What is VTube Studio?
VTube Studio is a cross-platform application available for iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows. The software tracks your face using your smartphone or webcam and animates a Live2D Cubism Model appropriately. The model is displayed immediately on your phone or PC through a feed of the face-tracking data from your phone to your PC/Mac over your local network.
VTUBE STUDIO IS ONLY COMPATIBLE WITH LIVE2D MODELS. NOT SUPPORTED ARE VROID/VRM.
Where can I find the download?
To use VTube Studio, you must first download the mobile app (Android or iOS) and/or the desktop application from Steam (Windows or macOS). If all you want to do is utilize your webcam, you may do it without the smartphone app.
Devices Supported (iPhone/Android Tracking)
To operate VTube Studio, you’ll need a PC (Windows 7 or later) or a Mac (10.14 Mojave or later) and the VTube Studio smartphone app. VTube Studio requires either the ARCore (from Google, for Android) or ARKit augmented reality frameworks (from Apple, on iOS).
Which is better: Android vs. iPhone/iPad vs. Webcam?
Google ARCore on Android and Apple ARKit on iOS are used to track the face on a smartphone. Face tracking in ARKit on iOS is far more sophisticated than in ARCore on Android. This is largely owing to the fact that the supported iOS devices have specialized hardware for facial recognition (TrueDepth Camera). iOS devices with the A12 processor or newer that lack the TrueDepth camera are also supported, and tracking quality is comparable. When the devices are used in situations with extremely poor illumination, some slight variations may be detected. In a nutshell, iOS devices are superior. They give far more accurate and thorough tracking. In general, newer iPads and iPhones are preferred to older models, as older models may become warm/hot while use (see also FAQ). Additionally, Android does not support a number of critical functions. If possible, I’d recommend purchasing a new (newest generation) iPhone/iPad. Webcam tracking is also quite effective, but has a few drawbacks. Essentially, it adds load to your CPU that would not exist if the tracking were handled by a linked phone. Additionally, the blink- and eye-tracking are not as precise as on iOS.
Additionally, iOS tracking is less unstable and requires less smoothing. As a result, your model reacts more quickly and movement appears more realistic in general. To summarize, if you want to take advantage of high-quality face tracking, the iOS version is the way to go. However, webcam tracking is also quite excellent and may simplify things for you if your PC is strong enough to support it.
How to Begin
You are welcome to experiment with the software on your own! It includes a few Live2D models, but you may also add your own (more on that later). VTube Studio is comprised of a smartphone application (iOS/Android) and a desktop application (Windows/macOS). They have a lot in common. Let’s begin by examining the smartphone app’s UI.
The first image shows the loading screen for VTube Studio. If you want to know what version of the program you’re using, that information will be shown right there. The second image depicts the app’s main menu. You may then access the app’s primary features from there. From left to right:
Display a preview picture of the camera (see also third image).
The icon immediately adjacent to it initiates the camera calibration process without displaying the camera preview. Additionally, you may calibrate simply clicking on the camera preview picture when it is displayed.
Due of privacy/security concerns, there is no way to display your camera picture in VTube Studio while utilizing the webcam version.
Display the model selection bar.
The icon adjacent to it accesses the screenshot configuration. You may snap screenshots right within the app, store them, and share them on social media with this feature. Additionally, PNG screenshots with a transparent backdrop are supported.
Alternate background (shows background selection list).
The icon adjacent to it opens the item/prop system configuration window, which allows you to import things into the scene. For additional information, see the chapter “Item System.”
Lock model position (this prevents the model from being unintentionally moved about when you touch the screen; face tracking will continue to move/animate the model).
The icon adjacent to it enables/disables the locking/unlocking of all items in the scene. For additional information, see the chapter “Item System.”
Show configuration options, including the VTube Studio model and hotkey configuration.
Display logs (if you encounter any difficulties or errors, see the log)
Hide the primary menu icons. Double-clicking anywhere on the screen restores access to the menu icons.
Now, let’s see what occurs when the “Show model selection bar” icon is clicked.
The first item will direct you to a tutorial on how to import your own models into the program (this document). It will open the folder into which you must place the models in order to import them in the Steam version. If a model is presently loaded, the second button will uninstall it.
