Setup & Tuning Option Reference
This page documents the normal user-facing controls in RealSweatSystem 1.0.2. Controls marked Base appear when the Sweat Base Module is installed; controls marked Effects require the Sweat Effects Module.
Open the Tuning component
After Setup, expand the avatar in the Hierarchy and select the generated RealSweat object directly under the avatar root. Its Inspector contains RealSweatSystem Tuning.
If the object is missing, open CookiTools > RealSweatSystem Setup／Uninstall and run Setup — Install / Update.
The values in screenshots may come from a test scene and may differ from installation defaults.
When changes take effect
| Change | When it takes effect |
|---|---|
| Overall Sweat Amount | Material quality changes immediately. Press Apply to FX to also retune animated wetness, falling drops, and steam. |
| Droplet Size / Pattern Density | The Tess and No Tess surface materials update immediately. Press Apply to FX to also refresh falling-drop and strong-movement-fling scale. |
| 3D Detail Precision | Updates the installed Tess material immediately. |
| Automatic-response, accumulation-curve, retention, effect, and advanced FX values | Press Apply to FX. |
| Body material Shadow Strength | Press Apply to FX, or run Setup again, to copy it. |
| Setup structure, selected Body, render order, and installed tessellation support | Run Setup — Install / Update. |
The accumulation graphs preview pending values immediately, but they do not modify generated FX until Apply to FX is pressed.
Setup window option reference
| Control | Module | Default | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avatar | All | None | Target object with a VRC Avatar Descriptor. |
| Body Mesh | All | Auto-detect | The single SkinnedMeshRenderer that receives the sweat shell. |
| Sweat Target Element | Base | Element 0 | Selects the Body material/submesh area to re-render. Element 0 is usually the main skin. |
| Automatic render order (Recommended) | Base | On | Sets the sweat render queue to exactly 2455. The selected Body material must be 2454 or lower. |
| Manual Sweat Render Queue | Base | 2455 | Appears when automatic ordering is disabled. Set it above the selected Body material. |
| Follow Body Shadow Strength | Base | On | Copies _ShadowStrength from the selected Body Element material to RealSweatSystem when Setup or Apply to FX runs. Supports lilToon and Poiyomi. |
| Overall Sweat Amount | All | Low amount (Low Load) | Selects the surface calculation budget and matches animated wetness and effect intensity. |
| Auto Mode Sensitivity | All | Balanced | Selects how strongly small body movement starts and builds automatic sweat. |
| Write Defaults Compatibility | All | Auto Detect (Recommended) | Uses all-WD-ON RealSweat states only when every external FX state uses WD ON; otherwise uses the Driver ON / Output OFF compatible split. |
| Install 3D Feature (Tessellation) (High Load) | Base | Off | Off uploads one No Tess material. On includes Tess and No Tess materials and adds the in-game 3D control. |
| 3D Detail Precision | Base + Tess | Simplified | Selects the tessellation precision of the installed 3D material. |
| Tessellation Default On | Base + Tess | Off | Chooses the initial local 3D state after the avatar loads. Only one sweat material is active at a time. |
| Falling Drops | Effects | On | Installs falling body-sweat particles. |
| Enable Floor Stains | Effects | On | Installs wet floor marks made by Falling Drops. |
| Breath Puffs | Effects | On | Installs the breath emitter. |
| Steam | Effects | On | Installs body-steam emitters. |
| Steam Locations | Effects | Chest, shoulders, armpits, thighs on; crotch and feet off | Chooses which body-steam emitters Setup creates. |
| Also delete generated assets on Uninstall | All | Off | Removes generated bake, material, animation, and menu assets during Uninstall. Leave off when you want to keep them. |
Write Defaults Compatibility
- Auto Detect (Recommended): Uses WD ON for every RealSweat state only when every external FX state uses WD ON. WD OFF, mixed, or unknown setups use the WD OFF-compatible structure.
- WD ON Compatibility: Forces every RealSweat state to WD ON. Use it only when an avatar or MMD environment is known to require an all-WD-ON FX controller.
- WD OFF Compatibility: Keeps the v1.0.1 Driver ON / Output OFF split for WD OFF or mixed avatars.
Overall Sweat Amount
- Low amount (Lightweight): smallest droplet calculation budget. A faint pattern-join line may appear on some body areas or viewing angles.
- Low amount (Low Load): default; keeps the low-load target while hiding the common Lightweight join line.
