Tutorial: How to upload any custom avatar to Wonder Dynamics

Tutorial: How to Upload Any Custom Avatar to Wonder Dynamics

Ever wanted to upload a custom avatar to Wonder Dynamics but felt overwhelmed by the process? Here's a step-by-step tutorial to guide you through the entire procedure, from Blender to the final upload in Wonder Dynamics. Let's get started!

Step 1: Import Avatar to Blender

1. Upload Avatar: Begin by importing your avatar into Blender.
2. Export as OBJ: Once uploaded, export the avatar as an object file (.obj).

Step 2: Rig the Avatar with Mixamo

1. Upload to Mixamo: Go to the Mixamo website and upload your .obj avatar.
2. Auto-rig: Allow Mixamo to auto-rig your avatar with its bones.

Step 3: Download and Import Rigged Avatar

1. Download the Rigged Avatar: After Mixamo finishes rigging, download the rigged avatar.
2. Replace the Original Avatar in Blender: Move the original avatar, import the rigged avatar, and scale it up to 1.

Step 4: Copy Materials to Rigged Avatar

1. Select Materials: In Blender, select the material of the rigged avatar and copy it from the original avatar.
2. Paste Materials: Use Ctrl+L to link the materials between the two avatars.

Step 5: Position and Prepare the Avatar

1. Move to Center: Position the avatar at the center of the Blender workspace.
2. Adjust Location, Rotation, and Scale: Apply Ctrl+A to set location, rotation, and scale to zero and scale to one respectively.

Step 6: Rename and Adjust Rigging

1. Rename Armature and Meshes: Rename the armature and each mesh as described.
2. Delete Prefix: Remove any Mixamo prefixes from the bone names.

Step 7: Save and Clean the File

1. Save the File: Save your Blender file with an appropriate name.
2. Clean Unused Data: Remove any unused data through File > Clean Up.

Step 8: Pack and Unpack Textures

1. Pack Resources: Pack the project resources into files in the current directory.
2. Rename Textures: Rename the textures according to the format meshname_texturename.

Step 9: Final Preparations

1. Smooth Shading: Ensure all meshes are set to Shader Smooth.
2. Scale Adjustment: Align the avatar's size with Wonder Dynamic's example character and apply Ctrl+A again.

Step 10: Upload to Wonder Dynamics

1. Export and Zip: Export the Blender file and texture folder, zip them together.
2. Upload and Validate: Go to Wonder Dynamics, navigate to My Assets, and upload your zipped file.
3. Verify: After uploading, click on validate to ensure everything is correct.

Conclusion

Congratulations! Your custom avatar is now uploaded and ready to use in Wonder Dynamics. You can now drag and drop your avatar into any project and start animating.

Keywords

• Custom Avatar
• Blender
• Mixamo
• Rigging
• Textures
• Upload
• Wonder Dynamics
• Auto-rig
• Shader Smooth

FAQ

Q: What file format should I export my avatar as from Blender?

• A: Export your avatar as an .obj file.

Q: How can I rig my avatar?

• A: Upload your .obj file to Mixamo, which will automatically rig your avatar.

Q: What should I do if the avatar size doesn't match the Wonder Dynamics example character?

• A: Scale your avatar in Blender to match the example character's size.

Q: How do I ensure my textures are correctly applied?

• A: Use Blender’s Shift-select and Ctrl+L for linking materials and rename them according to the required format.

Q: What do I do if I encounter an error during the validation process?

• A: Double-check that all naming conventions and mesh settings, such as shader smoothing, are correctly applied.

Q: Why do I need to clean unused data in Blender?

• A: Cleaning unused data ensures that there are no redundant resources, which can help avoid errors in the final upload process.

Q: Why is it necessary to rename the bone names and armature?

• A: Proper renaming is crucial for compatibility with Wonder Dynamics’ system and ensures that your rigged avatar functions as expected.