Avatar Preview

The Avatar Preview tool, accessible from the Avatar tab, previews animations, clothing, accessories, and body constructs on avatar rigs, directly in Studio.

Avatar Preview button indicated in Avatar tab

Selecting Avatar Rigs

To select an existing avatar rig inside the place, such as one created through the Rig Builder tool:

  1. Open the Avatar Preview tool.

    Avatar Preview button indicated in Avatar tab
  2. Choose a rig in either of the following ways:

    1. Select an existing avatar rig in the 3D workspace or Explorer hierarchy.

      Rig selection panel in Avatar Preview tool
      Rig selected in Explorer hierarchy
    2. Click the Current Place button inside the tool's window to view a selection panel of all rigs in the place.

      Rig selection panel in Avatar Preview tool
      Rig selection panel in Avatar Preview tool

Interface Summary

Once an avatar is selected, four tabs appear on the left side of the window: Check Body, Check Face, Test in Experience, and Publish.

Interface selector buttons labeled in Avatar Preview tool

Check Body

The Check Body interface contains tabs for testing Animations, Clothing, Accessories, and Body.¹ Clicking a subtab like Shirts or Waist reveals a selection column along the left side of the window for equipping items.

Accessories selector in Check Body interface of Avatar Preview tool
¹ Clothing and accessory support all avatar accessories, including rigid accessories, such as basic shoulder accessories, as well as layered clothing, such as a jacket or shirt.

Equipping Items

Selected items are equipped on the avatar and are added to the "equipped" column on the right side. Selected animations begin playing as a preview of how they'll look in a running experience.

List of equipped items in Avatar Preview tool
Equipped items
Animations playing on rig

Layering Clothing

For layered clothing items such as Shirts or Jackets, dragging them up or down in the "equipped" column changes their layering order. Layered clothing items are sorted to the top of the column.

Layered clothing ordered so that pants are over the jacket (jacket tucked into pants)
Pants over jacket
Layered clothing ordered so that the jacket is over the pants
Jacket over pants

Check Face

The Check Face interface zooms into the face and allows you to animate between various facial poses. This interface only works for character heads which support facial animation.

Check Face interface of Avatar Preview tool
OptionDescription
ExpressionsA range of basic expressions like "happy," "annoyed," and "surprised."
DialogueSimulated mouth animation of the character speaking.
Mouth ROMROM (Range of Movement) for the character's mouth.
Brows ROMROM for the character's eyebrows.
Eyes ROMROM for the character's eyes.
FACSFACS (Facial Action Coding System) poses for describing visually discernible facial movement.

Test in Experience

The Test in Experience button starts playtesting the experience with the previewed avatar. It currently does not have any of the clothing you applied onto it, but eventually will.

Test in Experience button indicated in Avatar Preview tool

Publish

The Publish button opens the publish asset dialog, with an option to distribute the avatar to the Creator Marketplace.

Publish button indicated in Avatar Preview tool

Adding Items

The add item button allows you to add custom assets to the tool's palette. For example, you can select a hair accessory in the Explorer or 3D workspace, click the button, and the accessory will be added to the Hair subsection of Accessories, as well as be equipped on the avatar.

Add Item button indicated in Avatar Preview tool

To add an item to the palette:

  1. Select a valid instance from the Explorer or 3D workspace.

    Accessory instance selected in Explorer hierarchy
  2. Click the add item button at the bottom of the selection column along the left side of the window.

    Add Item button indicated in Avatar Preview tool

    The item appears in the appropriate section and subsection of the Check Body interface, for example Accessories → Hair, and is equipped on the avatar.

    Accessory added to palette in Avatar Preview tool