Mappable parameters have a connection icon in their property editors that allows you to drive the value using a map.
Almost any parameter with a connection icon in its property editor is mappable. These parameters include:
Certain deformation parameters, such as Amplitude in the Push operator or Strength in the Smooth operator.
Various simulation parameters, such as the length and density of hair, the stiffness of cloth, and so on.
Shapes in the animation mixer. For more information about painting a shape on top of another shape, see Plotting (Baking) Shape Animation.
What Can You Connect to Mappable Parameters?
You can connect just about any cluster property to a mappable parameter. The most useful properties include the following:
Weight maps allow you to start from a base map such as a constant value or gradient, and then paint values on top. See Weight Maps for more information.
Texture maps consist of an image file or sequence, and a set of UV coordinates. They are similar to ordinary textures, but are connected to parameters instead of shaders. See Texture Maps.
Vertex color properties are color values stored at each polynode of a geometric object. See Vertex Colors.
In addition to the attributes listed above, you can connect mappable parameters to other cluster properties, including UV coordinates (texture projections), shapes, user normals, and envelope weights. While these may not always be useful for driving modeling and simulation parameters, the ability to connect to these properties may be useful for custom developers.
