Replacing the default character with a custom character

GuestCapone · October 27, 2015, 3:58am

2015 Method (outdated, advise using the method above)

I know I’m not the only one who wants to replace the default ROBLOX character with a custom one, so today I’ll be a nice little guest and put away my destructive exploding hammer and teach you how to replace the default character with a custom one, for this tutorial I will use my cute and adorable lizard, Albet Lizinstien.

Step 1.) Create the custom character you wish to replace the default character with. Keep in mind the character will need to have a two parts named “Torso” and “Head” the Head part must be jointed to the Torso part and the joint must be called “Neck”, insert a humanoid into the model and parent the model to the ServerStorage.

Step 2.) Disable game.Players.CharacterAutoLoads

Step 3.) Insert a script into ServerScriptService, inside that script you will need to create a function that will basically do what CharacterAutoLoads will do, except slightly modified.

local function CharacterLoop(Player)
Player:LoadCharacter()
local Character = Player.Character

local NewCharacter = game:GetService("ServerStorage"):WaitForChild("Lizard"):Clone()
NewCharacter.Parent = game.Workspace
NewCharacter.Name = Player.Name
Player.Character = NewCharacter

Character = Player.Character

Character.ChildAdded:connect(function(v) 
	if v:IsA("BasePart") or v:IsA("UnionOperation") or v:IsA("Script") or v:IsA("LocalScript") or v:IsA("Humanoid") then 
		return		
	elseif v:IsA("BodyColor") then
		wait()
		for i,v in pairs({"Head", "Torso", "Left Arm", "Right Arm", "Left Leg", "Right Leg"}) do
			if Character:FindFirstChild(v) ~= nil then
				Character[v].BrickColor = BrickColor.new("Camo")
			end
		end
		v:Destroy()
	else
		wait()
		v:Destroy()
	end
	for i,v in pairs({"Head", "Torso", "Left Arm", "Right Arm", "Left Leg", "Right Leg"}) do
			if Character:FindFirstChild(v) ~= nil then
				Character[v].BrickColor = BrickColor.new("Camo")
			end
		end
end)

local CameraFixer = script.CameraFixer:Clone()
CameraFixer.Disabled = false
CameraFixer.Parent = Player:WaitForChild("PlayerGui")

local Humanoid = Character:WaitForChild("Humanoid")

Character.Animation.Disabled = false	

Humanoid.Died:connect(function()
	wait(2)
	CharacterLoop(Player)
end)
end

local function OnPlayerAdded(Player)
CharacterLoop(Player)
end

game.Players.PlayerAdded:connect(OnPlayerAdded)
for _,Player in pairs(game.Players:GetPlayers()) do OnPlayerAdded(Player) end

Step 4.) Next you will want to create a LocalScript inside that script and name it “CameraFixer”, and inside this script you will want to put in:

local Player = game:GetService("Players").LocalPlayer
local Character = Player.Character or Player.CharacterAdded:wait() Character = Player.Character
local Humanoid = Character:WaitForChild("Humanoid")

local Camera = game.Workspace.CurrentCamera
Camera.CameraSubject = Humanoid
Camera.CameraType = Enum.CameraType.Custom

This script will ensure that your camera is properly attached to your new character.

Step 5.) ???

Step 6.) Profit.

See? Not that hard to do, have fun and remember. Guests are friends, not enemies.

And for those who want to replace the default character with a custom cute lizard or are just too lazy to read all of this:
http://www.roblox.com/Custom-Character-item?id=314434305

Rhythmic_Clockwork · October 28, 2015, 2:40pm

Thanks! Pretty useful for creating custom characters instead of being stuck with a boring robloxian. (Not necessarily boring, but oh well!)

-Libby

x_o · October 28, 2015, 2:52pm

Instead of removing assets that get loaded, you can simply do

player.CanLoadCharacterAppearance = false

how 2 lua highlighting

woot3 · October 28, 2015, 6:16pm

You should replace

Humanoid.Died:connect(function()
    wait(2)
    CharacterLoop(Player)
end)

With

Humanoid.Died:wait()
wait(2)
CharacterLoop(Player)

digpoe · October 28, 2015, 6:17pm

If you use Github-style markdown then you can do something like this:

 ```lua
 print("hi")


And it'll automatically highlight it. Like this:

```lua
print("Hello, world!")

GuestCapone · October 28, 2015, 8:08pm

Completely forgot about that property, thanks!

Dragonsboat · October 29, 2015, 3:55am

Does this work with multijointed characters?

GuestCapone · October 29, 2015, 2:06pm

Yes, it will replace the default character with whatever you want.

GuestCapone · February 4, 2016, 9:09pm

Just bumping this for others to find easier. (Could this also be made public for non-RBXDev members to see?)

GuestCapone · May 23, 2017, 8:35pm

@Nightgaladeld thanks for the repost.

As8D · May 23, 2017, 8:43pm

Now, this thread was made quite some years ago - regardless…

If we look at this page http://wiki.roblox.com/index.php?title=API:Class/StarterPlayer
We can see that it is now as simple as adding a Model named StarterCharacter into the StarterPlayer service, after which the default character loading is disabled, and your overridden character style applies instead.

StarterCharacterExample.rbxl (17.7 KB)
Here’s an example of a place using StarterCharacter (replaces the default character with an R15 rig without a left arm).
Note that scripts are still made to the rig unless overridden from StarterCharacterScripts.

Ninja_Deer · May 25, 2017, 7:45pm

Since this post was bumped, you should probably mention your method is obsolete and a new method as replaced it.

Hakurem · March 7, 2019, 10:06am

Hello. The method stated in the wiki can’t be replicated by me. I do not have access to the example. Did roblox change the way we load customize characters?

Osewell · March 8, 2019, 4:19am

I don’t think Roblox would change something like this without any notice, besides, the method still works for me. Make sure you put the Humanoid inside the StarterCharacter and named it correctly

Hakurem · March 8, 2019, 11:45am

Thank you for answering. Is there a way you can share the rbxl file. It seems like an cannot access it. I am very certain that I have named it StarterCharacter and have a valid Humanoid inside. The problem is I cannot seem to make it work. It is parented to StarterPlayerScripts. There are no scripts in the place. I remember I was able to do this before about a month ago. Now when I am using the same method I cannot replace the default character. I wonder if there are any settings that overwrites it.

Osewell · March 9, 2019, 6:24am

Here’s my StarterCharacter model, it works for me
StarterCharacter.rbxm (12.5 KB)

Hakurem · March 9, 2019, 8:31am

Thank you. I realized my mistake. I added the model to StarterPlayerScripts instead of StarterPlayer.

mantorok4866 · November 26, 2019, 10:46pm

Im using the 2015 version specified above because Im switching out mutliple appearences, but when I try to use tools “after” changing my character, functions like .Equipped do not work. the script does run so I can print stuff but any function included will not run.

PeZsmistic · November 27, 2019, 12:39am

IIRC, R6 characters require a “Right Arm” and a Motor6D joint in the Torso connecting the arm to the torso called “Right Shoulder” for tools to work correctly.

mantorok4866 · November 27, 2019, 1:07am

what if I have requireshandle set to false, do I still need those requirements?