Following that are the models that are currently accessible in the app. VTube Studio includes a few of sample models for you to experiment with. Once a model is clicked, it is loaded into the scene. If the model is not configured yet, you will be prompted to execute the “Auto-Setup” for iOS/Webcam or Android, which will setup the model using the default Live2D parameter names and value ranges. This will be discussed in greater detail later.
Once set correctly, the model will mimic your movements and facial expressions. The model may be moved, rotated, and scaled using standard touch motions. When a model is opened on the PC program, the controls for moving, rotating, and scaling are displayed on the screen.
You can always close the camera preview. There is no need to maintain it. You can calibrate the face tracking by clicking the camera preview box. Maintain a reasonable distance between your face and the camera while doing so, and maintain a neutral expression on your face. This is very critical for Android/Webcam; iOS requires simply face direction calibration.
Vtube studio how to import model
- Launch VTube Studio and select the “Model” tab from the top navigation bar.
- In the top right corner of the screen, click the “Import Model” button. This will bring up the “Import Model” window.
- There are several options in the “Import Model” window. To begin, choose the file that contains the model you want to import. Click the “Choose File” button to do so.
- This will launch the file explorer on your computer. Navigate to the model file’s saved location and select it. Importing FBX and OBJ files is supported by VTube Studio.
- You can set some additional import options after selecting the file. You can, for example, change the model’s size and orientation, set a custom pivot point, and decide whether to import textures.
- After you’ve chosen your import options, click the “Import” button to begin the import process.
- Importing a model may take a few seconds or several minutes, depending on its size. When the import process is finished, the model should be visible in the Model tab.
- Importing a model may take a few seconds or several minutes, depending on its size. When the import process is finished, the model should be visible in the Model tab.
That’s it! You should be able to successfully import a model into VTube Studio after following these steps.
Loading your own Models
VTube Studio includes a few pre-configured models. The majority of them are owned by Live2D Inc., therefore please read the chapter “PrivacyPolicyandLicensing” before using them in your broadcasts. This chapter will walk you through the process of loading your own Live2D models into VTube Studio. It is expected that you have completed your Live2D model and have a working knowledge of what Live2D is and how it operates (Live2D parameters, etc.)
How to prepare your Live2D model for use in VTube Studio
There is no additional preparation required for your Live2D model to operate with VTube Studio. As discussed in greater detail later in the chapter “VTSParameterSetup,” you may map any face tracking parameter to any Live2D parameter, which potentially allows you to pick any parameter IDs and ranges.
It is suggested, however, that you stick to the default IDs and parameter ranges (min/max). Additionally, please keep in mind that VTube Studio only cares about the Live2D parameter IDs, not the Live2D parameter names.
Once your model is complete, export it using File > Export For Runtime > Export as.moc3 file. Ensure that the following options are selected:
- “Export Version” should be set to “SDK 3.0”, “SDK 3.3”, or “SDK 4.0”. (recommended).
- “Export file with Physics settings (physics3.json)”. If you do not, your model will be devoid of physics. Always export your physics file in this manner and never separately from the model, since this is the only method to ensure that the physics file is “registered” with the model (in the.model3.json file) and therefore accessible to VTube Studio. In the absence of a registered physics file, VTube Studio will utilize the first one it discovers in the model folder.
- Export Formats: SDK
This creates a folder containing the following files (ignore the files marked red). If your model fails to load in VTube Studio later, check that all files are present.
A brief summary of what these files do:
<model>.model3.json
Main Live2D model index file.
Human-readable (can be opened/edited in text-editor)
Has references to all other files. VTube Studio looks for this file.
<model>.moc3
Model binary file. Has all model data, such as vertices, deformers, parameters, etc
<model>.cdi3.json
Model display information file. Not currently used/needed by VTube Studio.
Human-readable.
<model>.physics3.json
Has all the information about your physics setup.
Human-readable.
<model>.<resolution>(here: akari.4096)
Contains your texture(s). VTube Studio also supports models with multiple and/or large textures. Be advised that using large textures may lag or even crash the app on mobile.
