How to import pose, bake physics then export to FBX
Import your model, click Physics under Model Setup > Assembly and Update World under Scene Setup. Select model root (axis icon), import VPD. If physi...
Posts by Tag
- mmd_tools 25
- animation 18
- pmxe 13
- morphs 10
- conversion 9
- modeling 8
- mmd_tools_append 8
- rigging 8
- shading 8
- misc 8
- physics 7
- addons 5
- fbx 5
- install 4
- mme 4
- toon-shading 4
- rigify 4
- npr 3
- material 3
- texture-editing 2
- UV 2
- vrm 2
- cycles 2
- retopo 1
- weight-paint 1
- scale 1
- metarig 1
- sdef 1
- normals 1
- edges 1
mmd_tools
How to import VMD (motion)
You have to select the axis icon for full morph & bone import.
How to quickly export to PMX
This only works for non-humanoid models (stages & accessories). I recommend checking out How to convert FBX into PMX.
Export PMX as OBJ
Import MMD model from Scene Setup Select the mesh and click Convert to Blender in Model Setup File > Export > Wavefront (.obj) then enable PBR E...
Physics simulation for MMD models in Blender
If the model already has MMD physics and you want to render animation in Blender, you can:
How to separate parts in Blender
Click Separate by Materials. This will separate the model. Press tab to go to edit mode. Click third icon to enable face select mode. After clicking f...
General advices about MMD in Blender
textures aren’t working
How to prevent materials from merging when exporting
Make them unique by clicking on this number.
MMD Tools and supported Blender versions
Blender LTS Version MMD Tools Version MMD UuuNyaa Tools Version Blender 4.2 & 4.5 MMD Tools v4.x ...
How to automatically rename bones
This was written before useful features like Humanoid Renamer were introduced. I recommend checking out How to convert FBX into PMX.
Export PMX as FBX for Mod
Remove texture alpha with Krita Import Saber Select mesh and Convert to Blender (material) Separate by Materials delete 001_颜+ (blush object) mo...
How to fix transparent models in Cycles
When using Cycles, if the model has two or more meshes in the same place, it might become transparent.
Export PMX as FBX for Clip Studio Modeler
Convert the material to Blender, and export FBX with these options:
How to convert to MMD material
If your material is using BSDF nodes or Emission, you can convert them into MMD shader (MMDShaderDev).
How to add transparency to material
Adjust MMD Material > Alpha to add transparency.
Using Blender 2.83
Here’s the versions that work on Blender 2.83.
Export PMX as FBX for Unity
Convert to Blender (to embed textures into final FBX) Delete hierarchy of rigidbodies and joints Press little button next to the Translate (Global Tra...
SDEF in Blender
SDEF is a different kind of skinning algorithm. Blender uses BDEF (bone deformation), but in MMD, you can use SDEF (spherical deformation).
How to convert FBX into PMX
There are many ways to convert FBX models into PMX.
Replicating MMD look in Blender
For easy preview, you can use Workbench. Set lighting to Flat and color to Texture. You can also set View Transform to Standard.
How to fix warped legs of Rigify integrated MMD models
You can fix the model in either PmxE or Blender.
Using MMD rigidbody physics in Blender
This is how to enable MMD rigidbody physics in Blender:
How to use UV morphs
UV morphs look like this:
How to make morphs usable in Blender
Press Morph (Model Setup > Assembly) first, then control from Morph Tools by changing value.
How to manually install addons
In explorer, paste this to the address bar:
animation
What does the leg slider do in Append Rigify?
It toggles thigh_ik constraints, which copies rotation from thigh_fk.
How to auto blink
In MMD, you can use randomly register blinking if the model has “まばたき (blink)” morph. It will register keys to blink morph so you can copy & paste to oth...
How to bake light animation
If you animated MMD light using Copy Rotation (constraints) in MMD_Light (the parent of Light), you can select Light (the child) then click Object > Anima...
How to use VRM 1.x SpringBone in Blender
You need to click Enable Animation, and press space to start animation.
How to import VMD (motion)
You have to select the axis icon for full morph & bone import.
How to fix physics simulation in MMD
First, you should enable Trace Mode from physical operation. Trace Mode allows you to calculate & stop physics while editing motion.
Advantages of MMM
Morph graphs in timeline proper plugin support hand animation sliders by default physics baking caption camera position view multi light by de...
General advices about MMD in Blender
textures aren’t working
How to force the model to stay in the same position
This doesn’t work for motions that uses 全ての親. Use MotionSupporter first to remove 全ての親 keys.
Parent bone & Child bone
Click the article to watch the video.
How to turn off IK
Click the article to watch the video.
How to pose models
If you want to manually trace motions, you should move body first, then limbs, hands and facials.
