Who is VTuber?
A VTuber is someone who creates content using anime-style models or avatars to represent themselves virtually, rather than showing their real selves. VTubers interact with their audiences and create content using models as their virtual selves on social media platforms and video-sharing sites such as YouTube and Twitch. The avatar’s style, appearance, voice, mannerisms, quirks, and idiosyncrasies are designed to contribute to the avatar’s overall personality, to reflect the avatar’s self as a person. It’s a creative process of building characters based on real-life developments.
VTubers usually have their own personalities and storylines, and are usually voiced by a real person representing the avatar, but the avatar can also have a voice changer.
The concept of VTuber first appeared in Japan in 2016, when VTuber Kizuna Ai became the first virtual YouTuber to receive attention. Since then, the popularity of VTubers has exploded, and they are now a major part of the entertainment industry in Southeast Asia, slowly gaining popularity in parts of Sri Lanka, India, and the United States.
VTuber model making technology
VTuber models are usually produced using 2D or 3D software supported by motion tracking technology. These models can be designed to be very complex, with multiple layers of complex expression, dynamic motion and material behavior. A character needs to design multiple expressions to cover a full range of actions.
VTube Studio, Vroid Studio, Daz 3D, and Animaz are popular modeling software that creators can use to create 2D and 3D models. After the model design is completed, another important aspect of the model is what we call “rigging”. Rigging is mapping the model’s bone structure to yours so that the model moves based on your actions. Depending on the software used to design the model, the assembly process can be very different.
The importance of polygon count
In 3D modeling, we essentially create a mathematical representation of an object. The model can be used in a variety of applications, including video games, film and animation, virtual reality, augmented reality and 3D printing.
Just like a curve on a screen is nothing more than a series of small straight lines close to each other, a 3D model is nothing more than a series of small polygons. These polygons are usually triangles, quadrilaterals and N-gons. Polygon count is a key factor in determining model complexity, detail, and performance. Higher polygon counts generally mean more detail and smoother surfaces, but can also result in longer rendering times and higher demands on computing resources.
Photo by Oliver Bogrand
Rendering is the process of producing a final image from a 3D model, and as the number of polygons increases, this process becomes more time-consuming. High polygon counts require more computing power, which can slow down rendering, especially in real-time applications such as video games and virtual reality.
For 3D Vtuber models, many creators use around 20,000 to 50,000 polygons for optimal performance and detail.
About companies like Hololive Productions and VShojo
Hololive Productions is a VTuber management team that manages VTube talent. It consists of over 80 active affiliated talents in Japan, Indonesia and English-speaking countries, with over 80 million YouTuber subscribers across all channels.
The popularity of VTuber and the future of VTubing
The popularity of VTubers is expected to continue to grow in the coming years. As more VTubers enter the field, competition in the industry is likely to become more intense. The most popular VTubers in the industry include Kizuna Ai, Mirai Akari, Kaguya Luna, Nekomata Oka and IA. Each VTuber has their own unique style and personality, and all have gained a large following for their interesting and engaging content.
One of the challenges VTubers face is that if the model is not well designed and well thought out, the VTuber may find it difficult to connect with the audience. Therefore, it is important to create an engaging model with an immersive experience.
Hope this helps, thank you for reading.
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