Getting started

Layman’s Avatar Studio (LAS) turns VRChat avatar customization into a character creator. You pick a base you own, dress it, restyle it, test it, and upload it, all without opening Unity. This page takes you from download to your first avatar.

What you need

• A Windows PC. LAS is a Windows app. It installs everything else it needs, including the correct Unity version and the VRChat SDK.
• A VRChat account. Uploads go through your own account. Note that VRChat only allows uploads once your account has reached the New User trust rank. Brand new accounts start as Visitor and unlock uploading after some time playing VRChat.
• A free Unity account. Unity requires a one-time sign-in before its editor can be installed. Creating an account is free and the Personal plan is all you need. LAS walks you through this during setup.
• Disk space. Avatar projects are built on Unity, so plan for several gigabytes free.
• An avatar you own. LAS works with the avatar bases and outfits you buy from stores like Booth and Jinxxy, or files you already have. If you have not bought a base yet, our guide to buying avatars on Booth is a good place to start.

Install the app

1. Download the installer from laymansavatar.studio.

2. Run it. The app installs per-user, so no administrator account is needed for the app itself.

3. Launch Layman’s Avatar Studio. Updates arrive automatically later, with a small notice in the corner when a new version is ready.

Take the tour

On first launch LAS offers a short interactive tour with Otto, the built-in sample avatar. You will put an outfit piece on him, restyle it, and watch him move. By the end you will know exactly what to do with an avatar you buy.

The tour is the fastest way to learn the app, and you can rerun it anytime from Settings, under About.

Create your first avatar

1. On the Home screen, choose New avatar. You start from a base you own, so pick the avatar body you bought and give your new avatar a name.

2. The first time, LAS sets up its tools. It downloads and installs Unity Hub (Windows asks for administrator approval for this one step), waits while you accept Unity’s terms and sign in to your free Unity account, then installs the exact Unity editor version it needs. If Unity Hub suggests installing a different editor version, ignore it. LAS handles that.

3. LAS creates the avatar project and opens the Studio. Setup only happens once. Every avatar after this one is quick to create.

Tip

The Free plan includes up to 5 avatars at a time, no account needed. You can upgrade to Pro for unlimited avatars whenever you like.

Find your way around

Home is where your avatars live. From here, three doors lead to the rest of the app:

• Store opens Booth and Jinxxy inside the app, so you can shop without leaving LAS.
• Library holds everything you have imported and is where files you already own come in.
• Settings covers language, appearance, privacy, and your plan.

Opening an avatar takes you to the Studio: a live viewport of your avatar with a rail of panels along the side. Base, Wardrobe, Style, Morph, Physics, Equipped, Abilities, Try it, and Go Live. Each panel is one part of the flow, and the viewport shows every change as you make it.

Next steps

The core flow is the same for every avatar:

1. Import your assets: bring in what you bought and let LAS sort it.
2. Customize: dress, recolor, morph, and wire up your avatar’s menu.
3. Test it: watch it move and try its menu before anyone else sees it.
4. Upload to VRChat: Go Live checks everything and sends it through the official VRChat SDK.