Support

Open the System menu (gear icon), then Content Library → Show In Explorer on Windows to open the library folder.

On Android and Meta Quest, the shared library is normally at /DanceXR/. Older installations or those using internal storage use /Android/data/com.vrstormlab.dancexr/files/. On iPhone and iPad, open the Files app and look for the DanceXR folder under On My iPhone or On My iPad.

Copy the model and its textures into actors/ in your content library, keeping their original folder structure. You can also keep each model package in its own ZIP file.

Open the Actor menu, choose Load Model, and select the model. On desktop, you can drag a model file or model ZIP directly onto the DanceXR window.

PMX and XPS are supported. FBX model loading is in preview; embedded FBX animations are not loaded.

Put your VMD or BVH motion files and their audio into motion/ in the content library. WAV and OGG audio work for dance sets.

Open the Audio/Motion menu and choose Load Audio / Motion to select them. On desktop, you can also drag files onto the DanceXR window.

To have the music and motion load together, keep one song and its related motions in the same subfolder or ZIP. For a single motion/audio pair, matching names such as dance.vmd and dance.ogg also work.

Open System → Content Library → Refresh Content and wait for the scan to finish. Use this after copying or moving files while DanceXR is running.

The app also checks for library changes when it starts. If a file still does not appear, make sure it is in the correct subfolder: actors/ for models, motion/ for motions and audio, stages/ for stages, or texture/sky/ for sky maps.

Native is a separate Windows application with its own rendering and settings. HD, LW and RT are the Unity-based runtimes. Since 2026.10, Native supports raster rendering on DirectX 12 PCs without ray-tracing hardware; path tracing needs a compatible ray-tracing GPU.

The Launcher installs, updates and starts runtimes and companion apps. You can also download Native directly. Check the download page for current editions, activation and feature limits.

The Unity-based app supports PMX/XPS models, model-only FBX preview import, VMD/BVH motions and OBJ stage props. XPS/FBX models may need bone mapping. Native currently documents PMX/XPS models and VMD motions.

A VRM, VRChat or DAZ project is not automatically a compatible model package. Exporting/converting it is a separate workflow; verify the destination format and rig. DanceXR plays imported motions and offers procedural posing—it is not a replacement for a full animation authoring tool.

On desktop Unity builds, copy the complete library to its new location and keep a backup. Open System → Content Library → Switch Library, then choose the folder containing the library subfolders. Use Select Library Folder if you need to browse.

Switching changes the folder DanceXR uses; it does not move files for you. Wait for the scan and check saved scenes. Keep separate settings when testing older builds. Mobile and standalone headsets do not expose this desktop picker.

Launch DanceXR once. In Files → On My iPhone / On My iPad → DanceXR, open the app-created content library (normally its content folder). Put models and textures in actors, and motions/audio in motion. Keep original texture folders intact; complete model ZIPs also work.

Copy cloud downloads into the local library; a link alone is not an imported model. Use System → Content Library → Refresh Content or restart. For older builds, follow the folders the app created.

Open Actor → Load Model, then click the + icon next to the model you want to add. Selecting the model normally replaces the currently selected actor; the + action keeps that actor and adds another.

Multiple actors require an activated paid edition. If the + action is unavailable, check your edition and activation status.

Drag the yellow selection disc under the actor to move it. While dragging, use the mouse wheel to rotate it; in VR, use the controller thumbstick left or right.

For precise adjustments, open the actor’s Scale & Offset settings. Use Model Scale to resize, Rotation to turn, Offset X/Z to move horizontally, and Ground Offset to move vertically. Turn off Uniform Height if you want to preserve the model’s original size.

For an alternative texture set, keep the replacement textures in a separate subfolder inside the model’s folder, or anywhere inside the same model ZIP. Each replacement must have the same filename as the texture it replaces.

For example, if the model uses base.png, put another base.png in an alternate/ subfolder. Reload the model, open Alternative Textures in its actor menu, and select the set that DanceXR detects. Keep the alternatives inside the model package so the scan can find them.

Put the prop model and its textures in accessory/ in your content library and refresh the library if needed.

Select the actor and open Accessory. Enable Left Hand or Right Hand, then choose the prop under Model. Adjust Size & Alignment, Rotation and Offset until it fits the hand. Use Grab Pose to adjust the grip where available.

This requires an edition with the Accessory feature.

