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Author Topic: Feature Request: Vertex Color Support  (Read 2009 times)

Shawn Olson

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Feature Request: Vertex Color Support
« on: February 01, 2017, 11:01:29 PM »
While using UV mode, there are several limitations I'd like to overcome for very complex terrains (specifically think of cave systems in this discussion).

In all cases, the vertex color support should allow choosing arbitrary mapping channels as well as allowing just sub-channels (Red, Green or Blue).

Masking: I want to be able to exclude or include areas of surfaces based off of Vertex Colors. This should allow the artists to use vertex paint to clear paths. This control should probably go in the Surface rollout.

Diversity: Add checkbox next to Map Channel for "Vertex Color". When on, the color id map is derived from the vertex colors of the specified map channel.

In the case of diversity, the use of vertex colors would save many problems with using bitmaps. Not only that, but it would add a ton of utility in Max 2017.1+ with the DataChannel modifier.

I personally consider this set of features very high priority.
Shawn Olson
Product Management Team @ Autodesk for 3ds Max
Developer of Wall Worm Tools

Michal Karmazín

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Re: Feature Request: Vertex Color Support
« Reply #1 on: February 03, 2017, 05:21:07 PM »
Hi,

First of all, thank you for all your comments and suggestions. Currently, because of the way how 3ds max handles channels, using the Vertex Color map for masking the distribution in the UV mode (the default XY mode can be easily mapped to channel 2 for distribution & channel 3 for diversity) requires a work-around:

The Vertex Paint modifier should be set to Map channel 2 and the Vertex Color map should be assigned to the Match Color ID on Map slot set to corresponding Map channel. To have to possibility to mask the distribution a "Disabled" item with corresponding Color ID needs to be added as shown on screen-shot.

Attaching a sample scene showing this workaround. Hope you'll find it useful.

Best regadrs,

Shawn Olson

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Re: Feature Request: Vertex Color Support
« Reply #2 on: February 03, 2017, 07:18:52 PM »
Thank you, this is helpful.

In terms of the channels, can we use arbitrary channels or must it be channels 2 and 3?
Shawn Olson
Product Management Team @ Autodesk for 3ds Max
Developer of Wall Worm Tools

Shawn Olson

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Re: Feature Request: Vertex Color Support
« Reply #3 on: February 03, 2017, 07:28:15 PM »
OK, I tested and it doesn't matter the channel.

Thanks for the information. This makes me very happy! I swore I tried this same setup with no success. Obviously I did something wrong.

Thank you!
Shawn Olson
Product Management Team @ Autodesk for 3ds Max
Developer of Wall Worm Tools

Shawn Olson

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Re: Feature Request: Vertex Color Support
« Reply #4 on: February 09, 2017, 03:32:37 AM »
I'm still having problems. In the example scene you provided, the vertex colors were working.

But in the attached scene (Max 2016), vertex colors are not working. Please review the example file. There is a simple cave-like setup with vertex colors applied to channel #2. The vertex color map is using channel 2, and the forest distribute by color is also using the vertex color and channel 2. But only one of the props are spawning and is distributing uniformly (the prop using color RED). The blue and green props never appear despite channel 2 having red, green and blue appearing.

This is the type of result that has had me feeling the vertex colors don't work at all... but as your scene shows, they can work. But why does this setup fail?
Shawn Olson
Product Management Team @ Autodesk for 3ds Max
Developer of Wall Worm Tools

Michal Karmazín

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Re: Feature Request: Vertex Color Support
« Reply #5 on: February 09, 2017, 05:13:45 PM »
Hi,

Thanks for provided scene. I would suggest you to remap the UV space (for testing purposes I've used the Unwrap UVW modifier - Flatten Mapping) of the object "Box001" used as Forest's surface (as currently, UVs are "overlapping"). Attaching a modified scene, where the Diversity works as supposed. Hope you'll find it useful.

Best regards,

Shawn Olson

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Re: Feature Request: Vertex Color Support
« Reply #6 on: February 09, 2017, 05:26:41 PM »
That's kind of the issue here. The UVs in the landscapes we are working on have tiling UVs on channel 1 because of the technical requirement of those specific objects (that become the terrain) in the target game engine.

I'll examine your scene and hopefully it works as we need.

Thanks!
Shawn Olson
Product Management Team @ Autodesk for 3ds Max
Developer of Wall Worm Tools

Shawn Olson

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Re: Feature Request: Vertex Color Support
« Reply #7 on: February 10, 2017, 04:23:36 PM »
After testing, this does work for my needs. Thanks Michal.
Shawn Olson
Product Management Team @ Autodesk for 3ds Max
Developer of Wall Worm Tools