3D max vertex paint

Cybroxide

Hey I've been working a lot in max vertex paint lately,
I was wondering if there were any scripts or plugins that make it less of a hassle.
By that I mean being able to use a multi-sub rather than a blend for your materials or a way to do it in one modifer rather than stacking a series of them. Anyone heard of anything like this?
Thanks in advance.

Microneezia

This tutorial explains how to use composite mat instead of blend or mix to use as many materials as you want in a single material slot.

http://www.kevinoxland.com/Images/Layers_Unlimited.pdf

you still need to use as many vertex paint modifiers as you have material ID's tho, so a single modifier solution it is not.

Eric Chadwick

A while ago I used a FX shader posted by another polycounter that (IIRC) used the four channels RGBA of a single Vertex Paint modifier to blend between four diffuse/normalmap sets, one channel controlling each set. It was all done totally in the viewport, in real-time, pretty cool. Is this the kind of thing you need? I can try to dig it up if so.

Cybroxide

Thanks a lot guys!
Microneezia: Thanks that tutorial really helped a lot. the one learned from only taught me blends:P.
Eric: That material sounds really awesome but unfortunately I'm gonna need somewhere in the area of 12 materials on the object. Thanks though.

Eric Chadwick

Why not just use a Multi/Sub-Object material with 12 slots, each one containing a FX material? Works fine here, I have each ID using the same FX shader but different bitmaps, and all share the same single vertex color channel for their blends, so just one modifier.

Microneezia

Id like at that .fx shader man, could you post a links?

Eric Chadwick

Sure...
vcolorblend4.fx , vcolorblend_bump4.fx

(thanks again rhumba)

Cybroxide

Thats a great idea, thanks a lot!

Gooner442

Microneezia wrote: »

This tutorial explains how to use composite mat instead of blend or mix to use as many materials as you want in a single material slot.

http://www.kevinoxland.com/Images/Layers_Unlimited.pdf

you still need to use as many vertex paint modifiers as you have material ID's tho, so a single modifier solution it is not.

I realise this is going back a few years but just wanted to know if anyone knows where that vertex paint pdf is now. I searched for it but no success. Also any other good vertex painting tutorial links would be great, I've looked around and not found anything comprehensive.

Specifically if I have a texture on an object, then add a vertex paint modifier and paint on it how can I see the result realtime in the viewport?... I understand that you use a composite material to view it for rendering

Eric Chadwick

FX shader is the best way to go. Load the FX in a DirectX Shader material. You can easily make new shaders with Shader FX, or use one of the shaders in that thread. Also CrazyButcher has a nice vc shader here: http://www.luxinia.de/index.php/ArtTools/3dsmaxFX

Gooner442

thanks!... I'll read up on that!..

Also wondered is vertex painting still used a lot in games?.. and is it only in games it's used?

Eric Chadwick

Yes, no. One of the shader TDs over at Pixar uses it now and then in his work. For example
http://www.neilblevins.com/cg_education/vertex_map_wear/vertex_map_wear.htm

Gooner442

great link!.. exactly what I'm looking for!