For playback audio, enable Lip Sync in Playback Options and Use Lip Sync in the actor’s Facial Control. Confirm audio playback and test the vowel controls manually. If those do not work, check facial mapping and the model’s available bones or morphs.

Disable Use Lip Sync while arranging a manual mouth expression. Loaded motion and Lifelike Motions can also change facial values. AI chat speech uses a separate lip-sync driver.

Use the actor’s Dressing controls for PMX material morphs or XPS optional parts. Where needed, inspect individual materials in Material List instead of hiding an entire material group.

If the model does not contain body geometry beneath the garment, hiding the garment cannot create it. Some outfit parts share materials with the body. Available dressing choices depend on how the model was authored.

Eye Contact can shift attention between the camera, other actors and body parts. Adjust Look At Camera, Look At Peers and Look At Body priorities. Stare Mode keeps attention on the closest eligible target instead of natural gaze shifts.

The model needs a compatible eye rig. If eye bones are unavailable, configure Shape Morph Eye Control. Stare Mode does not guarantee that the viewer is always the chosen target.

Open the selected material’s Textures settings and inspect which maps were detected. Correct the texture purpose and channel mapping if detection is wrong. Keep authored normal maps separate from repeating detail maps.

Automatic attachment depends on the model format and importer; renaming a file alone is not a universal fix. Check the full model package and original references. If a map still fails, report the model format, texture filenames, build and screenshot.

In the Unity-based runtimes, change Application Settings → Use Translated Names. Turn it off when matching original names in the model’s documentation or editor. Reload the model if existing labels do not refresh.

Translation can be incomplete for names chosen by the model author. This changes displayed labels, not the model’s original files or rig.

For a PMX-authored morph in the Unity runtimes, enable its Override Value toggle, then adjust the value. With the override off, the normal motion-driven value stays in control. The control requires an edition with the feature unlocked.

For facial expressions, also check lip sync, loaded motion and Lifelike Motions. These can drive the same expression. Other model formats and Native do not necessarily use this control.

First check the actor’s physics setup. For PMX-authored bodies and joints, compare Physics Mode options; Auto follows the system’s PMX Default. For XPS/FBX custom tools, enable Hair Physics or Skirt Physics, use Select Bones for chain roots, and check body colliders.

Tune one setting at a time: PhysX uses spring/damping controls; XPBD uses compliance/damping. To replace a PMX rig with custom tools, set PMX Physics Mode to Off first. Availability varies by build/edition. Native has separate physics controls.

Load the motion from the Audio/Motion menu, then select the actor you want to animate.

Choose the motion and use Assign To Selected. You can also open the actor’s menu and select the loaded motion from its motion list. Use Assign To All when every actor should perform the same motion.

If an XPS or FBX actor stays in its standard pose, check its Bone Mapper assignments.

Load the group dance set so all of its motion tracks are available. From the motion menu, use Assign All Actors to distribute different tracks across the actors already in the scene.

Use Load And Assign Actors if you want DanceXR to load actors and assign a track to each automatically. For manual control, select each actor and use Assign To Selected on the desired track.

A scene with multiple actors requires an activated paid edition.

Create a subfolder or ZIP under motion/ containing the song, its actor motion files and its camera motion. Keep only one audio file in that package. DanceXR recognizes the related files as a dance set so you can load them together.

For a simple motion/audio pair, matching filenames such as dance.vmd and dance.ogg also work. If unrelated files share a folder, separate them into individual packages to make the grouping clear.

Load the model and open Bone Mapper in its actor menu. Run Auto Map, then check the slots marked with an exclamation mark: these are critical bones that still need assignments.

Map each missing slot to the corresponding bone in the model. Chain Mapping can speed up mapping arms, hands and other bone chains. Once the critical mappings are complete, assign a motion and check the result.

XPS and FBX require bone mapping. PMX models usually already include standard bone names.

Compare the same model and motion with default settings, then change one control at a time. Check Feet On Floor, Ground Offset and Reduce Sliding. Incorrect bone mapping or rest pose can also affect the result.

In Unity runtimes, inspect Motion Leg IK and Model IK for conflicting corrections. Do not disable all IK as a universal fix. If a new build breaks a previously working model, report the model, motion, version and last working build.

Check overall playback speed and the motion’s own speed setting. An unusual source frame rate can need a per-motion speed adjustment; do not automatically set every motion to double speed. Recording FPS is a separate setting.

For music alignment, check the track’s audio offset. For procedural dance, check BPM and beat offset in Music Timing. Change one setting at a time and compare against the intended playback.

