VRChat User Guide

CONNECT Support
Edited

💡Note: The guide is following the official recommended procedure for VRChat.

 

Preparation Before the Start

  • Please prepare the following programs and files before you begin creating your VRChat avatar.

 

Account Setup

VRChat Account

  • Create an account (free) on the VRChat website (https://vrchat.com).
  • The account is required to upload avatars and use them in VRChat.
💡Avatar Upload Requirements (Trust Rank)
- To upload an avatar, you must have a **"New User" Trust Rank or higher** in VRChat.

- To reach the "New User" rank, you need to play VRChat for a few hours, and new accounts (Visitor) cannot upload avatars.

For more information about Trust Rank, please refer to the following pages:
- Avatar Creation Requirements: https://creators.vrchat.com/avatars/creating-your-first-avatar/#requirements
- Trust & Safety System: https://docs.vrchat.com/docs/vrchat-safety-and-trust-system#trust-rank
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): https://docs.vrchat.com/docs/frequently-asked-questions

 

Unity Account

  • Create an account (free) on the Unity website (https://unity.com).
  • The account is required to use Unity Hub and the Unity Editor.
💡We recommend creating both a VRChat and a Unity account before proceeding with this guide.

 

 

Required Program

  • VRChat Creator Companion (VCC)

    • 'VRChat Creator Companion' is the official tool for creating VRChat avatars.
    • Download: VRChat Creator Companion (Official)
      • Click the section below to download.
      • System Requirements
        • Windows 10 (64-bit) or Windows 11 (64-bit)
        • ⚠️Mac and Linux are not fully supported.

     

  • Unity Hub and Unity
    • You must install the Unity Hub and Unity.
    • When you launch VCC, it will check your installation status.
      • If Unity Hub is missing, installation instructions will appear, and you must install it manually.
    • After installing Unity Hub and logging in, VCC will automatically install the VRChat-compatible Unity version (2022.3.22f1).
⚠️Note: Unity Hub may display a message recommending a different Unity version. Please ignore it and use the version installed by VCC (2022.3.22f1).

 

 

Install Required Asset

Please download the following assets in advance:

  1. lilToon Shader
    • This shader renders the avatar's appearance.
    • Download:
    • How to Install:
      1. Click the "Add to VCC" or "VCCに追加" button on the official website.
      2. The VCC program will launch automatically, and a confirmation window will appear to add the repository.
      3. Click the "Add" button in the window to complete the process.
  2. Modular Avatar
    • This tool makes it easy to change avatar outfits.
    • Download: Modular Avatar Documentation
    • How to Install:
      1. Click the "Add to VCC" button on the official website.
      2. The VCC program will launch automatically, and a confirmation window will appear to add the repository.
      3. Click the "Add" button in the window to complete the process.
💡Note: Once you add a repository, you can utilize it across all your projects.

 

 

1. Downloading the ZIP File

  1. Select your desired outfit in the CONNECT.
  2. Click the ‘Download’ button.
    • Once the download is complete, the file will automatically be saved to your computer's Downloads folder.

 

 

2. Unzipping the ZIP File

2-1. Extract Files

  1. Right-click the downloaded .zip file and extract it.
  2. Extract the file to your desired folder.

 

2-2. Check the extraction

  1. Once the extraction is complete, double-click the created folder to open it.
  2. Check that the following files are in the folder:
    1. ‘FBX’ Folder
    2. ‘Textures’ Folder
    3. ‘.unitypackage’ File

 

 

3. Creating a project through VCC

⚠️Are you an existing VRChat User?
- If you have already installed VCC and Unity, please skip steps 3-1 and 3-2 and proceed directly to Step 3-3.

 

3-1. Launch VRChat Creator Companion(VCC) & Install Unity

  1. Launch the VRChat Creator Companion (VCC).
    • On first launch, VCC will automatically check whether Unity Hub is installed.
    • If Unity Hub is not installed, an installation instruction will appear.
    • Follow the instructions to install Unity Hub first.
  2. Launch Unity Hub and log in with your Unity account.
  3. After logging in, VCC will automatically install the Unity version compatible with VRChat (2022.3.22f1).
  4. Wait until all installations are complete. (This will take about 10–20 minutes.)
⚠️Note: You can ignore this message if you see one in Unity Hub recommending a different Unity version.

 

3-2. Create a new Project

  1. Click the “Projects” Tab in the left menu of the VRChat Creator Companion (VCC).                                                                                                                                                          
  2. Click the "Create New Project" button in the top right corner.
  3. On the project template selection screen, select “Avatar.” (⚠️ Not "World")
  4. Enter a Project Name (e.g: "MyAvatarProject")
  5. Select a path to save the project.
  6. Click the "Create Project" button.

 

3-3. Install the Required Package

After creating the project, you have to install the packages required for avatar creation:

  1. Click the “Projects” tab in the left menu of VRChat Creator Companion (VCC).                                                                                                                                           
  2. Click the “Manage Project” button next to your created project.
  3. In the Manage Packages List, install the following packages:
    • VRChat SDK - Avatars (Check that this is automatically included)
      • Requires VRChat SDK 3.9.0 or Later. (Auto-install via VCC recommended).
      • Item Builds may fail if using versions prior to 3.9.0.                                 
    • Modular Avatar (Install from your downloaded file or the VCC list)
    • lilToon - The shader renders the avatar's appearance.
  4. Click the "+" or "Install" button next to each package to install it.

