The Vertex Color operator can be used to assign color values to mapping channels of particles.
This operator is meant for simple color assignments only. If you need more complex behavior (multi-color assignments, color-blending, etc), it’s better to use a Custom Properties workflow in combination with a mapping operator, for full control over the values assigned to mapping channels.
In order to see the color values assigned to particles with this operator in a render, apply a material with a Vertex Color texmap to the tyFlow object. To view the vertex color values in the viewport, enable vertex color display in the object properties window of the tyFlow object, and add a Mesh operator to your particle with “render only” turned off.
From color picker: the base color value will be taken from the operator’s color picker.
From texmap: the base color value will be sampled from the specified texmap, using mapping values assigned to the particles.
By default, particles have no mapping values assigned to them. You can use a Mapping operator to assign values, or assign them with Custom Properties, etc.
Hue variation %: controls the amount of variation to apply to the color’s hue.
Brightness variation %: controls the amount of variation to apply to the color’s brightness.
Interpolation: the amount to interpolate particle mapping values from their previous value to the new value.
Map Channel: controls which particle mapping channel to assign the color values to.
3ds Max’s official vertex color channel is typically channel 0, but technically any mapping channel can take color values, so it is not necessary to assign the values to channel 0.