I had some fun trying to recreate @Sholmedal‘s Python Tag Vertex Map tools which he showed at his presentation at IBC 2014. I ended up with some different Python Tags.
N.B. This post is kind of obsolete now since you can do all kind of crazy stuff with fields in R20. I’ll keep this here anyway for learning purposes.
Falloff setup
This setup creates weight values to the Vertex Map. Control position with a Null.

import c4d
from c4d import utils as u
def main():
vertexMap = op[c4d.ID_USERDATA,1] # Get Vertex Map tag
mind = op[c4d.ID_USERDATA,2] # User Data: Minumum distance
maxd = op[c4d.ID_USERDATA,3] # User Data: Maximum distance
spline = op[c4d.ID_USERDATA,4] # User Data: Remap spline
obj = vertexMap.GetObject() # Get object that Vertex Map uses
pts = obj.GetAllPoints() # Get object's all points
null = op.GetObject() # Get null object that Python Tag uses
null[c4d.NULLOBJECT_RADIUS] = maxd # Set null's radius
nullPosition = null.GetMg().off # Get null's position vector
array = [0.0] # Initialize list
if len(array) != len(pts): # If array is not same size as object's point count
diff = len(pts) - len(array) # Get difference
array.extend([0.0]*diff) # Extend array
for i in xrange(len(pts)): # Iterate through points
point = pts[i] # Get point
distance = (nullPosition - point).GetLength() # Calculate distance
value = u.RangeMap(distance,mind,maxd,1,0,False,spline) # Remap value
array[i] = u.Boxstep(0,1,value) # Clamp value between zero and one
vertexMap.SetAllHighlevelData(array) # Set the data for the Vertex Map
vertex_map_python_tag_falloff.c4d
Math
Combine two Vertex Maps together with different math operations, like add, substract and intersect.

import c4d
import operator as o
def main():
# User data
tagA = op[c4d.ID_USERDATA,1] # Get Vertex Map tag A
tagB = op[c4d.ID_USERDATA,2] # Get Vertex Map tag B
tagC = op[c4d.ID_USERDATA,3] # Get Output Vertex Map tag
func = op[c4d.ID_USERDATA,4] # Math operation selection
invert = op[c4d.ID_USERDATA,5] # Invert checkbox
dataA = tagA.GetAllHighlevelData() # Get Vertex Map A's data
dataB = tagB.GetAllHighlevelData() # Get Vertex Map B's data
if func == 0: # If add
dataC = map(o.add, dataA, dataB) # Add A and B
elif func == 1: # If substract B from A
dataC = map(o.sub, dataA, dataB) # Subtract B from A
elif func == 2: # If substract A from B
dataC = map(o.sub, dataB, dataA) # Subtract A from B
elif func == 3: # If intersection
dataC = map(o.mul, dataB, dataA) # Intersection
if invert == True: # If invert checkbox is ticked
for i in range(0, len(dataA)): # Loop through array
dataC[i] = 1-dataC[i] # Invert value
tagC.SetAllHighlevelData(dataC) # Set the data for the Vertex Map
vertex_map_python_tag_math.c4d
Remap
With this you can remap source data with a spline to something different.

import c4d
from c4d import utils as u
def main():
source = op[c4d.ID_USERDATA,1] # User Data: Source Vertex Map tag
target = op[c4d.ID_USERDATA,3] # User Data: Output Vertex Map tag
spline = op[c4d.ID_USERDATA,4] # User Data: Remap spline
sourceData = source.GetAllHighlevelData() # Get Vertex Map data
array = [0.0] # Initialize list
if len(array) != len(sourceData): # If array is not same size as sourceData list
diff = len(sourceData) - len(array) # Get difference
array.extend([0.0]*diff) # Extend array
for i in xrange(0, len(sourceData)): # Iterate through data
value = u.RangeMap(sourceData[i],0,1,0,1,False,spline) # Remap data
array[i] = u.Boxstep(0,1,value) # Clamp value between zero and one
target.SetAllHighlevelData(array) # Set the data for the output Vertex Map
vertex_map_python_tag_remap.c4d
Decay
With this you can decay source Vertex Map.

import c4d
array = [0.0] # Initialize global list
def main():
global array # Get access to global list
source = op[c4d.ID_USERDATA,1] # User Data: Source Vertex Map tag
target = op[c4d.ID_USERDATA,3] # Data Data: Output Vertex Map tag
decay = op[c4d.ID_USERDATA,2] # User Data: Amount of decay in percentage
sourceData = source.GetAllHighlevelData() # Get source Vertex Map data
if len(array) != len(sourceData): # If array is not same size as sourceData list
diff = len(sourceData) - len(array) # Get difference
array.extend([0.0]*diff) # Extend array
for i in xrange(0, len(sourceData)): # Iterate through data
array[i] = array[i]+sourceData[i] # Value is prev value + source value
if array[i] > 1: # If value is over '1'
array[i] = 1.0 # Clamp value to '1'
if array[i] > 0: # If value is over '0'
array[i] = array[i]-decay # Decay value
if array[i] < 0: # If value is below '0'
array[i] = 0.0 # Clamp value to '0'
target.SetAllHighlevelData(array) # Set the data for the output Vertex Map
vertex_map_python_tag_decay.c4d