After you generate per-vertex shading data for your fluid output mesh and convert the fluid to a polygon object, you can assign one of the per-vertex color opacity or incandescence color sets as the polygon’s current color set (if you want to be able to see them interactively).

To set the output mesh Color Set

1. Select the fluid object’s output mesh.

   If you have not yet set your fluid to generate per-vertex shading data or converted your fluid to an output mesh, do so now. See Set fluid output mesh properties and Convert a fluid object to polygons.

2. From the Polygons menu set, select Color > Color Set Editor.

   The Color Set Editor appears listing the per-vertex color set generated from your fluid object.

   
3. In the Color Set Editor, select the per-vertex color set you want to use as the polygon objects current color set.

   For example, if you want to color the fluid output mesh using the per-vertex data derived from the fluid object’s Incandescence ramp, select incandescencePV(RGBA).

   If your fluid object’s data does not appear in the Color Set Editor, click Update.

4. Click Update.
5. In the Attribute Editor, click the polySurfaceShape tab.
6. In the Mesh Component Display section, turn on Display Colors.

   Your fluid output mesh should now display the colors defined by the selected color set. In the Mesh Control section, the Current Color Set attribute should be set the selected per-vertex data set.

   

For information about rendering output meshes that use per-vertex color in mental ray for Maya renderer, see Render color per vertex in mental ray for Maya.