I did create that tool:
AK3D® ScatterFX for 3ds Max: [vimeo]27757188[/vimeo]
With this tool, its is possible to scatter objects on the base of Maps instead of Vertices or Faces. The scattered objects get the color of the pixels assigned as “Wirecolor”. Now, with Mental Ray and the “Object Color” Shader it´s possible to create just a single material with the “Objectcolor” assigned as “Diffuse” to shade hundreds or thousends of objects with just one Material but with thousends of different colors.
Is there a shader for VRay that can do the same? (Just a shader that “forwards” the Object Wirecolor to the renderer?)
If not, is somebody interested in creating such an shader?
For Mental Ray I created the following thread some years ago:
http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=183&t=656646
After that, 3dsMax 2010 did have a “Objectcolor” Shader onboard fortunatly…
AK3D® ScatterFX can scatter VRay Proxies. With the missing Objectcolor shader it would be possible to render and shade thousends of objects with extremely less memory consuption and with perfect control about the Shading with just one material even with VRay, too.