Customizing your VIPE Hero with new elements

Premise

VIPE Heroes is a collection of 5000 interoperable avatars released on June 2023. The avatars are set with traits and are heavily optimized to be used on any platform, mobile device or game that allows the use of the VRM format.

With the door open to modifications with an open format like VRM (based on GLTF), any user with proper experience could open a VIPE Hero file and modify it to expand the vision, play around with on different software it or to equip it with custom stuff.

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Have you ever wanted to change an avatar’s clothes or traits to see them wearing different outfits?

Changing stuff on an existing packed VRM  could be initially challenging, but it isn’t as difficult as it seems. In this blog post we will explore how to open a VRM file, attach new items and pack it back to make it as interoperable as it was initially.

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Resources

• Blender.
• Blender VRMs Add-on.
• Your preferred VRM of choice.
• The new traits you want to put on the avatar.

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Development

Step 1 - Installing the required software toolkit

The initial step is to download and install Blender from https://www.blender.org/ and the VRM addon from https://vrm-addon-for-blender.info/en/

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To install the VRM addon in Blender, follow these steps: go to Edit>Preferences>Add-ons in the left vertical bar: Install>Search the downloaded .ZIP named “VRM_Addon_for_Blender-release.zip” and check the checkbox.

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Ensure that the Blender VRM add-on has been installed correctly.

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Step 2

After completing the previous steps, it’s time to dive into the main goal of this blog post!

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To import the VRM and start working on it on Blender, follow these steps: File>Import>VRM, and locate the desired VRM. Ensure that the new elements are imported as well.

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Once everything is imported into Blender, in edit mode, press A to select all vertices. Then, press M and choose “by distance” to merge all vertices . This step is crucial because importing a VRM can result in the 3D model being cut through the UV seams.

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Step 3

In edit mode, place the cursor on the undesired stuff, then press L to select it, and finally, delete it.

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Subsequently, unhide the other trait, and select the new both the new geometry and the existing armature.

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Afterwards, press CTRL+P and select “With automatic weights”. Next, select the new mesh, go to the modifier tab, and add an armature modifier to see the avatar moving.

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Step 4

Let’s dive into some weight painting fun!

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• Select the body of the avatar.
• Then, select the new mesh in that order.
• In Weight Paint mode, go to Weights>Transfer Weights with the following configuration:

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Step 5

If the Transfer Skin Weights didn’t work perfectly, adjust it sightly where strange deformations occur. Add or remove influences as needed for a smoother result.

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Voila! The original avatar imported into Blender should now be rocking a brand new outfit!

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Step 6

After completing all the steps above, it’s time to repack the VRM and dive into the fun.

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To package it, go to File>Export>VRM.

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Conclusion

The ability to swap avatars’ elements with desired ones opens up a world of possibilities for creative expressions.

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By following the steps above, you should be all set to embark on the exciting journey of customizing your avatars, be it changing clothes or traits.

Happy customizing!

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