You paint attributes by selecting surfaces with nodes that have paintable attributes (attributes that are registered in Maya), selecting which paintable attribute you want to paint, and then painting strokes on the node with the Paint Attributes Tool.

To paint attributes

1. Select the surface you want to paint attribute values on.
2. Select Modify > Paint Attributes Tool > . The Paint Attributes Tool settings editor opens.

   The Paint Attributes Tool automatically detects paintable nodes and attributes on the surface, even ones you register yourself. For information on making an attribute paintable, see Make an attribute paintable.

3. In the Paint Attributes section of the Tool Settings window, click the List of Paintable Attributes button and select the node, then the attribute you want to paint. After you select an attribute, the name of the node and attribute displays on the button.

   You can define which paintable attributes display in the Paintable Attributes list by clicking the Filter button and selecting the appropriate display filter.

   Tip

   If you are painting on a single surface, you can skip step 2 and select the node and attribute without opening the Tool Settings editor by right-clicking the surface and selecting Paint > paintableNode > paintableAttribute.

4. If you are painting a three channel attribute (RGB or XYZ), beside Vector Index, select the channel you want to paint. If you are painting a single channel attribute, you can use any setting.
5. Select a paint operation and value and define other Paint Attributes Tools settings as required.
6. Define common tool settings (brush, stroke, stylus pressure, attribute maps, and display), if required. For details, see Artisan Tool Settings.
7. Drag the brush across the surface.