After studying how paint spawning works for Low%, we have discovered a quick method for spawning paint in World A for categories that allow item unlocking. Here is a quick summary of the method:

The appearance of paint requires that you unlock at least 5 paint messages. The fastest (known) messages in World A are:

1. Start a new game.
2. Unlock an item.
3. Solve a puzzle that (normally) requires an unlocked item.
4. Solve the puzzle "Don't Cross the Streams!"
5. Be reset by an out-of-bounds trigger (EDIT: Reading a QR code is faster. See below.) Notably, most current routes already get messages 1-4. Thus, to unlock paint, the only added hurdle is to hit an OoB trigger. The easiest ways to do this (so far) are with a jammer jump at the start of A1 or to run to the beach after finishing A2. Both methods take ~10 seconds. (Note: The cliffs in A4 don't count as an OoB trigger)

After a small amount of testing, we've already found a few time savings opportunities using paint in A5, A6 and A7. Assuming we can make up the time needed to hit the OoB trigger, it seems like the addition of paint could provide some interesting routing opportunities to runs like Messenger and All Sigils.

(Shoutouts to Foerumokaz, Birdoxer, MousseMoose and Extodasher for help in finding this new strat)

Testing last night revealed that another message is viewing any QR code -- much faster than hitting an out of bounds trigger.

If you view your first code in A7, you can look for paint and then restart checkpoint, and your paint spawn will be reset as well. This takes ~4 seconds per look, but spawn set 0 gives best B4 and C8 paint, so it might be worth it.

Other runners have been having trouble with getting the 5th message from reading a QR code. I've observed that the message does NOT unlock when cheats are enabled. My guess is that using the moddable version of Talos will also stop the message from unlocking. If you have trouble with paint not spawning, try running the unmoddable version.

Here's a list of all the messages: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17cKog1r_GGHahv2puJLwqqG8SlYm4R0jSrsjJvkt6Lw/edit?usp=sharing

There's a few (highlighted in red) that we don't know where they come from. Similarly, if someone would like to do some research as to paint messages in Gehenna that would be welcome.

I disabled cheats and still can't get paint on A7. I was able once but now I can't.

Are you playing on the moddable version of the game? I've found the game does not give you the message for reading a QR code when using the moddable version.

If paint fails to appear again, you can find out which message is giving you problems by continuing on to world B and then using paint to see what messages are available to you. If you do not see the message "I am not the first one to undertake these trials..." then it is the QR code message which you aren't getting.

No, I'm playing on basic 64bit version.

I tried today once again and got second paint spawn in B4.

Wow. This is incredible. I didn't even realise there were THAT many messages in the game.

Also if i'm understanding correctly, by getting a certain paint spawn (like you mention in A7 with "paint spawn 0") does that solidify every other paint spawn in the game in a consistent pattern? So for instance by getting paint spawn 0 in A7, with proper memorization you could predict where every other paint spawn in the game is. Right?

EDIT: Nevermind, saw the thread on paint prediction. With that in mind, how much time does this method save over not using paint spawn 0 (and by extension not knowing where paint spawns are)? And where does the community stand on having to create a QR code in a convenient position in A7? Doesn't this mean you REQUIRE a friend to post a message there beforehand? (Or maybe you can do it yourself, in which case it seems a bit silly that you have to do this and then restart the game before you can begin doing runs.)

Forgive my caveman questions, i've just come back from prehistoric times and wondering what advances in Talos science have been made :P

1. Yeah, paint's fully predictable. Most of the runners are like 20-60% through memorizing spawn sets.
2. Last we timed it (i.e. when we figured this out), set 0 saved 10 seconds against other spawn sets, BUT knowing where paint is enabled 20-30 sec of faster paint jumps.
3. QR codes from friends don't seem to unlock anything (which is good). You mention A7, so I assume you're thinking about paint manipulation, but it turns out that just resetting (in any%) or just dealing with it (in all sigils / low%) is the way to go. 3a. Probably the best place to put a QR code would be in A1 - A Switch too Far
4. Go watch the sub-12 any% by Azorae.