Please note, the instructions for setting up VRChat SDK presented here are assuming that you are running the required apps from a Windows PC and not from any of the other operating systems.
Before You Begin
The first thing you need to do is to double-check that you are using the correct version of Unity. As we mentioned previously, When this article was written, the version of Unity that VRChat uses was Unity 2018.4.20f1, which is available to download via this link.
But in order to check which is the correct version, in case it changes, you should head over to the Guides section on the VRChat website.
Please note however, that at this point, if you wish to build content for VRChat on Oculus Quest, then you will need to set up your Unity app accordingly. For more in depth instruction on how to do this, please follow this link.
Step One – Create A Project
At this point, you will need to open Unity Hub, click on Create a new project, and set it to 3D.
You can then go ahead and get to work creating your first project. But, a quick heads-up, Unity files can be pretty large, so please be sure to save all of your projects on a mass storage drive that has plenty of space available.
You would be well advised to create a new project for every separate world that you create. This doesn’t matter so much for avatars however, and it will be perfectly fine to keep your various avatars in separate scenes in one project (unless you plan on making a ton of avatars that is).
Once the project is open, you will need to ensure that the title bar ends in PC, Mac & Linux Standalone <DX11>. If it does not, this needs to be rectified.
Step Two – Importing the SDK
Now, with Unity open to your project, open Explorer and double-click on the SDK’s Unity package to open it.
You can also import it by heading to Assets > Import Package > Custom Package.
Please ensure that you are selecting the right SDK (VRChat SDK3 – Avatars, VRChat SDK3 – Worlds, or VRChat SDK2 as described earlier).
Once the import is complete, you should then check the Console window to see if there are any errors to fix. (Unless you have downloaded the wrong version of Unity, there should be no errors.)
Step Three – Logging In
In order to use the SDK, you have to log in using your VRChat account details. To do this, you will need to head over to VRChat SDK > Show Control Panel > Authentication.
Unfortunately, you cannot log in with your Steam, Oculus, or Viveport to upload content. And, importantly, you will need a VRChat account of at least New User Trust Rank.
But don’t worry, building your Trust Rank is easy, all it requires is for you to play VRChat, explore worlds and make friends.