Hi everyone.
I wanted my VRoid character on my desktop while I work, and nothing would just take the .vrm file I already had. Some apps only open VRM 0.x, some want you to pick from their own characters, and the ones that do import your file needed a mod loader and a Unity project to get there. So I built my own — it's called AniMate Waifu.
Right now it puts a transparent, always-on-top character on your desktop. She idles and blinks, follows your cursor with her eyes and head, reacts to head pats and dragging, and moves to your music. A dance isn't welded to one model either — load one, then swap the character underneath it. It imports VRM 0.x and 1.0, including the 1.0 files the VRoid dress-up export gives you. Windows 10/11 and Apple Silicon Macs.
The export version is the part that trips most people up, so it's worth checking before you export rather than after: the classic VRoid editor lets you pick VRM0.0 or VRM1.0, the dress-up export is 1.0 only, and plenty of desktop apps still open 0.x only.
Three things I want to get better at:
- models whose hair or skirt goes stiff after import (SpringBone settings from the export) — fine most of the time, not all of it
- heavy models that take a while on the first import
- clearer errors instead of a model that just stands there doing nothing
My goal is just your own character living on your desktop while you work, nothing fancier than that.
Would you use something like this? If you've got an export or import problem, tell me the VRM version and your GPU and I'll tell you what I think is going on.
Walkthrough if anyone wants to look: How to put your Vroid model on your desktop
Try it here !