Hey Gamers, 

Following the 1.1.9.001 Beta update, this is a second update that continues to make changes and fixes to the avatar project. 

This version is still in Beta, as I have added several new features that require additional testing. It also includes several bug fixes from issues introduced in Beta 1. Thanks to all of those who have tested and reported issues. 

Please report any bugs to takomalynx@gmail.com or the Bug Reports channel on the Discord Server. Please briefly describe the bug and any steps I can follow to reproduce the issue. 

Here's a short rundown of some of the changes in Beta 2:

Important BETA Notes:

• REQUIRED PACKAGES:
  • Several packages are required for avatar to function. These are all free. However, they will need to be installed using the VRChat Creator Companion.  The Read Me file contains information on  how to install these packages.
  • Install these packages using the VRChat Creator Companion:
    • https://vcc.vrcfury.com/
    • https://poiyomi.github.io/vpm/index.json
    • https://d4rkc0d3r.github.io/vpm-repos/main.json
  • If these packages are not installed, the project will not work properly. 
    • It is also recommended to install Gesture Manager and AudioLink

Beta 2 Notes:

• Blender File: The Blender file has been saved in Blender 4.0. The file may not open in older versions of Blender. I have included an Export Preset for Blender which has the settings I use for exporting meshes. 
  • This file should generally be placed in \AppData\Roaming\Blender Foundation\Blender\4.0\scripts\presets\operator\export_scene.fbx 

• New: Blend shapes have been added for Face Tracking and MMD
  • MMD Note: For the MMD Blendshapes to work, the VRCFury Component “MMD Compatibility” must be added to the model. A prefab named “(Optional)KeepMMDBlendshapes” exists in the prefabs folder and can be dropped onto the model like other accessories. However, please note there currently appears to be an issue with the MMD Compatibility and some of the Dissolve shader effects. You may see issues when toggling certain accessories on or off because of this
  • Face Tracking Note: For Face Tracking to work, you must install VRCFaceTracking-Templates by Adjerry91 (VCC: https://adjerry91.github.io/VRCFaceTracking-Templates/ ). The blend shapes for face tracking are a first pass, thanks to the wonderful Micca (Thanks, Micca!), and will likely be adjusted in the future. I currently cannot provide support for face tracking as I have no way to test it, so if you run into issues with this, please let me know so I can iterate. 
  • Note for both: Blendshapes to support MMD and FT were added to all accessories that required them. The Avatar Optimizer will strip unused blend shapes when the avatar is built. If you do not plan on using either of these features, they should not impact the overall performance of the avatar. 
• New Hair Style: Mane A
  • Photoshop and CSP files for Mane_A are included in the Unity Package. A separate Substance Painter file is available on the store page. 

• New Accessory: Whiskers

• Updated all materials to use Poyomi version 9.0.53
• Getting ‘Good’ Quality
  • With the Avatar optimizer, the model can reach Good quality. This requires two things currently:
    • The model cannot use the Takopoi
      •  Rigid Bodies and Trail Renderers will immediately cause the avatar to be Medium quality
    • There are too many Phys Bone components
  • I Included a variant of the Body prefab that has additional phys bone components for the Cheeks, Butt, and Toes removed. 
    • With this version, an avatar that has ears, hair, horns, hoodie, glasses, and warmers can still reach good quality when using the Avatar Optimizer. 

• Bug Fixes:
  • Fixed an issue with the Takopoi where they were incompatible with the Standalone Version.
    •  They now have unique IDs, so both can exist in the project at the same time. 
  • Fixed several blend shapes that were clipping
  • Removed VRCFury’s Advanced Visemes as they appeared to be stuttering.
    • Accessories should still move with the visemes, but if you see otherwise, please let me know
  • Fixed Ear animations
    • I redid the ear animations entirely as they were severely broken with their new bone setup. 
  • Updated the Plantigrade versions of all meshes 
  • Removed vertex colors from the Warmers meshes