Hi anywhere-final,

Sorry that you did the extra work with images. I would always take your word for it that the particles stay black. Images might show that, but what else can I gain from it? Project files are the key to solving problems, as long as they are not based on hardware or configurations that I can't replicate.
I hope I can find the problem, as it may help others.

When I turn off the Project settings>Simulation> Particle Custom Properties, here is the setup for the "UV" channel, and then I get white for the Particles, not black. Is the channel set to Vector? (Wild guess)
If I mess with the Path of the image, it doesn't go black either.
Is the texture showing up on an object? I just want to check if it is available.

Since I can't reproduce this with the file you sent initially, I guess that it is perhaps a tech support case:
https://www.maxon.net/en/support-center

If you can share the project (for security reasons, I will check only Dropbox, Wetransfer, Google, Adobe, or Apple, no zip/rar, and no tiny URL, the URL pasted into the text directly, no HTML. Images are also available, but please only use these cloud services, as those check the items.) Thank you.

Please save with Assets. Thank you.

Enjoy your weekend

Hi anywhere-final,

This is a question for tech support
https://www.maxon.net/en/support-center

I'm not supposed to do tech support, but I can share problem analytics here. In other words, for any findings, please go directly to tech support, not to me.

I assume you have installed the newest version of Redshift 3D.

If it shows up with only one project, copy the whole scene for a test into a new one.

Deleting preferences might help.

Disable half of the scene and render; if no error shows up, something in the other half is causing it.
Perhaps it is in both. However, split each half again and render. Typically, even large scenes are explored in a few iterations of it.
This might help you, but such information will eventually be useful for tech support.

Anyway, sorry for your trouble.

My best wishes

Hi anywhere-final,

Thanks for the information and demo of the problem.

I typically try to avoid these wild guess listings, as I think it is better to explore the file and provide a clear reply. Hence, I don't ask for videos or images; it is always the file.

If the selection is done, can you move the polygons up (P.Y) while the one in question stays?
For example, Select this as in your movie,

CV4_2025_drs_25_MOse_01.c4d

It looks like not all are selected, but one can move those. But moving it shows that it is selected. Switching on Normals in the Attribute Manager> Viewing Settings> View might help solve this secret.

I get the idea of the problem, but I have no idea about the geometry and its cause.
If you can share it via WeTransfer, I'm happy to take a look at it.

Here are some random tips; again, I'm unclear what the underlying problem is. (Considering that Polygons belong to the selected Object)

• Main Menu> Select> Select Connected (U~W)

• Attribute Manager> Modeling> Mesh Checking

• Main Menu> Mesh> Remove> Optimize. (U~O)

• Main Menu> Selection> Hide selected –– then explore how selectable the remainder of polygons are.

• Copy the model into a new project file, and explore again, while also checking the Main Menu> Window> Structure manager, set to polygons might help

• Select Point mode, then Shift-Click on the Polygon Icon. Any luck?

This list could go on much longer, but that is what I try to avoid here, and explore it based on a model

Enjoy your Sunday

Off-topic:

Thank you very much,

Going by your site, you do not need a lot of input, as I believe you are on that level of self-educating that is faster than most training can do, if not done in 1on1 sessions. But, yes, learning never stops; at least I learn constantly.

Realism is a wide theme, and with anything, like VFX, CG, or 3D in general, it takes 20% effort to get to 80% quality but 80% effort to cover the last 20%, whereby the point between 80 and 20 needs to be seen like a gamma point defining a curve between zero and 100%.
Besides that, I like to differentiate between realism, photorealism, and hyperrealism, which is a long and endless discussion. However, knowing which one is targeted might help accelerate the learning journey towards it.

How to become a Maxonian? The fastest way to see if there is a fit between current needs and qualifications is to check out the Careers site:
https://www.maxon.net/en/about-maxon/careers

Other ways are to certify in Maxon's products or go full into the Certified trainer path
https://www.maxon.net/en/certification
If you have a trainer Certification, you get some extra exposure.

This might result in invitations to present at shows and get more in contact with the team.

To have a great social media representation of one's work, perhaps using the #Cinema4D here and there might help sometimes as well.

All my suggestions are options, not a path with a guarantee.

Enjoy your work!