As you’re likely aware, Vrchat is capable of loading various static and animated avatars. Such avatars range from funny creatures such as Genji (from Overwatch) to classic video game characters like Sonic the Hedgehog. If you’ve been using VRChat for any amount of time, chances are you’ve used or seen these avatars in use.
However, there are countless players who may enjoy the game but would like to use their own avatar instead – an avatar they’ve spent hours designing and perfecting. Unfortunately, creating a Vrchat compatible version of one’s custom avatar has been a time consuming and difficult process for many users. In this article, I’ll be detailing the process I use when converting a custom avatar to work in Vrchat.
Change your avatar in Vrchat
First, it’s important to note that you will need a copy of the UV map exported from the host application (in this case, Maya). I’ll be using my model for reference. Below is an image of me using Blender to produce this UV map.
Plotting the texture coordinates in Blender
I then import this UV map into Maya, scale it to match my character (in this case, I used the “Unwrap” operator), and finally delete history.
Blender’s UV unwrapping tool
Now that our texture coordinates are plotted on an object, we need to bring them into Vrchat. Load up Vrchat and navigate to “My Rig” in the Character Customization screen. Once there, choose “Import Rig”, and load your avatar’s Blender file (in this case, Blender was my host application).
Blender in vrchat
Vrchat will then import your Blender rig and display it on the screen. You can now go into your Character Customization menu and toggle between your Vrchat character and your Maya avatar.
Toggle back and forth!
This is a nice start, but we’re missing the final step – applying the textures from our host app to our avatar. To do this, we need to load our UV map into Blender’s Texture Paint tool. Once again, load your character’s Blender file and navigate to “Texture Paint” in the Editing Tools menu.
Blender’s Texture Painting tool
Back in Vrchat, go into your Character Customization menu, select a texture from your “Colors” section (I’m using a skin texture for this example), and set your Maya avatar as your base. Using Blender, paint the texture on your model (in this case, my character).
How to get good avatars in vrchat
These are the steps you need to take in order to change avatar in vrchat. I hope this article will be helpful for all vr chat players! Good luck.
Many users have been asking about how they can change their avatars into something that actually looks nice. If you feel like your current avatar isn’t giving off that “cool” vibe, then it’s time to find a new one.
Choose the skin you want to use
The first step you should do is to choose a skin that matches your current Vrchat avatar. There’s many tutorials online on how to create good looking skins, but let me tell you this – if you’re not an expert in the field of character creation, then I suggest you find someone who knows what they are doing.
If you’re not a skin creator, then I suggest you look for some good skins that are already made. Make sure to find something that matches your current avatar’s color or else it’ll end up looking weird.
Conclusion
After you’ve found your skin, then comes the fun part of converting it into something that works with Vrchat. If you don’t have any experience in Maya or Blender, then this process will be a bit frustrating for you. I suggest finding someone who’s experienced in modeling and can create your character for you.
