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Is MMD already familiar and needs an introduction?
Go straight video directory here!
WHAT IS IT?
In short, MMD or MikuMikuDance is a free program originally made for Vocaloid characters that allows the user to create all kinds of performances themselves. These presentations can use either ready-made motion and character files or create everything yourself from scratch. The presentation can also be rendered and shared on Youtube, for example.
So, in the simplest terms, MMD involves selecting a pre-modelled character, soundtrack and background, uploading motion data to the character and the "camera" that captures the performance - and starting the performance!
We recognize that similar software with VR extensions have now been launched by commercial operators, but in this article we will ignore them and focus only on open source MMD software. As a side note; amazing similarities can be seen with the features and functionality of MMD and these commercial programs, from which everyone can draw their own conclusions.
MikuMikuDance or MMD
MikuMikuDance is a free 3D program that allows anyone to create performances either from scratch or using ready-made character models and choreographies.
A separate VR extension allows the user to "dive" into the performance made in the MMD studio!
A few things about use
MMD is of Japanese origin, and although there is an English version, it is not always able to communicate smoothly with a Western computer - the program itself usually works without major problems, but content made for the program in Japan, for example, may not load correctly.
To achieve maximum compatibility, users must first install the full Japanese language and character set on their computer's operating system. The computer will then no longer convert the hiragana, katakana and kanji characters in the files to the Western "romaji" character set, but will store them in their original form and MMD will be able to read them correctly.
Related to the former, a common problem is the "missing" textures of some character models downloaded as zip files from the web, which in turn leads to "all-white characters". The textures are not actually missing, but they do not load/merge with the character. This is mostly due to the decompiler used not being able to correctly decode the kanji character names of the files. A .pmx or older .pmd file in a character file will look for textures with exactly the names the character author has set them to, and the decrypter must not "apply" to the file names at all, but must decrypt them exactly as they are entered into the character file. One program that can extract the files is ZipExtractor. (Another option is of course to open the .pmx file with an editor and manually enter each texture into the character set with new names, but I don't prefer this myself because there are a considerable number of file names to change.)
To avoid compatibility errors, it is also recommended to always run the MMD application with a "Japanese localization" - this is done with a separate program that will put itself "between" the MMD and the operating system and tell the MMD that it is a native Japanese operating system.
Finding content
The most significant resources for character, motion, and camera data are arguably Japanese niconico. It’s social media that could perhaps be compared to Youtube. Users upload their works to the service, and often the description of the videos includes a link to the characters and other files used. The site is in Japanese throughout, and full access is often required to log in (register). Sometimes the video description has a link to an external file storage service. Another popular site among character creators is DeviantArt. The latter is basically in English.
Authors often set password protection for their files, who wants to figure out the password first before they can download the files. In practice, this usually means following the instructions in the description of the video.
Character data cannot generally be shared on this site or anywhere else without the author’s permission, and their producers have almost invariably prohibited sharing. Files must be retrieved from servers specified by the authors.
However, if possible, we will distribute the selected links to the most requested and in my opinion the most successful templates, however, we will not be able to list passwords with the link if the author does not allow it. We will add links as they become available, and we will actively seek to remove those that have been discontinued by the publisher.
Do you own a VR visor?
The era of VR technology has arrived - technology and software are already enabling new experiences for anime lovers! You just have to be able to search in the right place.
Alongside MMD, a VR application called MocuMocuDance has been developed. Again, it's a subjective experience that can't be conveyed in words, but to fully understand what it's all about, you have to experience it for yourself. To be clear, it is not a 360 "VR" video that can be viewed on a mobile device, but a real interactive VR environment. The software supports both the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift. The LeapMotion sensor is supported as an additional device.
MMD's VR extension is known, at least for the time being, as MocuMocuDance, and is therefore not in itself connected to MikuMikuDance - it is only capable of accessing character, motion, etc. files created with MMD. MocuMocuDance is developed by Okayamasoft. The person behind Okayamasoft stopped distributing and updating the program for personal reasons - but luckily the development work has since continued by the Vrai team!
The current version still requires a bit of familiarity from the user, the menus are clear in themselves but require getting used to. The latest version, released on September 21, 2017, has added support for both HTC Vive and Oculus Touch motion controllers. The LeapMotion sensor is still supported.
A special feature of HTC Live is the ability to use Augmented Reality.
The visor made by HTC has a camera that allows the MMD-VR program to use the real environment as a background for the characters. It should be noted, however, that this requires quite a bit of performance from the hardware - but in good lighting, especially at full 60fps refresh rate, the AR / VR experience is at least impressive.
Have you found anything related to MMD that you would like to share with us and other enthusiasts?
We would love to hear about it! E-mail or fill out the contact form on the website and let us know!
PROGRAMS Links lead to sites outside of this site - downloads at your own risk! MikuMikuDance / VPVP MikuMikuDance / LearnMMD "Microsoft AppLocale" Locale Emulator / Paddy Xu ZipExtractor / Vector Inc MMD VR extension | DATA Links lead to sites outside of this site - downloads at your own risk! Niconico DeviantArt Bowlroll | ZIPEXTRACTOR Here are a few illustrative pictures of using ZipExtractor. File name difference Be sure to choose the correct character set! Selection & Destination folder |
Thanks for the .vpd files used on the site:
[DeviantArt] - Xinxhin, MaiCroft, Nessa-sama, Snorlaxin, Carl-Olof and Brytevere.
All characters used are the copyright of their respective owners.