Vertex Colors and Attributes: What Actually Works
Data stored per vertex on a mesh, such as colors, masks and weights, used to drive shaders and effects.
Imogen Clarke
What is at stake
Vertex data is cheap compared with textures and travels with the mesh, which suits blending and variation.
The playbook
- Use vertex data for broad blending
- Check that export formats preserve attributes
- Keep naming consistent across assets
- Combine with textures for fine detail
- Document how shaders read the data
Where it goes wrong
Avoid:
- Fine detail stored in vertex colors
- Attributes lost on export
- Undocumented custom attributes
- Vertex data on very low-density meshes
The numbers behind it
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Vertex colors | store values per vertex rather than per pixel |
| Resolution | detail is limited by mesh density |
| Uses | blending materials, masking wear and driving effects |
| Export | not every format and engine preserves vertex data |
Getting outside help
When to hand it over: Bring in help when shaders depend on per-mesh data.
Where this comes from
- Blender Foundation — Blender Manual: Color attributes
- Unity Documentation — Meshes
The figures and practices above come from the sources listed.
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Where to go next
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