Table of Contents
Introduction
VRChat is a popular social virtual reality platform that allows users to create their own customizable avatars, interact with others in virtual worlds, and build their own virtual worlds. With over 20,000 community-created worlds, VRChat offers an endless collection of social VR experiences.
In this article, we will walk through everything you need to know to build and create your own custom VRChat worlds from start to finish.
Prerequisites
Before you can start building a world in VRChat, you need:
- A computer capable of running VRChat and building worlds in Unity
- Unity game engine installed
- VRChat SDK package imported into your Unity project
- Basic knowledge of using Unity and 3D modeling software
The VRChat SDK contains all the tools and scripts you need to set up your world for use in VRChat. If you’re new to Unity, take some time to get familiar with the interface and workflow before jumping into world building.
Setting Up Your Unity Project
To get started, create a new 3D Unity project and import the VRChat SDK:
- Create a new empty scene
- Add a VRC Scene Descriptor which contains basic settings for your world
- Set up proper lighting with a directional light and a skybox to visually enhance your world
You can also import custom 3D models, textures, visual effects, and sounds to populate your world. Optimizing these assets is crucial for performance.
Configuring Your World
The VRChat SDK has a Build Control Panel that lets you configure your world’s settings:
- Give your world a name and description
- Set capacity limits
- Add tags
- Choose visibility and clone settings
- Provide a preview image
- Set up respawn points
These settings impact how your world appears in the VRChat client and who can access it.
Building Your Environment
Now comes the fun part – building out your actual world! Lay out terrain, structures, landmarks, etc. Some ideas:
- Architectural spaces like rooms, buildings, mazes
- Fantastical landscapes, mountains, forests, planets
- Games and activities, puzzles, parks, sports
Feel free to start simple before tackling more complex worlds. Be creative and build whatever you imagine!
Adding Interactivity
The VRChat SDK incorporates the Udon programming language to add interactivity:
- Make objects move, change colors, play sounds
- Allow players to pick up, use, and modify items
- Create puzzles, games, scoring systems
- Build custom UI with buttons, text, images
- Integrate with VR controllers
Udon gives you total control to make your world react to players.
Optimizing Performance
Optimization is key for a smooth experience in VR. Consider:
- Limiting polygon counts on 3D models
- Using mobile-friendly shaders and effects
- Baking lighting instead of real-time lights
- Enabling occlusion culling
- Reducing texture sizes
- Combining meshes to reduce draw calls
Test frequently on multiple systems to catch perf issues. Target at least 45 FPS on a baseline VR setup.
Publishing Your World
When ready, publish your world to share with others:
- Build and upload from the SDK build panel
- Set a preview image
- Select tags, visibility, clone settings
- Agree to VRChat’s terms
- Share your world URL!
Monitor visitor feedback, optimize further as needed, and have fun seeing people enjoy your creation!
Additional Tips
- Use VRChat’s offline testing mode for quicker iteration
- Join VRChat’s Creator Discord for troubleshooting help
- Consider hosting events and meetups in your world
- Check the VRChat Creator documentation for more guidance
- Watch tutorial videos to see world building in action
Conclusion
Building a VRChat world takes time and effort, but allows you to craft creative social VR spaces. Follow this guide to configure your Unity project, construct 3D environments, add interactive elements, optimize for performance, and share your world with the community. The possibilities are endless!