How to edit motions in Blender
You can edit motions in Graph Editor. You can swap Time Line in the bottom with this one.
VMDSizing
VMDSizing is a utility for adjusting motion from source model to other models.
How to save pose with facial
MMD pose files (.vpd) don’t hold morph data (facials).
Using MMD rigidbody physics in Blender
This is how to enable MMD rigidbody physics in Blender:
How to use UV morphs
UV morphs look like this:
pmxe
How to reverse & apply vertex morphs
You can use 闇鍋プラグイン (EtcPlugin) to reverse & apply vertex morphs.
How to save/load bone order
You can save/load bone order with 闇鍋プラグイン (EtcPlugin).
How to fix PmxEditor not working
If you can use MMD, that means DirectX 9, VC++ 2008 & 2010 are already working.
How to turn bone morph into VPD (pose)
Click Add Bone Morph To Normal in the TransformView and the bones should turn green. After that, save as VPD.
How to separate parts in PmxEditor
Make sure F (face) is turned on. Select a face, then press + (plus) key. This will extend the selection to connected faces. Then click Face > Trunc...
How to remove specific parts from vertex morph
Right click the morph and select Vertex/UV Morph Edit. From Morph Editor window, go to Edit > Collect Vertex - Difference. This will hide unchanged v...
How to fix arm IK
Arm IK created with IK Maker X might not work by default for some model.
Using edge scale to selectively remove edges
Some models look weird because edges become visible when it shouldn’t.
How to swap head
For the head part, you should delete everything but head part.
How to save original orders in PmxEditor
I use 闇鍋プラグイン (EtcPlugin) in PmxEditor to export correct order as text file for later sorting.
Removing 腰 and 足D
PMX models have many bones that enhances motion creation workflow.
How to setup physics
You should setup physics in PmxEditor, because changing values is easier.
How to make scaling morph
I use PMXE when making morphs, but you can only do movement and rotation with bone morphs.
morphs
How to auto blink
In MMD, you can use randomly register blinking if the model has “まばたき (blink)” morph. It will register keys to blink morph so you can copy & paste to oth...
How to reverse & apply vertex morphs
You can use 闇鍋プラグイン (EtcPlugin) to reverse & apply vertex morphs.
How to turn bone morph into VPD (pose)
Click Add Bone Morph To Normal in the TransformView and the bones should turn green. After that, save as VPD.
How eye illusion works
If you are wondering how some models’ eyes follow the camera, that’s an illusion. You might think their eyes are moving, but they aren’t.
How to remove specific parts from vertex morph
Right click the morph and select Vertex/UV Morph Edit. From Morph Editor window, go to Edit > Collect Vertex - Difference. This will hide unchanged v...
How to combine shapekeys
Select the mesh and open Shape Keys, and set those two morphs to 1.0.
How to save pose with facial
MMD pose files (.vpd) don’t hold morph data (facials).
How to use UV morphs
UV morphs look like this:
How to make morphs usable in Blender
Press Morph (Model Setup > Assembly) first, then control from Morph Tools by changing value.
How to make scaling morph
I use PMXE when making morphs, but you can only do movement and rotation with bone morphs.
conversion
What is MMD Tools Append?
MMD Tools Append (formerly known as MMD UuuNyaa Tools) is a Blender addon that works with MMD Tools to add features that focuses on Blender workflows.
Turning Pelvis into MMD lower body
Most humanoid models (FBX, VRM, etc.) have a bone called pelvis (also called hips or spine).
How to quickly export to PMX
This only works for non-humanoid models (stages & accessories). I recommend checking out How to convert FBX into PMX.
Export PMX as OBJ
Import MMD model from Scene Setup Select the mesh and click Convert to Blender in Model Setup File > Export > Wavefront (.obj) then enable PBR E...
How to automatically rename bones
This was written before useful features like Humanoid Renamer were introduced. I recommend checking out How to convert FBX into PMX.
Export PMX as FBX for Mod
Remove texture alpha with Krita Import Saber Select mesh and Convert to Blender (material) Separate by Materials delete 001_颜+ (blush object) mo...
Export PMX as FBX for Clip Studio Modeler
Convert the material to Blender, and export FBX with these options:
Export PMX as FBX for Unity
Convert to Blender (to embed textures into final FBX) Delete hierarchy of rigidbodies and joints Press little button next to the Translate (Global Tra...
How to convert FBX into PMX
There are many ways to convert FBX models into PMX.
modeling
Modeling softwares
I recommend Metasequoia for easier Blender alternative. You can make/edit MMD models as well.
How to separate parts in Blender
Click Separate by Materials. This will separate the model. Press tab to go to edit mode. Click third icon to enable face select mode. After clicking f...
