Avatar Setup model requirements

Avatar Setup supports the automatic conversion of basic custom models to Roblox-ready bodies, rigid accessories, and layered clothing. By bundling your models together, you can automatically setup multiple custom models into avatar items for use in-game or for upload to the Marketplace.

Body

Avatar Setup can attempt to process a 3D model into a Roblox-ready character model. This is one of the most common use-cases for Avatar Setup and can help you save time by automating the rigging, caging, and other configurations required to make a Roblox-ready avatar character.

At this time, avatar assets like rigid accessories and layered clothing may require processing with a base body. Avatar Setup is able to use this base body as a mannequin, creating more accurate attachment points and other components to ensure a better fit. If converting accessories or clothing, you must bundle them with a base body for fitting.

Supported inputs

Avatar Setup detects the following partial avatar body inputs:

Reference Image	Avatar Setup support
	A single or multiple mesh body with no rigging. The most common input is a single mesh object that doesn't include rigging data or other components. The input body must meet Avatar Setup's model requirements. In this case, Avatar Setup creates the rest of the avatar components automatically.
	A single or multiple mesh body with only body rigging. If the provided meshes include a compatible R15 body rig, Avatar Setup uses the provided rig, and creates the facial rig and all other components. The input body rig must follow Roblox's rigging configuration, otherwise Avatar Setup creates a brand new rig for you.
	A multiple mesh with only facial rigging. If you intend to use your own custom facial rigging, set the FaceRootJoint (and all child bones) as a child of the R15 head joint. For more information, see optional rig requirements.
	A single mesh body with both body and facial rigging. If the body rig, facial rig, and appropriate FACS data is included, Avatar Setup preserves that data and only generates the missing Roblox-specific components. Bodies comprised of multiple meshes are not supported for this input. For more information, see optional rig requirements.

Mesh requirements

To achieve the best results when converting a model to a Roblox-ready avatar character, it's important to configure your base model so the tool can properly generate avatar components with.

Note that Roblox is actively adding improvements to this tool and these requirements may lift in the future.

The full requirements for the input body model are as follows:

1. Single or multiple mesh — In most cases, Avatar Setup accepts bodies comprising of 1 or more meshes. If your body includes multiple meshes, the tool automatically recombines all selected meshes as a single mesh, then decimates the combined parts to the appropriate R15 structure.

   1. If providing the standard 15 multiple meshes that adhere to the R15 character naming convention, Avatar Setup attempts to place joints according to the user-partitioned body parts.

2. 5 distinct head components — Whether you are using a single or multi-mesh character model, the following head components are required:

   1. 2 eyes — Heads must include 2 connected eyebags containing half-sphere eyes that do not share any vertices with the head component.
   2. 3 mouthparts — Heads must include a connected mouthbag that houses the upper teeth, lower teeth, and tongue.

      1. Each of these mouthparts must be singly connected and not share any vertices with each other or with the head mesh.

   

   

3. Head geometry must not share vertices — Eyeballs, teeth, and tongue must be part of the model without sharing vertices with the body mesh.

   

   

4. Within triangle budget — The total body mesh resolution must be within 10,742 triangles. Use the following guidance to ensure each part doesn't exceed expected polycounts:

   Body part grouping	Maximum triangles	Maximum quads
   Head	4000	2000
   Arms	1248 per arm	624 per arm
   Legs	1248 per leg	624 per arm
   Torso	1750	875
   Total:	10,742	5495

   1. The setup tool segments and adds caps to the character limbs which may add to your total polycount. If your character model is close to the polycount limit, the additional geometry may cause validation failures.

5. Humanoid shape — The body must follow a general humanoid shape, with two arms, two legs, a torso, and a head.

6. A-pose or T-Pose — The body should form an upright A-pose or T-Pose.

   1. Bodies with I-pose may yield lower quality results.
   2. Ensure that no limbs obscure or overlap each other from the front view.

7. Negative Z Axis — The body front should face the negative Z axis.

8. Symmetrical — Asymmetrical bodies may work on a case-to-case basis. Position the center of the body with the Y-axis to improve the accuracy of the result.

