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VRC Emote Installer (Creator Guide)

VRC Emote Installer is a component you attach to a distributable Emote prefab
so users can add the prefab to their avatar and get an Emote slot without manual Animator editing.

1) Basic Fields

1-1) Emote Name / Icon / Slot / Type

  • Emote Name
    The name shown in the menu.
  • Menu Icon
    The icon shown in the menu.
  • Slot Index
    The target Emote slot number (1–8).
  • Type
    The menu control type.

EmoteInstaller_Creator_Content

2) Developer Options

This section includes auto-detection, validation, and advanced configuration.
If an issue is detected, its status is shown with info/warning/error icons on the right. (A)

EmoteInstaller_Creator_Dev_1

2-1) Build Settings

  • Build-time Object Name
    Sets the object name that will be applied during avatar build.
    If this field is left empty, the current GameObject name is used at build time.
    When using Use Merge ME FX, it is recommended to set this value so later object renaming does not change animation paths and affect the build result.
    If this field is empty, pressing Setup VRC Emote fills it with the current GameObject name.
    This item is shown only when Use Merge ME FX is enabled in Advanced Options.

2-2) VRC Emote Settings

  • Target VRC Emote Menu
    Sets the Emote menu field to customize.
    This uses auto-detection.

2-3) Menu Settings

These are the items that are actually applied to the menu.

  • Emote Name
    The name shown in the VRC Emote menu.

  • Menu Icon
    The icon shown in the VRC Emote menu.
    If the icon is not a Texture2D asset, or its import settings are likely to fail VRC validation,
    an error box may appear along with the Fix Icon Settings (256, Compressed) button.

  • Type
    The control type. None keeps the existing type.

  • Value (Read-only)
    The value corresponding to the selected slot number.

  • Parameter (Read-only)
    Displayed as VRCEmote, Int.

2-4) Avatar Layer Settings

Specifies the target avatar layer controllers.

  • Avatar Action Layer
    Uses the avatar descriptor Action layer setting via auto-detection.

  • Avatar FX Layer
    Uses the avatar descriptor FX layer setting via auto-detection.

2-5) ME Layer Merge Settings

  • ME Action Layer
    Assign the Action template (AnimatorController) to merge.
    The template contents (states/transitions/parameters, etc.) are converted into a Sub StateMachine and inserted/replaced
    in the avatar Action layer between the configured range (Start → End).
    Any conditions in the template that use the VRCEmote parameter are converted to the selected slot value.
    By default, only layer 0 of the template is used.

  • ME FX Layer
    This field is enabled only when Use Merge ME FX is enabled in Advanced Options.
    Assign the FX template (AnimatorController) to merge.
    The prepared ME FX template (states/transitions/parameters, etc.) is merged/added to the avatar FX controller as a new layer.
    Any conditions in the template that use the VRCEmote parameter are converted to the selected slot value.
    By default, only layer 0 of the template is used.

If multiple objects share the same ME FX layer, a warning may be shown because results can vary depending on configuration or naming.

2-6) State Settings

  • Start Action State
    The state name that marks where the emote branch begins in the avatar Action layer. (A)
    You can auto-detect it with Setup VRC Emote or enter it manually.
    If this is empty and the Action layer is Default (or Null), Prepare Standing is assumed by default.
    If invalid, an error is shown.

  • End Action State
    The state name that marks where the emote branch ends in the avatar Action layer. (B)
    You can auto-detect it with Setup VRC Emote or enter it manually.
    If this is empty and the Action layer is Default (or Null), BlendOut Stand is assumed by default.
    If invalid, an error is shown.

    EmoteInstaller_Creator_State_1

  • Action SM Root
    Shown only when Action SM Root Tracking is enabled in Advanced Options. (C)
    If auto-tracking determines that a scope is required, running Setup VRC Emote may enable this field automatically.

2-7) Advanced Options

  • Action SM Root Tracking
    Limits tracking to a specific Sub StateMachine scope in the Action layer.

  • Use Merge ME FX
    Merges the FX template into the avatar FX controller.

  • Use Additional ME FX
    Expansion option for additional FX layers.

3) Setup VRC Emote

Pressing Setup VRC Emote automatically tries the following:

  1. Find the avatar’s default Action / FX layers
  2. Find the Emote menu in the ExpressionsMenu tree
  3. Find the start / end Action states
  4. Auto-track the Action SM Root when needed
  5. Fill Build-time Object Name with the current GameObject name if it is empty

4) Build-time Behavior

  • Expressions Menu is cloned and patched without modifying the original asset directly.
  • Action / FX Animators are merged on the Virtual graph without modifying the original AnimatorController asset directly.
  • If multiple installers target the same slot, the higher installer in the hierarchy wins.
  • Even if multiple installers are attached to the same GameObject, only the topmost installer on that object applies Build-time Object Name.

5) Preview of Applied Changes

The Preview lets you check what will actually be applied before building.

Radial Preview

※ Available from version 1.5.1.

  • You can check where the current slot will be placed.
  • The slot affected by the current component is highlighted as selected.
  • Entries with icons and entries with text only are shown in a way that is closer to the in-game menu.

Emote Installer radial preview

List Preview

  • As before, you can compare slot number / name (before & after) / type (before & after) in a table-like view.
  • The slot that the current component actually changes is highlighted on the “After” side.