How to Put Your VRoid Model on Your Desktop

Step 1 — Export from VRoid Studio

1. Open your character in VRoid Studio and click the export icon → Export VRM.
2. Optional but recommended: reduce polygons, materials and bones on the export page. VRoid's own guidance is to match the target app — a desktop pet runs all day, so trimming pays off in battery and fan noise. If your model is already simple, leave it alone.
3. Pick the format: VRM1.0 (the current standard — required if you are exporting from the dress-up feature) or VRM0.0 (older, more widely supported). Both work in AniMate Waifu; other apps may not take both.
4. Fill in title/avatar name and creator (mandatory) — and if your model uses third-party assets, the licence fields matter. See the licensing section below.
5. Click Export and keep the .vrm somewhere you will find it. Also keep the .vroid source: VRoid Studio cannot open .vrm files, so future edits go through the source.

Step 2 — Install a VRM desktop pet

For Windows 10/11 and macOS (Apple Silicon), AniMate Waifu installs from Microsoft Store — signed, auto-updating, no SmartScreen prompt — or as a direct installer. No admin rights, no drivers, nothing written into system directories.

Step 3 — Know what the unlock covers

Custom VRM import is part of the paid unlock, and it is better to know that before installing than after. Two built-in characters and the full interaction set (cursor tracking, head pats, drag, music reactivity, built-in dances) are free. The one-time unlock adds importing your own .vrm, motions and VRMA dances, custom stages, and the Workshop library. One payment — not per character. Details on the buy page.

Step 4 — Import your model

1. Open the Workshop from the app menu.
2. Choose Import VRM and select the file you exported.
3. Wait for the load — seconds for a trimmed model, longer for a heavy one.
4. Move your cursor near the character's head; she should look at you. That is the whole loop working.

If it fails, do not re-export five times. Most failures come down to the VRM version, bone setup, or export settings — start with VRM 0.x vs 1.0, then the import guide.

Step 5 — One dance, any character

This is what makes the import worth it: a dance is not welded to one model. Pick a VRMA (or a built-in dance), then switch the character underneath it — same motion, different body. Characters, motions, dances and stages live together in the Workshop. The unlock is a growing library, not a single import button.

This is not VTube Studio, and not Warudo

Worth saying because the same .vrm file runs in all three and people assume they are interchangeable. VTube Studio is face tracking and streaming. Warudo is a 3D VTuber production environment. AniMate Waifu is a character that lives on your desktop while you work and reacts to your cursor. Same file, different problems.

Licensing: what you are allowed to do

• Your own OC from VRoid Studio — yours to export and use. Third-party assets inside it (paid hair, costumes) carry their own terms; that is why the export dialog asks for author and licence URL.
• VRoid Hub models — "downloadable" is not "yours to use however you like". Check the licence on the model page; commercial use is usually excluded.
• Booth purchases — the shop page states the terms; many creators permit personal desktop use and forbid redistribution.

FAQ

Does my VRoid character work on a Mac?

Yes, on Apple Silicon (M1 or newer), with the same feature set as Windows — imported characters, dances and stages included.

Which VRM version should I export?

Either, if your pet reads both — AniMate Waifu does. Going to other apps too? Check them first. Dress-up exports are always 1.0.

Can I edit the model after importing?

Not in the pet app. Edit the .vroid source in VRoid Studio, re-export, re-import.

Why is my model's hair or skirt stiff?

SpringBone settings, usually from the export. Confirm the file's version, then check the import guide.

Do I need to pay to try it?

No. Two characters and the full interaction set are free; payment is only for importing your own models and content.

Related reading

Question	Guide
VRM 0.x vs 1.0 — which file do you have?	VRM 0.x vs 1.0
Live2D or VRM?	Live2D vs VRM
Where to get more VRM models	Free VRM model directory
Full VRM import guide	VRM import guide