16 / 116 ) / 7.787; }
if ( pow( x , 3 ) > 0.008856 ) { x = pow( x , 3 ); }
else { x = ( x - 16 / 116 ) / 7.787; }
if ( pow( z , 3 ) > 0.008856 ) { z = pow( z , 3 ); }
else { z = ( z - 16 / 116 ) / 7.787; }
Color xyz;
xyz.X = x * REF_X;
xyz.Y = y * REF_Y;
xyz.Z = z * REF_Z;
return xyz;
}
Color xyz2rgb(float X,float Y,float Z){
//X from 0 to 95.047 (Observer = 2°, Illuminant = D65)
//Y from 0 to 100.000
//Z from 0 to 108.883
X = ofClamp(X, 0, 95.047);
float x = X * .01;
float y = Y * .01;
float z = Z * .01;
float r = x * 3.2406 + y * -1.5372 + z * -0.4986;
float g = x * -0.9689 + y * 1.8758 + z * 0.0415;
float b = x * 0.0557 + y * -0.2040 + z * 1.0570;
if ( r > 0.0031308 ) { r = 1.055 * pow( r , ( 1 / 2.4f ) ) - 0.055; }
else { r = 12.92 * r; }
if ( g > 0.0031308 ) { g = 1.055 * pow( g , ( 1 / 2.4f ) ) - 0.055; }
else { g = 12.92 * g; }
if ( b > 0.0031308 ) { b = 1.055 * pow( b , ( 1 / 2.4f ) ) - 0.055; }
else { b = 12.92 * b; }
Color rgb;
rgb.R = round( r * 255 );
rgb.G = round( g * 255 );
rgb.B = round( b * 255 );
return rgb;
}
Color rgb2lab(int R,int G,int B){
Color xyz = rgb2xyz(R, G, B);
return xyz2lab(xyz.X, xyz.Y, xyz.Z);
}
Color lab2rgb(int L,int a,int b){
Color xyz = lab2xyz(L, a, b);
return xyz2rgb(xyz.X, xyz.Y, xyz.Z);
}
Measuring the distance would be something as trivial as:
float distLab(Color c1,Color c2){
float dL = c1.L - c2.L;
float da = c1.a - c2.a;
float db = c1.b - c2.b;
return sqrt(dL*dL + da*da + db*db);
}
or ofVec3f(c1.L,c1.a,c1.b).distance(ofVec3f(c2.L,c2.a,c2.b));
Also see this answer for an openframeworks basic example.