Before continuing, ensure that you have placed all of these files in a folder. I generally name this folder model> vts, but you may name it whatever you like. If you wish to use Live2D Animations and Expressions, place them in this folder or a subdirectory as well (see the two folders in the screenshot above). Later on, we’ll discuss how expressions and animations operate. Additionally, you need include a model icon in that folder (any filename, .png or .jpg, recommended 512×512 pixels).
VTube Studio integration of your Live2D model
Take your model folder and place it in VTube Studio’s “Live2DModels”-Folder. The location of this folder varies by platform. To open the folder in the Steam version, click the following button:
Start VTube Studio now. When the program is launched, it immediately searches the folder for new Live2D models and produces a VTube Studio Model (VTS Model, Live2D-Model-Name>.vtube.json) in the same folder. This file is readable by humans and contains all of the information about your VTube Studio model configuration.
Your model should now be shown in the model selection bar. If not, verify that all files are present and that the logs contain no errors.
Auto-Setup
You will be prompted to execute the “Auto-Setup” when loading a new Live2D model. Auto-Setup can also be performed manually after the model has been loaded (on the model tab in the settings).
When you run the Auto-Setup for iOS/Webcam or Android, VTube Studio searches your model for default Live2D settings. VTube Studio will presume that you’ve used the default Live2D parameter IDs and names and will configure your VTube Studio appropriately. More information on the default IDs may be found here: https://docs.live2d.com/cubism-editor-manual/standard-parametor-list/#
If you do not utilize the default IDs, you will need to manually configure your model. This is detailed in the chapter titled “VTSParameterSetup”.
Depending on the option you select, the model will be tailored for usage with Android or iOS/Webcam.
Your model is now complete and ready to use. Naturally, you may need to fine-tune it, but it should already be moving. After installing the app on iOS, you may need to open the camera preview once to see the model move.
The whole process is also explained in this video:
[VTube Studio] Loading your own Live2D Models–
Loading your custom background images
VTube Studio has a few pre-installed backdrops. Several of them are animated backdrops that cannot be changed or added to (for example the doggo one).
Additionally, the Steam app has a color-picker backdrop, as shown below. Additionally, you may activate “TransparentMode” with this background, which will enable OBS and other capture tools to record your model with a transparent backdrop, eliminating the need for a color key.
VTube Studio allows you to easily upload backdrops (videos or pictures). Use caution when utilizing movies with a big file size in the mobile app, as they may cause the program to crash owing to memory constraints.
Supported formats are:
Image
- .jpg
- .png
Video
- .mp4
- .webm (may not be supported on some platforms)
The backgrounds-folder is located in the following directories. After uploading your own backgrounds, you may need to restart the program.
VTube Studio Settings Preferences
The settings page is displayed after clicking the settings button in the main menu. It has many tabs, a help icon (which directs you to this article), and a language selection button for changing the interface language (app restart needed).
General Settings (Misc.)
You may purchase VTube Studio PRO (iOS/Android only) from this page. On iOS, this screen also includes an option for restoring purchases.
Additionally, there are certain global settings for concealing the VTS logo, remembering the scene (saving the open backdrop and model on restart), and so on.
Following that is the “Stream to PC” configuration. This is used to link your phone to your computer so that the face tracking data may be streamed to the PC software. This will be discussed in detail in the chapter titled “ConnectingyourSmartphonetoyourPC/Mac.” On iOS devices, you may also initiate a USB connection in lieu of WiFi. This is suggested over WiFi since it appears to be more reliable/stable. Unfortunately, this feature is not accessible on Android.
Finally, there is a section titled “Mouse Input Configuration”. This enables you to animate your model using the mouse/finger location as an input parameter in addition to face tracking. You can provide a pixel-based X- and Y-range. For X and Y, this range will be mapped to [-1, 1]. This option allows you to have your model’s eyes follow your finger or mouse cursor. Additionally, this displays the mouse-clicks (right, left, and centre) that can be used to activate hotkeys. These mouse clicks may be activated on the smartphone app by tapping the screen with one finger (left-click), two fingers (right-click), or three fingers (three-finger-click) (middle-click).
Latest: November 2024
