04. Setting up a .blend File

For any more advanced content, you'll need to setup your own .blend file.

Creating the .blend file

If you haven't already, install Blender. Also consider grabbing the Ucupaint to help with texturing.

• In file explorer, navigate into the /WorkingAssets/ folder.
• Make a copy of the Yinglet-Mod-Empty.blend file and rename the Empty to whatever you named your mod folder
  • For example, for the /Sample-StarwalkersDelight/ mod folder created in the last wiki page, we'll want an equivalent blender file named Yinglet-Mod-Sample-StarwalkersDelight.blend
  • This naming ensures it will be exported properly.

Now open your shiny new .blend file:

Your file contains a link to the Yinglet-Base.blend file. This means you'll be able to build new textures, models, and animations on top of it without accidentally messing up the base rig. There are limitations to linking though, which is why we had to texture directly on the Yinglet-Base.blend file for the fur patterns

Exporting the .blend file to a .fbx for use in-app

If you plan on exporting models or poses, we'll also want to make sure we're setup to export.

Click the "Scripting" tab up at the top:

Ensure the rig is selected by right clicking the bones, and then hit the run script button.

If things worked well, this script will properly export your content straight into your mod folder.

Configuring the exported .fbx

Back in Unity, you should see the new file:

This export script will strip all the linked assets, keeping the file-size low.

Select the file. In the inspector we need to configure a few things:

• In the Rig tab:
  • Change the Animation Type from None to Generic
  • Change the Avatar Definition from No Avatar to Copy From Other Model
  • Set the Source to Yinglet-BaseAvatar

    • Tip: Use the circle with a dot symbol to bring up relevant assets

  • Uncheck Strip Bones

• In the Materials tab:
  • Change the Material Creation Mode to None; we'll be creating our own materials

Once you're done, hit Apply.

That's it! Anything you create in your .blend file should now be easily exportable to be used with your mod.

You may see some warnings about 0 frame animations. We'll address those when we get to adding poses. If you find them too annoying though, you can uncheck Import Animation from the Animation tab.