How to Create a 3D VTuber

There are many different ways to create both 2D and 3D avatars. Here is a very basic outline of how I created my 3D avatar using free programs:

 

Creating a 3D avatar using VRoid Studio is easy, and free to download. It allows you to completely customize your avatar.

 

VRoid Studio:

• Start by selecting one of the basic full-body avatar templates available when you open the program.

• From here you can add/create and customize your own clothing, hair, accessories, or use downloadable templates from various sources. I use the website ‘Booth’ to find both free and purchase resources for my avatar.

• There is also a section in this program to manipulate and create your own custom facial expressions for your avatar.

 

Booth:

• When navigating Booth, type “VRoid texture” in the search box.

• You can filter pricing so only free resources appear.

• When you find something you want to use on your avatar, download the zip file, extract the file, and upload it as a source into VRoid Studio.

• **Note: Be sure to carefully read descriptions of files before downloading textures to use on your avatar. Whichever textures you use, make sure the artist allows you to use their texture during live streams and recordings for profit to avoid DMCAs.

• Don’t forget to credit any digital artists you use textures from! I use a graphic on my Twitch profile page, listing where my avatar sources are from.

• Once you have created your avatar in VRoid Studio, export the avatar as a file. 

 

Next you need to download a program to track your movements for your avatar. I use the free 

program VSeeFace. 

 

VSeeFace:

• Download VSeeFace and upload your avatar file. Click ‘start.’

• Once loaded, you can select the webcam and microphone you will be using.

• Play around with your avatar and test out the motions/limits.

• Some of the default facial settings can look odd, so just play around with settings and test out speaking so you can see how your avatar’s face moves.

• VSeeFace already has 6 different expressions pre-programmed for you to use. You can add your own custom expressions as well. You will have control of your avatar’s face, head, and neck movement. 

• Change the facial expression setting on ‘Joy’, not to include blinking. Trust me on this one, it constantly glitches if you leave it selected.

• Assign hotkeys to your different expressions, so it’s easy for you to trigger them while streaming. 

• If you find your avatar glitching out and not standing up properly, you can press ‘r’ on your keyboard while in VSeeFace, and it will automatically shift your avatar back into the neutral position, and correct their posture.

• To see more or less of your character’s body in frame, hold ‘alt’ and scroll with your mouse within VSeeFace.

 

As a cheaper alternative to purchasing full VR setups which can get very costly, you can use products such as the Leap Motion Controller by UltraLeap, to enhance the movement of your avatar. I use the Leap Motion Controller which easily connects to VSeeFace, and allows me to control my avatar’s hand movements from my shoulders to my chest. Keep in mind, it is not perfect. The motion does glitch out, but for the price I personally think it’s a great tool to use. However, it does not come with a clip. You can use the Leap Motion Controller by  placing it flat on your desk, but I do not recommend that. I found that my hand motions were captured way easier and more accurately which led to less glitching, when I clipped the controller to my chest. I found a 3D printer artist on Etsy that has created the perfect clip for it.

 

You can also add accessories to your avatar using a free program called Unity. For example, I added headphones and a Playstation controller to my avatar. Unity is a huge program, and you can do so many different things with it. You can create your own backgrounds, and even create animation triggers for your avatar, that can be linked to your live stream on Twitch, etc. I will be honest though, this program is very overwhelming and there is a lot to learn to even grasp the basics. I have just started using it and trying to teach myself through YouTube tutorials. But don’t get frustrated, just keep at it and you can do it! I will add more to this section of the guide, as I learn to utilize Unity further.

 

When you have your avatar open in VSeeFace, you can now add it to OBS or Streamlabs for streaming. Make sure to open your avatar first in VSeeFace before OBS, otherwise it will not work.

 

Streamlabs OBS:

• Click add new source.

• Choose ‘Game Capture,’ and click add source.

• Select ‘add a new source instead’ and click add source.

• Make sure your settings look like this: