Using 'VRM for Blender' for Rigging

If you have a complex character or don't want to use the autorig tools like Mixamo or Accurig, 'VRM for Blender' has a rig you can use to speed up the skeleton creation process for use to export the VRM.

Adding the Rig

• Select the 'VRM' tab at the top right of the viewport. If it is not visible, press 'N' or use the arrow at the top right.

• Select the 'Create VRM Model' at the top of the 'VRM' tab. It may take a moment to display, you do not need to click or drag in the viewport.

• Scale the rig to your model to get a good starting point using the Scale tool or 'S'. One approach is to place the pelvic bone within the pelvis region of your avatar.

• Go to Edit mode on the rig and adjust the bones to their rightful position using the Position tool or 'G'. Use the 'Use X Mirror' in the Tool tab at the top right to mirror each side.

• Use the 'Snap' tool set to 'Volume' at the top of the viewport to help position joints in the centre of a mesh. This is especially useful for the fingers.

• You may want to confirm the orientation of your bones are correct, otherwise it may not animate correctly. To display the Axes, go to the 'Object Data Properties' with the rig selected and turn on 'Axes' (Red box below). You can then use the 'Roll' tool in the 'Item' tab to adjust as you need to (Green Box below).

Rigging the Avatar

• Once you rig is complete you can apply it by parenting the mesh to the rig.

  • Select the mesh first

  • Hold shift and select the rig

  • Right mouse click and select 'Parent > Armature Deform > With Automatic Weights.

• To test your results, go to Pose mode at the top left of the viewport with the rig selected and rotate the bones.

• You can adjust the rig itself and/or update the weight paints as needed. This is covered in Adding Custom Bones to the Rig (Optional)