- Standard amount (Medium Load): more visible sweat and a larger calculation budget.
Test close-up views and mirrors before upload. Sweat amount, pattern density, screen coverage, and tessellation can compound GPU load.
Tessellation choices
| 3D Detail Precision | Tess factor | Intended use | Relative load |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simplified — General Play | 2.5 | Normal play | Lowest Tess option |
| Balanced — Close-up Viewing | 4 | Close viewing | Higher |
| Precise — Photo Capture | 7 | Still images | Highest |
Installing tessellation does not make both materials render together. The menu switches one Body slot between Tess and No Tess. Disabling the in-game 3D feature uses the true No Tess shader, so hull/domain tessellation work is not performed.
Tuning option reference
Automatic Accumulation Response
| Control | Default | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Sensitivity Preset | Balanced | Balanced follows movement strength. Sensitive reaches full response sooner and reacts more to small motion. Selecting a preset resets its response threshold, saturation point, rise/decay reference, and smoothing values. |
| Build Speed Multiplier | 1.0 | Multiplies the preset's overall automatic build speed. Range 0.25–4.0. |
| Horizontal Motion Sensitivity | 1.0 | Left/right and forward/back response. Range 0.95–1.10. |
| Vertical Motion Sensitivity | 1.2 | Up/down response. Range 0.90–1.30; 1.2 is recommended for small-travel bouncing and squats. |
| Preview Direction | Mixed | Changes only the graph preview. All directions remain active in game. |
| Movement Response | Folded | Shows the current threshold, saturation, smoothing, and directional response. It is a preview only. |
| Accumulation Profile | Uniform | Shapes build speed across the current Sweat % without adding a synced parameter or runtime layer. |
| Detailed Values | Folded | For an enabled curve, edits the five multipliers at 0/25/50/75/100%. Range 0.1–2.0. |
| Accumulation Graphs | Folded | Shows the profile and an estimated timeline to 95% under steady movement. Actual PhysBone input depends on the avatar and animation. |
Accumulation profiles:
- Uniform: the same multiplier at every Sweat %; new installations start here.
- Natural (Recommended): slightly faster early build and gradually slower high-Sweat build.
- Fast Start: strongly emphasizes the beginning.
- Late Acceleration: starts slowly and becomes faster later.
- Custom: enables direct editing of the five points.
The supplied profiles keep the estimated time to 95% nearly equal; the visible progression and final 5% can differ. Sensitivity, build-speed multiplier, directional sensitivity, and the accumulation profile all affect Auto Mode together.
Surface and general controls
| Control | Module | Default | Meaning / load |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Sweat Amount | All | Low amount (Low Load) | Same three presets as Setup. Material quality updates immediately; generated FX require Apply to FX. Medium to high GPU impact. |
| Droplet Size | Base | 1.35 | Size of droplets attached to the body. Range 0.5–2.0; low direct cost, but larger coverage can make the effect more visible. |
| Pattern Density | Base | 24 | Higher values make cells smaller and denser. Range 4–64; use moderate values for crowded or close-up scenes. |
| Tessellation Default On | Base + Tess | Off | Initial local 3D state. This does not add a second draw. |
| 3D Detail Precision | Base + Tess | Simplified | Changes the active Tess material precision; GPU cost rises sharply with precision. |
| Follow Body Shadow Strength | Base | On | Copies rather than continuously links the Body value. Press Apply to FX after changing the Body material. |
| Retention Time Multiplier | All | 1.0 | Multiplies dry-off duration. Higher values keep sweat visible longer. Range 0.5–2.0. |
Effect Toggles
This section appears only with the Effects Module.
| Control | Default | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Falling Drops | On | Enables falling body droplets. |
| Bloom Sparkle | On | Adds a restrained HDR highlight to falling drops. Bloom appears only in worlds that enable bloom. |
| Enable Floor Stains | On | Enables wet marks from falling drops. Falling Drops must be active to create them. |
| Breath Puffs | On | Enables the breath emitter. |
| Steam | On | Enables body steam. |
| Steam Locations | Chest, shoulders, armpits, thighs on | Enables the installed emitters. Crotch and feet are off by default. If a location was not created by Setup, re-run Setup before expecting the toggle to add it. |
Advanced FX Tuning
Advanced controls modify generated animation or particle assets and require Apply to FX. Use Restore Category Defaults to reset only one group.