How to separate parts in PmxEditor
Make sure F (face) is turned on. Select a face, then press + (plus) key. This will extend the selection to connected faces. Then click Face > Trunc...
Extruding faces in Metasequoia
Metasequoia can extrude faces, but it removes original faces. So you have to first select faces you want to extrude, and then duplicate that. You can duplica...
How to fix broken normal
For messed up normals, you can fix it with Data Transfer Modifier.
How to get clean preview of UV
You can disable overlay for one viewport while keeping the overlay for the other.
How to change clothes of models
This is the method I use.
How to retopologize models
3d model needs to have clean topology so that when rigged, vertices will move smoothly. Auto remeshers will make retopology easy. Blender has a built in reme...
mmd_tools_append
What does the leg slider do in Append Rigify?
It toggles thigh_ik constraints, which copies rotation from thigh_fk.
What is MMD Tools Append?
MMD Tools Append (formerly known as MMD UuuNyaa Tools) is a Blender addon that works with MMD Tools to add features that focuses on Blender workflows.
Physics simulation for MMD models in Blender
If the model already has MMD physics and you want to render animation in Blender, you can:
How to install MMD Tools Append
Click the article to watch the video.
MMD Tools and supported Blender versions
Blender LTS Version MMD Tools Version MMD UuuNyaa Tools Version Blender 4.2 & 4.5 MMD Tools v4.x ...
What to do when you can’t add metarig
When adding metarig fails in MMD Tools Append, it’s always because bone names are wrong.
How to convert FBX into PMX
There are many ways to convert FBX models into PMX.
How to fix warped legs of Rigify integrated MMD models
You can fix the model in either PmxE or Blender.
rigging
How to fix glitchy leg IK
Make sure IK Limit is set correctly. Also, in Blender, IK won’t work correctly if the leg is completely straight.
How to save/load bone order
You can save/load bone order with 闇鍋プラグイン (EtcPlugin).
Turning Pelvis into MMD lower body
Most humanoid models (FBX, VRM, etc.) have a bone called pelvis (also called hips or spine).
How to fix arm IK
Arm IK created with IK Maker X might not work by default for some model.
Parent bone & Child bone
Click the article to watch the video.
How to swap head
For the head part, you should delete everything but head part.
Removing 腰 and 足D
PMX models have many bones that enhances motion creation workflow.
How to fix warped legs of Rigify integrated MMD models
You can fix the model in either PmxE or Blender.
shading
How to fix dithered transparency
You can change to Blended (or Alpha Blend on 4.1) from material settings.
What is MMD Tools Append?
MMD Tools Append (formerly known as MMD UuuNyaa Tools) is a Blender addon that works with MMD Tools to add features that focuses on Blender workflows.
General advices about MMD in Blender
textures aren’t working
msToonCoordinator
msToonCoordinator is rather hard to use, as it requires model & texture editing.
Rim lights
Rim light is used to highlight the edges of models. It separates them from the background to add more contrast.
How to bake textures
With texture baking, you can combine multiple textures into one.
Simple toon shader
You should try this toon setup:
Replicating MMD look in Blender
For easy preview, you can use Workbench. Set lighting to Flat and color to Texture. You can also set View Transform to Standard.
misc
Advantages of MMM
Morph graphs in timeline proper plugin support hand animation sliders by default physics baking caption camera position view multi light by de...
半角 (half-width) vs 全角 (full-width)
They are different letters. MMD uses full-width numbers for fingers (like 右親指０ and 右人指１)
Updating Robust Weight Transfer
If you have updated Robust Weight Transfer from old version (like v1.0), it might crash Blender.
Video autotrace & Motion generation
There are some AI tools that can auto trace videos, or even make motions from scratch.
Websites for finding 3D models
FBX, glTF and more:
Running MMD on Asahi Linux
I got MMD & MME working on Asahi Linux! I used Steam & Proton for this setup.
Using PMX outside MMD
First, there are native MMD-like softwares (for animation/rendering, no modeling capabilities):
How to change start position of video
If you imported the reference by drag&drop, there’s Offset under image property. Set it to whatever frame you want to start.
physics
How to import pose, bake physics then export to FBX
Import your model, click Physics under Model Setup > Assembly and Update World under Scene Setup. Select model root (axis icon), import VPD. If physi...
How to use VRM 1.x SpringBone in Blender
You need to click Enable Animation, and press space to start animation.
What is MMD Tools Append?
MMD Tools Append (formerly known as MMD UuuNyaa Tools) is a Blender addon that works with MMD Tools to add features that focuses on Blender workflows.
How to fix physics simulation in MMD
First, you should enable Trace Mode from physical operation. Trace Mode allows you to calculate & stop physics while editing motion.
Physics simulation for MMD models in Blender
If the model already has MMD physics and you want to render animation in Blender, you can:
How to setup physics
You should setup physics in PmxEditor, because changing values is easier.
