Warby: Connect the colorSet[#].colorName from your objects shape node to cpvSet[#] in a mentalrayVertexColor node (you find it in the "textures" tab of the mr nodes) Then hook up the outColor from that node to whatever you wan't it to control.
gsokol : the node you're looking for is the "normal" node you can find it when you right click inside the graph editor tab : "Add node/normal" most of the basic nodes are there as well. By default the normal node will give you a flat color, but you can plug a heightmap for conversion as well.
You will need to create multiple text node node and blend them together with multiple blend nodes. If you have a grayscale text node, then be sure to change the blending mode of the blend mode to something like "add" or "max".
you can override the "ReflectionVector" used by the cubemap node. Something along the lines of: So drop down a new Reflection Vector node and use Vector component node to 1-Y. Then plug the results into the cubemap ReflectionVector node.
If you map the Out Alpha from the file node into a reverse node, then take the output from the reverse node into the Out Transparency of your material.
Ohh i didn't looked too deep into the nodes.. after seeing the missing coordinates.. and additionally to what @"Michael Knubben" said.. using a value and/or a vector and then mix using any color modification node (linear ligth, color ramp) might be a not so clever idea.. better use any Math node or Converter -> Float…