Choose Free Pose from the procedural motion list to replace the active motion with manual posing. Drag a body handle; mouse users can scroll to adjust depth, while VR users can drag with the ray or grip a handle directly.

Start with both feet on the floor. Hold a dragged foot still until its marker turns green to pin it; release while red to let it settle. Reset releases pins and returns to a neutral stand. Do not assume pins are a saved reusable pose.

Put your panoramic sky image in texture/sky/ inside the content library. HDR is recommended for environment maps. If you added it while DanceXR was running, use System → Content Library → Refresh Content.

Open Environment → Sky, set Mode to Sky Map, and select your image under Sky Map. Use Orientation if the background needs rotating.

Open Environment → Sky and make sure Mode is set to Sky Map. Adjust Orientation to rotate the panorama around the scene.

This also rotates the sky projection used by the ground sky-dome material, so check the ground and reflections after changing it.

Open Environment → Sky.

In HD/RT builds, Background controls how bright the visible sky looks, while Sky Ambient controls its contribution to scene lighting. Lower Sky Ambient if a bright background is washing out the actor.

In the lightweight build, use Sky Exposure and Intensity. Sky Exposure also affects reflection brightness, so check reflective materials as you adjust it.

Place the stage model and its required textures in stages/ in your content library. Keep the model’s folder structure intact, or put the complete package in a ZIP. Actor models tagged stage can also appear in the stage menu.

Refresh the library if needed, then open Scene → Load Stage and select it. Loading a stage replaces the previous stage. Use the loaded stage’s settings to adjust its appearance and placement.

Stage and prop models do not play motions. To animate one, keep its files in actors/, load it as an actor, and assign a motion. Sky maps are separate and belong in texture/sky/.

Click empty space to cycle through UI, Control and Immersive modes. Immersive mode hides both the menus and the yellow actor selection discs for a clean view.

You can also use the assigned Toggle UI control; its default desktop key is Esc. Click empty space or use Toggle UI again to bring the interface back.

Keep the camera VMD in the same dance-set folder or ZIP as the song and actor motions, then load that dance set.

Open Camera and select the camera motion from the loaded set. Built-in camera modes such as Freefly or Auto are separate choices; select the imported track to follow the dance’s authored camera movement.

If the track is missing, check that its file is in the package you loaded. In Unity VR builds, head tracking is combined with camera-rig movement; the selected camera mode matters. Freeze in VR pauses camera movement while the UI is visible. Native has its own camera controls.

Use Creator Edition for offline rendering. Open the recording menu (red circle), then Recording Settings. Choose UHD 3840x2160, the desired Frame Rate, and the image format.

Preview the scene to check framing and motion, then start a 2D recording. DanceXR renders frames at the selected output rate even if playback cannot run that fast in real time.

The output is an image sequence. Convert it to a video after rendering; See the frame-to-video answer for that step.

Open the folder containing your rendered frames. If FFmpeg is installed and available on your system PATH, use the conversion batch file included with the recording. A video editor that imports image sequences also works.

For a manual conversion, this example assumes frames named movie_0000.jpg, movie_0001.jpg, and so on, recorded at 60 fps:

ffmpeg -framerate 60 -i movie_%04d.jpg -i sound.wav movie.mp4

Match the frame rate, numbering pattern and extension to your actual output. Omit -i sound.wav if you do not want audio.

Use screen-recording software to capture DanceXR while it plays in real time; Creator Edition is not required.

1. Open System → Display & UI → Resolution and turn Fullscreen off to use a window.
2. Choose Window Resolution. Enable Vertical for portrait, or leave it off for landscape.
3. Click Apply Resolution, then frame the scene and hide the UI if you want a clean recording.
4. In your screen recorder, capture the DanceXR window and its audio, start recording, and play the motion.

Recording smoothness follows your actual playback frame rate. Lower graphics settings or resolution if playback stutters.

Use an activated Creator Edition build. In the recording menu, choose Record 3D → Side by Side / Top Bottom, or Record VR → VR 120 3D / VR 180 3D / VR 360 2D. VR360 is monoscopic. Check Preview and Recording Settings first.

Recording creates image frames. Convert them with a video editor or the generated batch file, which needs FFmpeg. Panorama batch files use an NVIDIA encoder; other GPUs need an available encoder instead. Set the matching projection/stereo mode in your VR player.