Using MMD rigidbody physics in Blender
This is how to enable MMD rigidbody physics in Blender:
addons
How to install MMD Tools Append
Click the article to watch the video.
Using Blender 2.83
Here’s the versions that work on Blender 2.83.
Screencast Keys
I use Screencast Keys when I’m recording Blender tutorials.
Recommended addons for Blender
Here’s some I would recommend (all free):
How to manually install addons
In explorer, paste this to the address bar:
fbx
How to import pose, bake physics then export to FBX
Import your model, click Physics under Model Setup > Assembly and Update World under Scene Setup. Select model root (axis icon), import VPD. If physi...
Export PMX as FBX for Mod
Remove texture alpha with Krita Import Saber Select mesh and Convert to Blender (material) Separate by Materials delete 001_颜+ (blush object) mo...
Export PMX as FBX for Clip Studio Modeler
Convert the material to Blender, and export FBX with these options:
Export PMX as FBX for Unity
Convert to Blender (to embed textures into final FBX) Delete hierarchy of rigidbodies and joints Press little button next to the Translate (Global Tra...
How to convert FBX into PMX
There are many ways to convert FBX models into PMX.
install
How to fix PmxEditor not working
If you can use MMD, that means DirectX 9, VC++ 2008 & 2010 are already working.
How to install MMD Tools Append
Click the article to watch the video.
Using Blender 2.83
Here’s the versions that work on Blender 2.83.
How to manually install addons
In explorer, paste this to the address bar:
mme
Ray-MMD workarounds
These are the tips I found:
msToonCoordinator
msToonCoordinator is rather hard to use, as it requires model & texture editing.
Rim lights
Rim light is used to highlight the edges of models. It separates them from the background to add more contrast.
How to make MME
There is a file called full.fx (MMD standard shader written in MME) which every MME effects are based on.
toon-shading
msToonCoordinator
msToonCoordinator is rather hard to use, as it requires model & texture editing.
Rim lights
Rim light is used to highlight the edges of models. It separates them from the background to add more contrast.
Simple toon shader
You should try this toon setup:
Replicating MMD look in Blender
For easy preview, you can use Workbench. Set lighting to Flat and color to Texture. You can also set View Transform to Standard.
rigify
What does the leg slider do in Append Rigify?
It toggles thigh_ik constraints, which copies rotation from thigh_fk.
Rigify in Blender
MMD is fine for posing, but in Blender (and many other 3DCG softwares), you can use something called Rig (not to be confused with rigging).
What to do when you can’t add metarig
When adding metarig fails in MMD Tools Append, it’s always because bone names are wrong.
How to convert FBX into PMX
There are many ways to convert FBX models into PMX.
npr
Simple toon shader
You should try this toon setup:
What is NPR?
NPR (aka toon shading) stands for Non-Photorealistic-Rendering.
Replicating MMD look in Blender
For easy preview, you can use Workbench. Set lighting to Flat and color to Texture. You can also set View Transform to Standard.
material
How to convert to MMD material
If your material is using BSDF nodes or Emission, you can convert them into MMD shader (MMDShaderDev).
How to add transparency to material
Adjust MMD Material > Alpha to add transparency.
Simple toon shader
You should try this toon setup:
texture-editing
How to bake textures
With texture baking, you can combine multiple textures into one.
How to remove alpha from textures
Import the image to Krita and right click -> Alpha into Mask.
UV
How to get clean preview of UV
You can disable overlay for one viewport while keeping the overlay for the other.
How to use UV morphs
UV morphs look like this:
vrm
How to use VRM 1.x SpringBone in Blender
You need to click Enable Animation, and press space to start animation.
How to convert FBX into PMX
There are many ways to convert FBX models into PMX.
cycles
How to bake textures
With texture baking, you can combine multiple textures into one.
How to fix transparent models in Cycles
When using Cycles, if the model has two or more meshes in the same place, it might become transparent.
retopo
How to retopologize models
3d model needs to have clean topology so that when rigged, vertices will move smoothly. Auto remeshers will make retopology easy. Blender has a built in reme...
weight-paint
How to change clothes of models
This is the method I use.
scale
Scaling models
You can scale the model by scaling the empty (root object).
metarig
What to do when you can’t add metarig
When adding metarig fails in MMD Tools Append, it’s always because bone names are wrong.
sdef
SDEF in Blender
SDEF is a different kind of skinning algorithm. Blender uses BDEF (bone deformation), but in MMD, you can use SDEF (spherical deformation).
normals
How to fix broken normal
For messed up normals, you can fix it with Data Transfer Modifier.
edges
Using edge scale to selectively remove edges
Some models look weird because edges become visible when it shouldn’t.