Give a face to your AI — and anything else you listen to.

 

 

Animate cloud APIs, web apps, or local LLMs with a VRM character that lipsyncs and moves while you work.
Or keep a companion on screen while you study, watch a video, hear a podcast, speech, or audiobook — a character that follows the audio instead of a blank background.

Quick Start · Download .exe · User guide · Documentation · Install · Avatars · Environments · Voice · VRoid Hub · Animations · Settings · Assets & Credits · Changelog · Cite

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AVATAR is an open-source desktop companion from ARPA. The primary experience is the Electron transparent always-on-top overlay. A Windows .exe installer is available for end users. The browser / localhost Vite app is for development and contributors.

It renders .vrm models, plays .vrma motion, and drives mouth shapes from live audio — including system / device output on desktop.

What this is

• Electron desktop overlay — pin, snap, window scale, device loopback (user guide · settings)
• VRM avatars — bundled samples, plus your own .vrm folder from Settings → Directories (avatars)
• VRoid Hub — bring-your-own OAuth app; connect in Settings, pick characters in Appearance (VRoid Hub)
• Environments — built-ins, Custom folder from Settings → Directories, color fade, or none (environments)
• Persistent settings — config.yaml across launches (user settings)
• VRMA animations — Default greeting + loop, plus clips (VRMA)
• Browser / localhost — for contributors (install)

Quick start

1. Windows installer (easiest)

Download AVATAR-Setup-0.4.0.exe — no Node.js. Run the installer, accept the EULA, launch AVATAR.

(All releases · install notes)

2. Desktop from source (Electron)

Requires Node.js 20+ and npm:

cd avatar-demo
npm install
npm run desktop

3. Web app (browser)

cd avatar-demo
npm install
npm run dev

Open http://localhost:5173. Prefer Electron when testing lip sync against system audio.

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Gear menu: Appearance (Avatars · Environments) · Voice · Camera · Animations · Settings. Scale control sits next to the gear.

First launch behavior: Greeting once, then a looping motion set; desktop audio defaults to device output; preferences restore from config.yaml on later launches. Full walkthrough: Using the app · First session.

Try lip sync

1. Gear → Voice → Device output (desktop) or Microphone / Tab (browser)
2. Green pulsating dot next to the gear = active

More: Audio sources · Lip sync · Using the app → Voice

Try animations

Gear → Animations → Default (greeting, then motion loop). Catalog: VRMA animations.

Swap avatars

Desktop / installer: Gear → Settings → Directories → Avatars → Custom, pick a folder of .vrm files. Appearance then shows that list. You can also use VRoid Hub under Appearance. Guide: Avatars · VRoid Hub.

From source (contributors): drop avatar4.vrm into avatar-demo/src/assets/avatars/ and restart — naming is covered in the avatars guide.

Custom environments

Desktop / installer: Gear → Settings → Directories → Environments → Custom, pick a folder of .gif / .png / .jpg / .jpeg. Built-ins stay; Appearance → Environments gains a Custom expander. Guide: Environments.

From source (contributors): trial files can also go in avatar-demo/src/assets/environments/custom/ while Directories is Default (local only; not shipped in the installer).

Documentation

Topic	Links
User guide	Using the app
Getting started	Install · First session
Download	AVATAR-Setup-0.4.0.exe · v0.4.0 release
Characters & stage	Avatars · Environments · Camera & lighting
Motion & voice	VRMA · Audio sources · Lip sync
VRoid Hub	VRoid Hub connection
Settings	config.yaml & resets
Architecture	Overview · Layout
Assets	Assets & credits
Cite	CITATION.cff · Changelog

Repository layout

avatar/
├── docs/
│   ├── using-the-app.md
│   ├── screenshots/
│   └── …
├── avatar-demo/
│   ├── electron/
│   ├── public/
│   └── src/
│       ├── assets/avatars/
│       └── assets/environments/
│           ├── stars.gif / code.gif / bloom.gif
│           └── custom/
├── CHANGELOG.md
├── CITATION.cff
└── README.md

Assets & licensing (summary)

Sample characters are made in VRoid Studio / VRoid Hub with free setups — no paid models or wearables are used in this repo.

Bundled motions are the 7 free VRMA files from the VRoid Project on BOOTH (2024). Copyright remains with pixiv Inc. Commercial use requires:

Animation credits to pixiv Inc.'s VRoid Project
（キャラクターアニメーション: ピクシブ株式会社 VRoidプロジェクト）

Built-in environment GIFs (Stars / Code / Bloom) are from GIPHY — credits in Assets & credits.

Full terms: docs/assets-and-credits.md · Rights holders: input@arpacorp.net

Beyond the bundled samples, you can bring your own characters and backdrops: Settings → Directories (local .vrm / image folders) and VRoid Hub (linked characters, session-only). See Avatars · Environments · VRoid Hub · Using the app.

Privacy

Runs locally. Audio uses Web APIs / Electron loopback; nothing is uploaded. See audio sources for capture options.

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_{Built & Maintained by ARPA Hellenic Logical Systems}