Arrange the actors, stage, motions, environment and camera, then open Scene and use the saved-scene browser’s save icon. Enter a name and choose Save.

To reopen the setup, return to the scene browser and select the saved name. A saved scene stores settings and references to content; keep the original models and motions in the library. Use a Scene Bundle when you need to transfer the assets too.

Use a Scene Bundle to package the scene together with its models, stages, props, accessories and dance sets.

Load and check the scene, open Scene → Bundle, and use the save action to give it a name. Wait for Creating bundle… to finish, then copy the archive to bundles/ in the destination content library and open it there.

Check playback and materials on the destination device. Its build and edition still determine which features are available. The Bundle menu requires an activated paid edition.

Configure the actor, then open its Presets menu. Choose Save Actor Preset to associate the setup with that model, or Save Global to make it available to other actors. Enter a name and save.

To reuse it, select the actor, open Presets and choose the saved entry. Presets store settings rather than the model file. When applying one to a different model, check bone mapping, material slots and physics because these can differ.

Configure the lighting, sky, ground and other application settings, then open Environment → System Presets. Use its save action, enter a name and choose Save.

Select the saved preset from the same menu to apply it later. These presets store settings under presets/system/ in your library. To restore actors, loaded content and motion assignments too, save a scene.

On PC, connect your headset and start its VR software. Make sure the runtime you use, such as SteamVR or Meta, is the active OpenXR runtime.

Launch a VR-capable DanceXR build, open Environment, and enable VR. On a standalone Quest, launch the installed Quest build from the headset.

If VR does not start, check the active runtime and follow the VR startup troubleshooting answer.

Grant DanceXR the storage permission needed to use the shared /DanceXR/ folder. Put models in actors/, motions and audio in motion/, and other content in the corresponding library subfolders.

You can use the device’s Files app, or connect it to a PC by USB and choose File Transfer. The Android Content Manager app can also add supported ZIP and image files to the library.

For older installations or internal-storage mode, use /Android/data/com.vrstormlab.dancexr/files/. Restart DanceXR or use Refresh Content after copying.

On a supported Android or iOS device, launch DanceXR, open Environment, and select AR to start it. Allow camera access if your device asks, then wait for AR to initialize.

Use Show Camera in AR settings to show the real-world background. Enable Hide Ground if you want the actors to appear directly on your physical floor. Use Stop AR to return to normal mode.

AR requires an activated Pro edition and a compatible device/build. If the AR option is missing, check both device support and activation. Quest passthrough is covered separately.

In the Unity-based runtimes, Freeze in VR pauses camera movement while the menu is visible. Hide the menu and try again, or change Freeze in VR in Camera Settings if you want movement during menu interaction.

Head tracking and camera-rig movement are different. If controller movement still fails with the menu hidden, report your build, headset, controllers and OpenXR runtime. Native has a separate control system.

In Unity-based runtimes, check Controller Input → Options. Turn Trackpad Mode off to try axis input without pressing the pad/stick. For accidental grip actions, increase Grip Threshold or turn Use Grip Input off; this also disables grip-based interactions.

Change one option at a time. These are settings to try, not a guaranteed fix for every headset. Native uses separate controls.

In Unity VR builds, point at the menu panel, hold the controller’s grip button, and move your hand to reposition it. Release to leave it there.

Under Environment → VR → UI, adjust UI Distance and UI Auto Return. Auto Return brings the panel back into view when it drifts away. If hidden, bring it back with your assigned Toggle UI control. Native uses a separate interface.

A completely white model usually means its texture files could not be found. Keep the textures in their original locations relative to the model file.

For ZIP packages containing Japanese or Chinese filenames, try the matching encoding suffix: model.jis932.zip for Japanese or model.gb2312.zip for Chinese. Reload the model after renaming the archive. Android’s Content Manager can set this encoding too.

If it is still white, inspect the model’s texture references and check that filenames, folder paths and spaces match the actual files.

In HD/RT builds, layered transparent hair can lose its deeper layers because of the transparent depth prepass.

Try turning off System → Graphics → Options → Transparent Prepass and compare the result. For a smaller change, adjust Transparent Prepass on the affected hair materials only.

Disabling it can reveal other transparency sorting problems, so inspect the hair from several angles and keep the setting that gives the best result for that model.

For opaque or missing stockings, eyelashes or clothing, also inspect the material’s Auto / Opaque / Transparent classification, visibility and group/global overrides. A missing texture and a transparent layer are different problems. The prepass advice above applies to HD/RT; Native and other pipelines use different controls.

