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In 3D modelling, vertices are more than just positional data—they store colour information too. This often-overlooked feature is essential for adding realism and detail. For instance, in Maya, vertex colours are used to paint skin weights, while sculpting applications use them to apply colour information directly onto models.

These colours serve a dual purpose beyond aesthetics. In video game development, they can dictate the type of surface the character is walking on—whether it’s sticky or slippery—and help blend different textures seamlessly. Moreover, vertex colours are efficient; they require less memory than texture pages, making them ideal for optimising projects for lower-powered devices.

To harness this power, start by painting with brushes rather than selections to handle dense meshes more easily. Vertex colour blending between neighbouring vertices ensures that the denser the mesh, the more detail you can achieve. For greater control on low-resolution models, simply rotate or flip edges to redirect the spread of colours.

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