3D max vertex paint

Cybroxide · Oct 2008

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 · Oct 2008

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 · Oct 2008

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 · Oct 2008

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 · Oct 2008

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 · Oct 2008

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

Eric Chadwick · Oct 2008

Sure...
vcolorblend4.fx , vcolorblend_bump4.fx

(thanks again rhumba)

Cybroxide · Oct 2008

Thats a great idea, thanks a lot!

Gooner442 · Jan 2012

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 · Jan 2012

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 · Jan 2012

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 · Jan 2012

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 · Jan 2012

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

3D max vertex paint

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