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Getting Started with Manager

When you finish this page, one avatar is running on MingToon materials. The Setup Wizard keeps the original and makes a MingToon copy, and you fine-tune that copy in Manager. It takes about 15 minutes.

Before you start​

  • A project that finished Installation
  • One avatar placed in the scene. You can also start from a prefab in the Project window
  • A project backup. The wizard does not change the original, but back up a project you are using for the first time

1. Open the wizard​

  1. Right-click the topmost object of the avatar in the Hierarchy.
  2. Press MingToon > Convert to MingToon....

You are fine when the Make a MingToon copy screen opens at the top of the Inspector. The step guide reads Meshes · Look · Done. If MLC is installed it reads Meshes · Look · MLC · Done.

The first screen of the setup wizard opened at the top of the Inspector

Other ways to open it

The same wizard opens when you add MingToon Manager for the first time with Add Component in the Inspector. You can also open it by right-clicking a prefab in the Project window, or with Create a copy in Manager. The full list is in How to open it.

2. Add the face and body meshes​

Fill in the two cards of the Meshes step.

  1. In Add the face mesh, drag in the face mesh or pick it from List.
  2. In Add the body mesh, add the bare skin meshes of the body, arms, and legs.
  3. Press Next.

The first card shows Slots to convert: N · Keep: N. If N is 0 the wrong target was picked, so choose Object to convert again.

If you are converting only hair and clothing, leave both cards empty. When empty, only the face flag the source material itself declares is read and everything else stays Regular. Faces are not guessed from names.

The Meshes step with the face mesh and body mesh cards filled in

3. Pick a look​

Pick it in the Look step.

  1. On the Look card, pick Basic Toon. It is selected from the start.
  2. To go light, turn on Lighter (Low).
  3. Leave Color Preset unpicked. The colors read from the source are used as they are.

Basic Toon is the reference look with depth effects on. With Lighter (Low) on, it is the lighter side with depth effects off.

In the Materials to convert list you can change the role per slot. Touch it only when the face shares one mesh with the body.

The Look step showing the Look card and the Materials to convert list

4. Create the copy​

Press Create copy.

The progress bar changes in the order Converting materials... → Applying the look preset... → Finalizing and saving the converted materials.... At the end it precompiles the shader variants the new materials use, so with many materials you may have to wait.

A <name>_MingToon folder appears next to the original, holding the prefab and the material copies. The original files do not change.

5. Pick a lighting menu (only if you use MLC)​

If Ming Light Controller (MLC) is installed, the Control lighting in game? card appears.

  • To add it, press Add lighting menu. A menu that fits the parameter space left goes into the copy only
  • To skip it for now, press Later

Without MLC this step is skipped. The screen in detail is in Setup Wizard.

6. Check the conversion result​

The title of the done screen is Your MingToon copy is ready.

  • Read Converted slots: N. If it is 0, nothing was converted
  • If Some items need review shows, expand Conversion details and read it
  • Look at the scene. The copy is placed right next to the original, and the original is switched off

The scene has not been saved. Save it after you check.

The done screen and the MingToon copy placed in the scene

7. Fine-tune in Manager​

Press Open Manager and the copy's MingToon Manager is selected.

  1. On the Look tab, find the Choose the look you want card. You can change the look or apply it again.
  2. Select one material in the scene and open the Inspector in Simple mode.
  3. Lower Blur on the Shadow card and the shadow edge becomes crisper.
  4. Raise Outline Width on the Face & Outline card and the outline gets thicker.

You succeeded when the shadow edge is crisp and the outline is thicker. What the values mean is in Using the Inspector.

Check that it worked​

  • The copy is not magenta (pink).
  • Converted slots on the done screen is not 0.
  • The face slot is shaded like a face. If not, change that slot to Face in the material list of the Look step and create the copy again.
  • Changing a material value changes the screen right away.

If something is off, go to Troubleshooting. If a wizard notice appears, see Wizard problems.

When you finish editing, run the VRC SDK upload or the WARUDO mod build as usual. Automatic optimization runs then. You do not need to press manual Bake first. The object to upload is the copy, not the original. Leave the original switched off.

If you only want to change the materials in place​

There is also manual conversion, which switches the original Renderers' slots in place without the wizard. Use it when moving only some materials.

Setup Wizard · MingToon Manager · Basic Settings · Using the Inspector