Make sure your VR software is running and the runtime for your headset is set as the active OpenXR runtime. If several runtimes are installed, select the one you intend to use in its own settings, then restart the runtime and DanceXR.

Try enabling Environment → VR again. If startup still fails, disable unnecessary VR overlays or add-ons and check DanceXR’s Player.log for the error. Include the log, app build and headset/runtime details when reporting the problem.

Steam and Google Play editions normally activate automatically when the store verifies your purchase.

For editions requiring manual activation, open System → Activate Your Copy. Follow the browser prompts, choose the platform you purchased from and sign in there. After the success page appears, return to DanceXR and click Activate Your Copy again to retrieve the license.

If the device has already been activated, DanceXR may restore the license without opening a browser. Reactivating after reinstalling, changing hardware or switching build variants does not charge you again.

PC, Android and iOS do not always update together. Steam default and beta branches can contain different builds; Patreon early access does not mean the same feature is available in every store build.

Check the current release notes, download/edition information and activation status. When asking about a missing feature, include your platform, edition, runtime, exact version and Steam branch if applicable. Mobile follows a separate schedule; a PC release date is not a mobile delivery promise.

Compare one actor in a default scene with the affected scene. Reduce render scale and test mirrors, shadows and costly effects one at a time. Unity HD/RT has graphics presets; Native has Detect best settings, raster quality tiers and separate desktop/VR graphics settings.

Path-traced noise is different from stuttering: Native Realtime uses denoising/upscaling, while Reference accumulates samples for stills. If the problem persists, include your device/GPU, build, scene, FPS and logs. Avoid assuming one setting fixes every platform.

Also caused by transparency depth prepass — when multiple sky spheres are transparent, only the topmost layer renders fully in some areas.

• Turn off transparency depth prepass, or
• Find the background sky sphere and change its material from transparent to opaque.

1. Update to the Latest Version — Your issue may already be resolved in a newer release.
2. Reset Configuration — Back up and then delete config.json to rule out a corrupted settings file.
3. Reset License — If the app fails to start or behaves weirdly, try removing license.txt from the installation directory and relaunching.
4. Clear Library Cache — Back up and delete cache.json from your content library folder to force the player to re-scan your files.
5. OpenXR Setup — If VR won’t launch, double-check that your active OpenXR runtime is set correctly in your VR software settings.

When reporting a bug, attaching your log files is extremely helpful. Please attach Player.log (current session) and Player-prev.log (previous session) to your bug report.

Windows PC Path:

C:\Users\[User]\AppData\LocalLow\VR Storm Lab\DanceXR [HD|LW|RT]\Player.log

Note: Replace [User] with your Windows username. If AppData is hidden, enable “Hidden items” in Windows Explorer.

Android & Meta Quest Path:

/Android/data/com.vrstormlab.dancexr/files/Player.log

Note: Connect your device to a PC via USB and use File Transfer to locate this file.

For Native, use System → Open Log, Copy Diagnostics or Report Issue instead of assuming Unity log paths. Include the exact build, platform, renderer/VR runtime, steps to reproduce, expected result and a screenshot. Provide model/motion files only when you have permission to share them. Mobile storage access can vary by OS version; do not assume USB exposes every app folder.

This usually means something went wrong during startup. Try these steps in order:

• Remove license.txt and relaunch.
• Remove (back up first) config.json — this resets all settings and fixes issues caused by a corrupted config.
• Remove (back up first) cache.json from your content library.

This is usually a VR runtime problem, not DanceXR itself.

• If you have multiple VR runtimes, try switching to a different one.
• For SteamVR: disable startup overlays and addons you don’t need; try a clean reinstall.
• Check the SteamVR driver folder for anything recently installed or updated that you can remove.

This is a known issue with XPS model physics in the Unity-based versions of DanceXR 2026.9 and 2026.10. Skirts and hair can stick close to the body and vibrate continuously.

Use either workaround:

1. In the affected Skirt Physics or Hair Physics settings, change Physics Mode to PhysX.
2. Alternatively, reduce friction for the affected skirt or hair physics.

A fix is planned for 2026.11.

This is caused by a bug in motion smoothing system. Temerory workaround: disable motion smoothing in motion settings.

This is due to the model defined IK being active when there’s no IK movement from the motion. Workaround: disable “Model IK” from the actor motion settings. Note that this is no longer needed after 2026.7 release.