Troubleshooting

After reading this page you will be able to look up the exact validation or install message MLC showed you and know what to fix.

Check these first

1. Look for compile errors left in the Console.
   • This is correct. With no errors, every MLC card is visible in the inspector. If an optional integration assembly fails to compile, MLC treats that tool as not installed.
2. Check that the component is on the avatar root.
   • This is correct. The Ming Light Controller component sits on the very object that carries the VRC avatar descriptor. If you have the MLC window open, its Avatar Root row points at that object.
3. Press Validate Settings (No Source Changes).
   • This is correct. Validation complete is shown. If you get a different message, find that sentence below.

If the upload stopped with the error below, the problem is upstream of validation. MLC is configured only in the NDMF build-clone pass, so start by checking that NDMF is installed in the project and that it runs in VRChat build processing.

Ming Light Controller was not prepared by the NDMF build-clone pass. Enable NDMF for VRC build processing.

If The menu tree cannot be edited: ... is showing above the menu tree, the tree itself is breaking a rule. The common causes are items with overlapping order numbers inside the same folder, items with an empty name, and items placed under something that is not a folder. In that state no other validation passes either.

The component cannot be added

This is when you press GameObject > Studio Raming > Ming Light Controller > Add or Configure Component and this error is left in the Console.

Select the avatar root, not a child mesh, before adding Ming Light Controller.

What you selected was not accepted as an avatar root. It has to be one of these.

• An object with a VRC avatar descriptor
• An object with an Animator on it
• An object with the MingToon Manager on it
• The topmost object of a hierarchy that has renderers in its children

Selecting a prefab asset in the Project window does not work. Pick the instance placed in the scene. This menu item also does nothing during Play Mode.

The messages you get when registering a material property by right-click belong to the same family.

Message	What to do
Add a Ming Light Controller component to the avatar first, or select its avatar root before registering this property.	Attach the component to the avatar root first
Multiple avatars have Ming Light Controller. Select the avatar root that should receive this control, then try again.	Select the root of the avatar you want it on
No project material with a stable asset ID is selected.	Select a material saved as a project asset
This property is already registered in '...'.	The same property in the same scope is already registered. Edit that group

It says there are no target bindings

This is when validation fails with a sentence like this.

Target is missing runtime bindings for: ...

It means the targets an enabled feature has to drive could not be found on this avatar. What follows is the list of features that were not resolved.

Check them in this order.

1. Check that MingToon materials are actually on the avatar.
   • This is correct. The renderer's material slots are using the MingToon shader.
2. Check that the properties those listed features use exist on the material. The map is in Features and MingToon Properties.
   • This is correct. You can edit those values in the material inspector.
3. Turn off the checkbox in the Menu Layout card for features with no target.
   • This is correct. Validating again drops those features from the list.

Pinning the photo look bits makes the install fail

There was a problem where a configuration that pinned the photo look bits to fixed values was rejected at install time with a missing target binding error, and it has been fixed. If you still see the same symptom, update MLC to the latest version.

Both profiles exceed the budget

Both profiles exceed the synced budget. Disable features or make some local-only by turning Synced off.

Neither Smooth nor Compact fits. There are two ways to cut it down.

• Turn off the checkbox on features or folders you do not use in the Menu Layout card. Turning off a folder removes everything inside it.
• For features nobody else needs to see, turn Synced off in Selected Item Settings. The value then only changes on your screen, and it uses no synced bits.

If Advanced Catalog is on, start by checking that.

Only Smooth exceeds the budget

Smooth exceeds the budget. Use Compact or reduce the enabled features.

Switching to Compact makes it fit. Set Profile to Compact, or leave it on Auto. Auto tries Smooth first and then drops to Compact.

Some items cannot sync in Compact

This float has fewer than two compact bins and cannot sync in Compact. It becomes local-only at install time.

Compact splits a value into steps to send it. With fewer than two steps there is nothing to send, so that one item becomes local to your own screen. This is guidance, not an error, and the install continues as usual.

If other people need to see that value, use the Smooth profile.

It says the VRCFury provider is missing

The VRCFury provider is not installed. Install VRCFury or choose another build backend.

This is when you chose VRCFury explicitly and its provider could not be found. MLC does not fall through to another mode here; it fails, and the Validate Settings (No Source Changes) button is disabled along with it.

• Install VRCFury. The supported version is 1.1426.0 or newer.
• Or change Attachment in Advanced Options to something else.

If you installed VRCFury and still get this message, check the Console for compile errors on the VRCFury side. If that assembly does not compile, the provider is never registered.

Direct Descriptor refuses to merge

Direct Descriptor does not merge into an avatar that already uses any of an FX controller, an Expressions menu, or Expression Parameters. If attachment fails, the clone is rolled back to its previous state.

Use Modular Avatar or VRCFury on such an avatar.

VRCSDK was not found

VRCSDK Avatars was not found. The core compile plan can still be validated.

You can keep configuring and calculating the budget, but you cannot upload. Add the VRChat Avatars SDK 3.x to the project.

Output left behind by an older version

Older MLC could leave a generated folder and MLC-owned child objects on the authored avatar. The current version does not touch them; it ignores them.

The component inspector always has a Clean Up Previous Output button. The attachment window shows a Clean Up Previous Owned Output button, along with a notice, only when ownership has been confirmed.

Both buttons delete only the paths and components whose ownership is proven, and preserve the authored FX, menus, parameters, and materials. When there is nothing to clean, No MLC ownership manifest was found. is shown and nothing is deleted.

Deleting generated assets cannot be undone

The cleanup dialog says so explicitly. Check your project backup or version control state before running it.

If cleanup stops partway, you get one of these messages.

Message	What to do
Cleanup stopped because the previous MLC host could not be removed: ...	Resolve the reason that follows first
Cleanup stopped because the MLC Modular Avatar host still references an owned menu or FX asset. Remove the host first.	Remove the remaining host first
No result was returned while cleaning MLC generated assets.	Try again, and get in touch if it keeps happening
No MLC ownership manifest was found.	There is no owned output to clean. What is left was not created by MLC

The menu does not appear on the avatar

If validation passes but the menu is missing in game or in the preview, check these in order.

1. Check whether Attachment in Advanced Options is Standalone.
   • This is correct. It has to be something other than Standalone for controls to attach to the avatar. Standalone attaches nothing by design.
2. Check that Allow Build Clone Preparation is on.
   • This is correct. With it off, only the component is removed from the clone and no menu is built.
3. If you are checking in the Play Mode preview, check that Play Mode Preview is on and that the component itself is enabled.
   • This is correct. Both have to be on for controls to be built on the Play Mode clone.
4. Check that Enabled Features in the Budget & Validation card is not 0.
   • This is correct. With no feature enabled, the build succeeds but there is no menu to build.
5. Check that the root in the Menu Layout card has not passed eight slots.
   • This is correct. The first number of Root (n / 8) is 8 or less. Anything past that is not visible on the avatar.

If none of that helps

Send the full Console error together with the contents of the Budget & Validation card.

Contact

studioraming@gmail.com

Related Pages

• Component Inspector
• Menu Layout
• Features and MingToon Properties
• Build and Upload
• VRChat