Automatic Response
| Control | Default | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Response Threshold | Balanced 0.04; Sensitive 0.015 | Motion level where automatic build starts. |
| Saturation Point | Balanced 0.35; Sensitive 0.18 | Motion level where the rise rate reaches full response. |
| Smoothing | Balanced 0.12; Sensitive 0.16 | Higher values respond faster; lower values feel heavier. |
| Sweat Accumulation Resistance (%) | 100% | Gradually resists high-Sweat buildup while preserving full-strength motion. 0% restores the legacy response. |
| Movement Resume Delay | 1 s | Delay after locomotion or jumping stops before pendulum motion can raise sweat again. |
| Drop Recovery Time | 3 s | How quickly falling-drop activity settles after movement stops. |
| Exertion Recovery Time | 9 s | Recovery of the intermediate exertion stage used by body heat, not breath-puff visibility. |
| Body Heat Recovery Time | 30 s | Recovery of the body-steam cadence modifier. |
| Pendulum Bone | Hips | Motion sensor attachment. Chest, head, and hands are available; head/hands can overreact, especially with Sensitive. |
Effects Module advanced groups
| Group | User-facing controls | Category defaults |
|---|---|---|
| Falling Drops | Rate, fall speed, lifetime, size, and length multipliers; Strong Movement Fling; fling threshold, chance, cooldown, and burst min/max | Multipliers 1.0; fling on; threshold/chance 0.55; cooldown 3.5 s; burst 2–5 |
| Floor Stains | Lifetime, size, opacity, center-drying contrast, pooling chance | Multipliers 1.0; contrast 0.75; pooling 0.25 |
| Steam | Start threshold; density, rise speed, lifetime, size, spread, opacity | Threshold 30%; multipliers 1.0 |
| Breath Puffs | Start threshold; mouth gate; mouth parameter and threshold; amount, speed, lifetime, size, spread, opacity, cycle speed | Threshold 25%; gate Auto; parameter v2/JawOpen; mouth threshold 0.2; multipliers 1.0 |
| Performance Limits | Drop, stain, steam, and breath maximum-particle limits | Drop 64, stain 80, steam 24 per emitter, breath 48 |
Breath Mouth Gate options:
- Always: breath is not gated by mouth movement.
- Viseme (lipsync): uses VRChat viseme lip sync.
- Custom Parameter (VRCFT): uses the selected float parameter and mouth-open threshold.
- Auto (active VRCFT, Viseme fallback): prefers a changing VRCFT
JawOpenfloat, then falls back to Viseme after eight seconds without an open/close change.
Sweat material maps
These are material controls, not fields on the Tuning component. Open the generated RealSweat material Inspector.
| Control | Location | Purpose | Important settings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spawn Mask (White = Spawn) | Basic > Spawn Mask | White allows droplets, black prevents them, and gray gives partial coverage. Use it to keep sweat off unwanted UV areas. | Uses UV0 and the red channel. |
| Flow Guide Map (Optional) | Flow & Trails > Flow Guide Map (Optional) | Steers flowing droplets and trails with an artist-authored UV0 tangent direction. | RG data texture; neutral is (0.5, 0.5) gray. Turn sRGB Off and Generate Mip Maps On. Strength 0 keeps world-gravity flow and avoids the guide-map sample; 0.35–0.65 is a useful starting range. |
| Body Normal Map (Fold / Sheen Only) | Advanced > Body Normal — Wet Look Only | Changes wet highlights and fold pooling. | It does not steer droplets or trails. Use Flow Guide Map for direction. |
Remote Low Load and mirrors
Remote Low Load is an avatar-menu control, not a Tuning Inspector field. It is installed in both configurations:
- With tessellation support, other viewers use the No Tess material and its built-in Lite path.
- Without tessellation support, the same No Tess material switches to its built-in Lite path.
- It does not use a separate “Performance material,” and it does not lower the owner's local view.
Mirror cameras automatically use a lower-cost optical path. Some close-range optical details are intentionally simplified in mirrors. There is no user-facing mirror-quality switch in Tuning.
Combined GPU load
High sweat amount, high pattern density, close-up screen coverage, mirrors, and tessellation can compound GPU load. Change one major setting at a time and test the uploaded avatar.
What to read next
- Compare load-saving choices in Performance Guide.
- Check render-order and material requirements in Compatibility.
- If a value appears to do nothing, see Troubleshooting.