Is it possible to have Gradient or bitmap controlled facemapping

[Raven]

I was wondering if anyone knows if it possible to have Gradient or bitmap controlled facemapping.
I have a faceted blob mesh particle cloud, and I want each facet to have a solid colour.
I would like to be able to control the colours with a bitmap or gradient. Basically like Bercon tile Variation type color, but per face.
I cant uv or assign mat ids as it changes constantly.
Vizpark color extract has a random face map that does it without ids so wonder if it is possible.

Thanks very much
Gavin

[joconnell]

What does the mesh do? could you make something that's a little bit like a basic version of the shape as a mesh, uv that and use it as a projection modifier source for your changing blob shape?

[Raven]

The shape changes quite a bit, and parts break off, so the entire topology will change through the sequence.
Basically I want to be able to put a gradient like in the test image, but each facet picks up a solid colour not the smooth gradient.
So a feature like bercons tile variation, but for faces would be great.
http://www.ylilammi.com/Resources/Ti...ationColor.jpg

[joconnell]

Ah - it'd probably be something like a bitmap from a camera projection being converted into vertex colours or some such. I could be wrong but I think you're into a maxscript situation here, unless something like frost can do something smart like picking colours from the source particle.

[Raven]

Thanks joconnell, I will take a look into that.

[Raven]

Ok, so I found MapToVColor. http://www.rpmanager.com/plugins/MapToVColor.htm
Test 4 is uv maped texture, test 5 is the same uv mapped texture used to colour vertex channel.
That seams to be almost what I'm looking for except that the vertex colours still blend into each other.
So it is more like it is colouring the edges not the faces.

[joconnell]

Hmm - you're definitely into maxscript I'd say. It'll likely be something that processes your mesh too as opposed to a "live" texture map that adapts on the fly. It'd be something that'd break your mesh into individual faces, and does something like takes the vertex colour from vertex 1 of each face and applies that colour to the remaining two vertices in each triangle.

[Raven]

Volume select, I keep forgetting how powerful it is. Solves my problem, I just need a few in the stack with the material modifier and I can set IDs from textures.
Thanks for you input joconnell.

[joconnell]

Would be interested to see the result and setup!