by IllusionBug·Rendering
Illustrative cover generated by AnyPlugins — no product screenshot available.
Vertex Color Tools stands out in the ScriptSpot library by pulling the separate steps of vertex color baking, from lighting setup and radiosity rendering to assignment and cleanup, into one rollout.
Vertex Color Tools brings the functions needed for vertex color creation in 3ds Max together under a single rollout. Instead of moving between separate utilities, IllusionBug's script covers lighting, floor and environment setup, geometry selection, radiosity rendering, vertex color assignment, and channel cleanup from one place.
The set builds around baking ambient occlusion into vertex colors. You can create a sample Sky Light, generate a floor mesh for ambient occlusion, select every mesh in the Geometry class, and start an Advanced Radiosity Rendering with a Default Material assigned. A Brightness control sets how bright the radiosity render comes out, with the color linked to the Default Material.
Cleanup functions round out the toolset. You can assign vertex color through the Assign Vertex Color script in the Utility Panel, clear vertex color channel 0 on selected meshes, weld UV seams in the vertex color channel to avoid vertex bloat, and delete the Sky Light, floor mesh and collapse modifiers on selected objects. It targets 3ds Max 9.0 and is distributed as a MaxScript file.
Vertex Color Tools is best for 3ds Max artists baking ambient occlusion into vertex colors through radiosity rendering and managing vertex color channels.
Vertex Color Tools is completely free to download and use.
Vertex Color Tools lists compatibility with 3ds Max 9.0, and the version here is 1.0. It ships as a MaxScript file named VertexColorTools.ms, around 7.12 KB. If you're working in a newer 3ds Max release, check the developer's page for any updated compatibility notes before relying on it, since the stated target is 9.0. The stated compatibility is the safest reference point for whether it will load in your setup.
Vertex Color Tools builds its ambient occlusion pass from several functions. The Ground function creates a floor mesh for ambient occlusion, SkyLight adds a sample Sky Light at Multiplier 2.0, and GeomList selects every mesh in the scene's Geometry class. The AO function then assigns the Default Material to all geometries and starts an Advanced Radiosity Rendering, while the Brightness setting controls how bright that render comes out, with the color linked to the Default Material.
Vertex Color Tools includes several cleanup functions. ClearV deletes vertex color channel 0 on selected meshes, and VertBloat welds UV seams in the vertex color channel to avoid vertex bloating. The Clean function removes the Sky Light, floor mesh and collapse modifiers on selected objects when you're finished. To write colors in the first place, the Assign function launches the Assign Vertex Color script in the Utility Panel.
Vertex Color Tools is listed as free in this catalog. It comes from IllusionBug on ScriptSpot as a MaxScript file about 7.12 KB in size. Licensing terms can change over time, so check the developer's page for the current details before you download or redistribute it. The version listed here is 1.0, targeting 3ds Max 9.0. Everything runs from a single rollout inside 3ds Max.
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