Good morning. I’m Fennec. Sometimes it wanders around silently.
With the tool called VRoid Studio, you can easily create avatars for the metaverse platform called Cluster (I did), and I will show you how to do it and what the service offers.
The avatar in the image below is one that I made a while back, but you can easily make this kind of avatar just like changing clothes (sorry if it’s too difficult), so if you want to play with your own avatar, please give it a try. Once you upload it to VRoid Hub like this, you can have everyone use it in VRoid-related applications depending on your settings.
Way of Making
Procedure
- Download VRoid Studio (choose one from Steam/Windows/Mac)
- Create an avatar and export a VRM file with desired settings
- Upload the VRM file to the Cluster
I Could Have Done This Too
It’s really nice to be able to wear layers with the basic functions. It’s fun.
You can also add illustrations to your clothes and shoes. I can’t post the development drawing of the actual costume here because it might redistributed, but the logo on the hoodie and shoes, the mole on the cheek, and the logo on the left eye in the image below were created by downloading the development drawing from VRoid Studio to my PC, pasting the illustration by editing the image, and uploading it again.
The chart pattern for the eyes is the same as for the clothes: download, scribble, upload again. It’s a little tricky to adjust the position of the clothes, so don’t think too hard about it, but try to get the right look through atmosphere and trial and error.
What Kind of Service?
VRoid project is a 3D business of Pixiv Corporation (Pixiv), and Cluster is a metaverse platform managed and operated by Cluster Corporation.
Cluster is a centralized platform, just like VRChat, Virtual Cast, REALITY, etc. The governance is based on the premise of centralized management, unlike The Sandbox, Decentraland, and other decentralized systems that use blockchain technology. When I hear the word “metaverse”, I rather think of this one, the centralized one.
If you shop at Booth, you’ll find some great avatars and accessories for sale and distribution. Some people who are invested in blockchain talk about the metaverse on the premise of NFT and Play to Earn, but the creator economy is rooted in existing platforms.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
As I mentioned earlier in the example of using images from various sources, you need to be very careful when using data, including copyright and whether or not it can be used commercially. The image above is a quote from an official company logo, so it cannot be used for commercial purposes, nor can it be redistributed. This is why VRoid Hub prohibits downloading it. It is only for personal enjoyment.
Be really careful with the data you purchase or download from Booth. Be sure to read the readme and follow the rules and etiquette so that you don’t accidentally use the software in a way different from what the creator intended. (It’s a lot of work to read through all the rights information one by one, but I think it’s a problem that will be solved in the future.)
The other thing to keep in mind is that it is hard to create an avatar if you only have a smartphone. It seems that you can complete the Cluster with just your smartphone, but it’s still more convenient to have a computer.
Also, the format of 3D data exported by VRoid Studio is different from that of Cluster, and it may not be usable on other platforms such as VRChat as it is, or it may not be able to be uploaded from a smartphone.
On a very personal note, the biggest problem I had with VRoid Studio was that when I wanted to make a tail, I heard that there was a way to use the hair, but I didn’t know how to do it. It’s also difficult to make avatars that look like something other than a person. If you want to make your own avatar, it may be faster to use 3D modeling software like Blender or Unity. Both are free to start.
The image below shows the tail being created in Blender, where I created everything except the tail in VRoid Studio and added the tail in Blender. I didn’t know how to set the bones, so I couldn’t do it.
Afterword
There used to be restrictions on the number of polygons, materials, etc. for avatars available in Cluster, but on January 6, 2022, the platform will be updated and those restrictions will be removed! Making avatars will be a breeze!
Also, I haven’t tried it, but if you wanted to convert an avatar VRM file to NFT, you could import the VRM file into Blender, convert it to GLB/GLTF format, and then use OpenSea to convert it to NFT. It looks good for free distribution, doesn’t it? I’ll leave the image I checked in case I’m wrong.
I’m sorry if you can’t convert it, or if it’s difficult because of some quirk in the way it’s done.
See you later~.
