Official 01. VaM2: Public AddonKit Tutorial

VaM2: Public AddonKit Tutorial​

Introduction​

Welcome to the VaM2 Public Addonkit.
You will need a basic understanding of Windows, Daz3D, and Unity to follow this guide.
DAZ Studio 4.24 is the version used for these tutorials.
This version of the Addonkit must be opened with Unity version 6000.1.11f1.
When you open the AddonKit project in Unity, it will show a message if the required version is not installed.
Details about this installation are included below in the Unity Quick Start section of this guide.

Unity Installation​

Daz3D​

Note on Blend Shapes: Daz3D and Unity use different terms for the same concept: Daz3D calls them “Morphs,” while Unity (and VaM2) uses “Blend Shapes.” Our documentation follows the terminology of each program—“Morphs” for Daz3D and “Blend Shapes” for Unity and VaM2.

Daz3D morph import requirements​

To import morphs with and without gens into VaM2 from Daz3D you will need to purchase and install the following content that we use with our game.

• Genesis 8 Starter Essentials available for free from Daz3D. These base models support morphs that were created for figures without genital anatomy. Important: It is highly recommended that you install the starter essentials or any official Daz3D assets using the DIM (DAZ Install Manager). Avoid using Daz3D’s built-in cloud installer. It organizes content differently than the DIM and may cause problems when importing blend shapes.

If you want to import any morphs that are to be used on the models that have genitals you will need to purchase and install the following products from Meipe. Install by following the instructions provided by Meipe.

For Females:

• Golden Palace For Genesis 8 Female

For Males:

• Dicktator For Genesis 8 Male

Note: Morphs for genitals need to be attached to the Genesis 8 models for them to be imported correctly. Morphs created for characters without genitals will not work on characters that include genitals.

Daz3D Quick Start​

Once you have the required products installed into your Daz3D content library, create a new custom folder specifically for the VaM2 base models. Create this new folder in a place where it is easy to find using the Daz3D content browser. The scene files to add to this new folder are available here:

Daz3D Scene files for VaM2 Base Figures.

There are four scene files, two male and two female. Use these files as the starting point for importing morphs. Do not modify them.. Important: The scene file for the Male with Dickatator gens "G8MaleDTGens.duf" includes an empty node attached to Dicktator that is required for it to import correctly.

• G8F_Base.duf
• G8F_GPGens.duf
• G8M_Base.duf
• G8MaleDTGens.duf

Unity Quick Start​

Download the VaM2AddonKit_0.1 and unzip it into your preferred work location.
The current build of the VaM2 AddonKit is only available to subscribers to our Patreon at the "Creator" backer level.

After installing Unity, open the Unity Hub and add the AddonKit project.

Navigate to the AddonKit folder and select.

Note: If you do not have Version 6000.1.11f1 of Unity previously installed, Unity will prompt you to install it when opening the AddonKit project. Follow the prompts to install the required Unity version:

You may choose to install additional modules with Unity, but these are not necessary for the AddonKit.
Continue with the install by clicking "Install".

Unity might show the "Select Editor Architecture" screen again during installation.
You may click "Cancel" here.

You should see Unity being installed. In the background, you can see our project with the triangular "Attention" icon showing that it has been added, but is waiting for the correct Unity version to finish installing.

Once installation has completed, open the AddonKit project.

EULA popup​

When you first open the VaM2 Addon Kit, you must agree to the EULA before you can create your own content. The EULA appears when you open the “Preferences” panel or when you open one of our templates. You can read the full text on our VaM2 Wiki.

Preferences Setup​

After accepting the EULA and opening the AddonKit, you will see this screen in the Preferences tab.

If this screen does not appear, open it manually through the Edit > Preferences menu. Under the 2D rollout "Addon Creator", or from the main menu "VaM2 Addon Kit" dropdown.

To install morphs and textures properly, you must enter the correct folder paths. When filled in correctly they will be displayed with a Green color. If the path is incorrect, it will be shown in a Red color.

• "Daz Studio Install Path": Click the folder icon on the right side to find and select the "DAZStudio.exe" file in the Daz3D installation folder. Usually located here:
  "Daz3D_Content\Applications\64-bit\DAZ 3D\DAZStudio4"
  Or
  "Program Files\DAZ 3D\DAZStudio4"
• "Daz Studio Content Path": Use the folder icon in the right to navigate to your "My DAZ 3D Library" which is usually located in your Daz3D install folder, unless you have specified a different path in your Daz settings.
  "DAZ 3D\My DAZ 3D Library"
  You can also find this folder in the Daz Install Manager under "Basic Settings", where it is listed as "Content Base Path". This folder is important because it is the starting point when selecting morphs to import.
• "VaM2 Addons Folder": Click the folder icon on the right side and select the "addons" folder inside your VaM2 installation directory.

Creating Blend Shapes Tutorial​

Importing Textures Tutorial​