 

💡 If you can't see the packages in the list:

  • Click the “Selected Repos” dropdown menu in the top right corner.
  • In the Community Repositories section:
    • Check "bd_" (if you can’t find Modular Avatar.)
    • Check "lilxyzw" (if you can’t find lilToon.)                                                                                                 

 

3-4. Open Unity Project

  1. Once all package installations are complete, click the "Open Project" button.
  2. The Unity Editor will launch automatically.
  3. Wait for the project to load.
⏱️Note: It may take 5–10 minutes for Unity to open the project for the first time.

 

 

4. Avatar Setup & Upload

4-1. Import Unity Package

  1. In the top Unity menu, select Assets → Import Package → Custom Package.                                                               
  2. Select the .unitypackage file from the extracted folder.
  3. When the Import window appears, make sure all items are checked.
  4. Click the "Import" button.
💡Tip: You can also drag and drop the .unitypackage file directly into the Assets folder.

 

4-2. Place Avatar Prefab in the Scene

  1. Check the ‘Project’ window at the bottom of Unity.
  2. Navigate to Assets → [Outfit Name Folder] → Prefab.                                                                                    
  3. Find the avatar prefab file inside the Prefab folder.
  4. Drag and drop the prefab into the Hierarchy window.                                                                                                       
  5. Save the scene. (Ctrl + S or File → Save)

 

4-3. Open VRChat SDK Panel

  1. In the top Unity menu, click VRChat SDK → Show Control Panel.
  2. The VRChat SDK panel will appear on the screen.
  3. Click the "Authentication" tab and log in with your VRChat Account.                                                                                                    

 

4-4. Enter Avatar Information

         

Go to the "Builder" tab in the VRChat SDK panel:

  1. Selected Avatar
    • Check that the avatar object you wish to upload is selected.
  2. Avatar Name - Required
    • Enter a name to identify your avatar.
    • e.g.: "VRC_CONNECT_030"
  3. Visibility - Required
    • Private: Only available to you

    • Public: Cloneable by any user.

      ⚠️Warning: If set to Public, anyone can copy your avatar.
  4. Content Warnings - Optional
    • Check whether the avatar contains sensitive content.
    • e.g.: Violence, Horror, etc.
  5. Description - Optional
    • Enter a brief description of the avatar.
  6. Thumbnail Setting - Required
    • If you prepared the Image:
      • Click the "Select Image" button → select your image file.
    • To capture an image directly in Unity:
      1. Click the "Capture In Scene" button.
      2. Adjust the Scene View to set the appropriate angle for the thumbnail.
        • Alt + left click Drag: Rotate
        • Mouse Wheel: Zoom
        • ‘F’ Key: Focus on the Avatar
      3. Check the real-time preview on the right.
      4. Click the "Capture" button.
        • 💡Capture Options (Optional):
          • Fill Background: Use a solid color for the background.
          • Use Post-Processing: Applies post-processing effects.
          • Use Custom Camera: Uses a specific camera view.                                                                                                          

 

4-5. Pre-Build Verification (Review Any Alerts)

Before proceeding with the build, check for any issues in the "Review Any Alerts" section of the VRChat SDK.

⚠️Note
- Some VRChat SDK alerts (validation messages) are required, while others are optional.
- You do not necessarily need to solve every single issue to build.

 

Recommended Solving Method

Step 1: Issues with an 'Auto Fix' Button

  • Issues with ‘Auto Fix’ are those that the SDK has determined it can repair automatically.
  • Click the ‘Auto Fix’ button to repair automatically.

Step 2: Issues with a ‘Select’ Button.

  • Read the issue description and make a decision based on it.
  • In most cases, you can still build, but refer to these for optimization or feature improvements.

 

4-6. Avatar Build & Upload

  1. Navigate to the "3. Build" section.                                                                                                                                                                               
  2. Select Build Type
    • Select "Build & Publish Your Avatar Online"
    • Uploads the avatar to the VRChat server, making it available in-game.
  3. Select Platform
    1. Windows: For PC
    2. Android: For Quest/Mobile Platform
    3. ⚠️CONNECT files are designed for the PC (Windows) platform only, so please select Windows when building. Quest/Mobile platforms are not officially supported.
Related Reference Pages:
- Avatar Impostor: https://creators.vrchat.com/avatars/avatar-impostors/
- Quest Content Optimization: https://creators.vrchat.com/platforms/android/quest-content-optimization
  4. Term of Agreement
    • Check the ‘check box’ at the bottom:
      • "The information provided above is accurate and I have the rights to upload this content to VRChat."
  5. Click the "Build & Publish" button
    • Unity will automatically build and upload the avatar.

    • It may take several minutes to build.

      ✅ Build Succeed:
- The succeeding message will appear.
- You can equip the avatar in the Avatars menu in VRChat in-game.

❌ Build Failed:
- Check the error messages in the Unity Console window (Window > General > Console)
- Check for any unsolved alerts (⚠️4-5. Pre-Build Verification)
- Fix the issues and click "Build & Publish" again.
📖 For more details, please refer to the Official VRChat Documentation:
- [Creating Your First Avatar - Step 6]
- [SDK Troubleshooting]

 

 

5. Checking the avatar in VRChat in-game

5-1. Launch VRChat

  1. Launch VRChat from Steam.
  2. Log in and enter the game.

 

5-2. Apply the Avatar

  1. Open the Main menu (’ESC’ or ‘Controller Menu’ Button)
  2. Select the ‘Avatars’ Menu.                                                                                                                                                                            
  3. Select the avatar you just uploaded from the ‘Uploaded’ Tab and click ‘Apply’ to change the avatar.                                                        

 

5-3. Enjoy VRChat with Your Avatar

Congratulations! You have successfully applied your avatar.

Now, feel free to explore and enjoy VRChat with your avatar.

 

 

💡Do you need Further Assistance?