CloneX VRM Use Cases

Overview

Your CloneX can be rigged and exported in many different way and for different purposes. By utilizing the VRM standard when rigging and exporting our model, however, we're adhering to a standard that's interoperable among a growing set of applications. In this piece, we'll learn about some of the ways you can use your CloneX when it adheres to the VRM standard. You can learn how to create a VRM in my previous article and learn more about the standard here. Major shoutout to Jin and the M3 community for helping me learn about this standard and how to implement it.

VRoid Hub

The VRoid project is a 3D business by Pixiv Inc. that allows creators to seamlessly develop avatars using their proprietary platform VRoid Studio. See below for a screenshot of the platform. Once you've created your avatar, you can export it using the VRM file format.

Rather than simply hosting these files locally, Pixiv developed VRoid Hub - a web platform that allows you to upload VRM files and host them on your own profile. These hosted avatars can be for public use or private, and VRoid accepts VRMs up to 64MB in size. We can utilize VRoid Hub to host and easily integrate our CloneX avatars across many applications that utilize the VRoid SDK. Simply create a Pixiv account, visit VRoid Hub, Submit Character and follow the upload process.

Now that you've uploaded your CloneX, we can use various applications with the that have integrated the VRoid SDK. Let's have a look at a few of them.

Craftopia

Craftopia is a multiplayer survival action game made in Japan. It combines many features wsuch as hunting, farming, hack-and-slash, and building. It's currently in Early Access and is available for purchase via Steam.

When you go to your VRoid Hub settings in game, you can connect your account via web verification.

Now you can see and select from all of your available avatars within your VRoid Hub account

Once you select your character and enter the world, you can now play as your CloneX.

VSeeFace

VSeeFace is a wonderful and versatile application that is commonly used for VTubing. Simply select your CloneX from VRoid Hub, select your input settings, and you'll be able to do simple mocap with your CloneX.

VSeeFace also allows you to send data via the OSC/VMC protocol. We won't go into this today but it's a very handy tool for getting this motion capture data from VSeeFace to a variety of other OSC/VMC compatible applications. As an example, here's a VTuber setup I created that utilizes VSeeFace to send data via OSC/VMC into Unreal, and then stream that via an OBS virtual camera into Google Meets.

TDPT

TDPT is another highly versatile mocap application for iOS. It allows for full body motion capture (minus hands and face) using an iOS device's camera or a video input. It also can send data via OSC/VMC. I use the all the time for quick and easy mocap.

VRM Posing

VRM Posing allows you to quickly pose your VRM avatars and export high resolution images. It find it extremely useful from an efficiency standpoint. It also uses the OSC/VMC protocol to send pose data. A great use case for this is sending this data to Blender to easily pose your CloneX's for renders. This application is relatively new and is being constantly updated. Check the developer's Twitter for great content as the project is being built.

VRast

VRast is a fun, Street Fighter-like game that allows you to fight in a variety of styles utilizing any VRM avatar.

Avatavi

Avatavi is a mixed-reality application for iOS and Android that allows you to utilize your CloneX. It's great for content creation

KalidoFace

Kalidoface is another VTuber application but is accessible via web browser. It also has hand tracking implemented, so is excellent if you want to do cheap mocap in browser. I would use this a lot more if it were able to output OSC/VMC data.

Note this requires an upload from a local machine and does not have VRoid Hub integrated.

Webaverse

Webaverse is an open-source web based virtual world that allows you to drag and drop your VRM avatar in to use in-game. The platform is focused on developing a platform for users to create the open metaverse they wish to see and build in. See my previous tutorial that shows an example of how to get your CloneX into Webaverse.

Note this requires an upload from a local machine and does not have VRoid Hub integrated.

Substrata

Substrata is another multi-user virtual world. It allows you to chat with other users and explore objects and places that other users have created. Land parcels in Substrata are for sale, and can be minted as Ethereum NFTs.

Note this requires an upload from a local machine and does not have VRoid Hub integrated.

Conclusion

These are just a few examples of applications that have integrated the VRM standard - check here and here for extended lists of other applications. As a push for the open metaverse continues, a platform like VRoid studio will act as a catalyst for avatar creation and implementation using the VRM file format. Hopefully I see your CloneX out there!

Meta Mike is the co-founder of VERSED, t0xic and leads Partner Success at GigLabs. He has a passion for contributing to the education and enablement of the open metaverse.

Follow Meta Mike
Website | Twitter | LinkedIn