   1. If your asymmetrical model experiences setup issues, try using a more symmetrical version.

9. Watertight — Ensure the model is watertight in all regions with the exception of the eyes and mouth. Watertight means that there are no holes in the mesh and no back faces are exposed.

10. No accessories — Do not include accessories, including face accessories, like hair, eyebrows, beards, and eyelashes.

11. Distinct neck area — Keep the neck distinct and not merged with the shoulders or upper torso.

12. Includes texture — Models should include one or more texture maps. If the input body includes multiple textures, the tool bakes the textures to a single map. This applies to PBR textures where the four textures are baked — one for each albedo, normal, metalness and roughness.

13. Follows Marketplace and Community Policy — The model must conform to Roblox's Marketplace Policy and Community Standards.

Rig requirements (Optional)

You can use your own custom body and face rig for your character model input instead of allowing Avatar Setup to generate a new one.

To ensure that Avatar Setup uses your own custom body rig:

• Ensure that your bones (Blender) or joints (Maya) meet Roblox's avatar rigging requirements.

  • Double-check naming conventions and hierarchy.
• Body rigs should not include additional bones beyond the standard 15, and facial rigs (no bone limit) should be correctly parented to a RootFaceJoint.

To ensure that Avatar Setup uses your own custom face rig and FACs data:

• A supported R15 body rig is required when submitting custom facial rigs and facial animation data.

  • Review supported body inputs to ensure you are submitting a supported body input and facial rig combination.

• Facial rig must include a RootFaceJoint bone (usually mapped as DynamicHead) whose parent is the Head joint of the R15 rig.

• All the other facial animation joints are descendants of the RootFaceJoint, and not direct children of the Head joint.

• Animations need to be provided for the 17 required poses, at minimum.

• Neutral animation must map to frame 0.

• Since the head is part of the single mesh with the body, the facial animation mappings must be included with the single body mesh:

  • The mapping between animation frames and facial poses are stored in the extra attributes / custom properties of the provided single mesh.
  • The name of the root face joint is stored in the extra attributes / custom properties of the single mesh, mapping RootFaceJoint to the corresponding name (usually DynamicHead).

Examples of non-supported bodies

The following are common examples of bodies that may not yield expected results with Avatar Setup:

Non-supported model examples

Accessories

Avatar Setup can convert models into rigid accessories, configuring the scale type and attachment components required for rigid accessories.

To convert a mesh model into an accessory using Avatar Setup:

1. Fit the model onto a base body in Studio or your 3D modeling software.
2. Bundle the assets together in a single Folder.
3. Use Avatar Setup to use Avatar Setup on your assets.

During this process, you will be able to designate individual meshes or models as rigid accessories, layered accessories, or body parts. After conversion, a prompt displays allowing you to select the specific Asset Type.

For best results, ensure your models adhere to Roblox's rigid accessory geometry specifications.

Supported inputs

Rigid accessory meshes must be bundled with a body for Avatar Setup to configure. See the following supported inputs for rigid accessory meshes.

Layered clothing

Avatar Setup can convert models into clothing accessories, adding in rigging and caging data that normally requires manual configuration in a separate software.

To convert a mesh model into an accessory using Avatar Setup:

1. Fit the model onto a base body in Studio or your 3D modeling software.
2. (Optional - for best results) Bundle the assets together in a single Folder.
3. Use Avatar Setup to use Avatar Setup on your assets.

During this process, you will be able to designate individual meshes or models as rigid accessories, layered accessories, or body parts. After conversion, a prompt displays allowing you to select the specific Asset Type.

For best results, ensure your models adhere to Roblox's layered clothing geometry specifications.

Supported inputs

Avatar Setup can configure clothing models to a layered clothing Accessory complete with caging and rigging data. While Avatar Setup can configure models without a bundled body, you may find better results if you include a base body for setup.

Bundle multiple assets

Avatar Setup can process multiple accessory or clothing models with a single body model. To submit multiple models in the Avatar Setup tool, parent your models within a single folder.

To quickly parent your objects to folder:

1. In the Explorer, hold Shift and select the Model objects you intend to process with Avatar Setup. Ensure you are selecting a supported base body as one of the Model objects.
2. Right-click and select Group as Folder.
3. Select the Folder and then select the Avatar Setup tool to begin processing.