Various ways to resize PMD models: from simple to advanced
The easiest way to do it is just to use a plugin. Simply select the menu command “Edit”->”Plug-in”->”System”->”Size(S)”, type a coefficient that your model’s dimensions must be multiplied to, hit Enter, and that’s practically all you need. There would be no point to write a separate article about it… except that for some people it does not work as smooth as planned. There are numerous reports from those who try to use the plugin, but instead of assuming the intended size, the model grows out of proportions monstrously. Or sometimes does not respond at all. It may be quite confusing, unless you understand the reason why it happens.
Is bigger always better?
Most usually, the number you enter to the plugin has a fractional part in it, either you need to expand the model just a little bit (“1.1”) or shrink it somewhat (“0.7”). Catch is, the way the plugin is written, it interprets the input using standard Windows subroutines that take into account so-called Regional Settings. In short, while the number “a thousand and a half” is being written as “1,000.5” in US, a German would write the same number as “1.000,5“. Which might or might not be a good idea, depending on who’s going to read that paper. So, when the plugin reads “0.7” that you typed into it, it’s supposed to understand that you want to detract one-third from the model’s height, but due to contradicting Regional Settings it may read it as straight “7” and increase the model sevenfold!
First thing you must try is to use the comma instead of the dot. Enter “0,7” into the plugin and see if it shrinks your model properly this time. If it does… stick to it. There might or might not be other problems related to the comma/dot issue that you will meet in future if you keep using MMD, but on the other hand, if you also use your computer to something other besides MMD, some of your activities might require your Regional Settings to be as they are. It’d be wise to apply the principle of “Chesterton’s fence” here: you do not take it down until you know the reason why it was put up.
Now, you put a number with a comma into the plugin… and it still doesn’t work! That means that your Regional Settings aren’t just reversed – they’re broken. If such is the case, you may have no other choice but to fix them, as your other works may suffer as well. Or you might be sure that you never, *never*, NEVER bump into a situation where an Excel sheet you made a year ago suddenly starts showing rubbish to you and you have no idea why, since you forgot that six months ago you changed Regional Settings in order to satisfy your MMD urges. Are you sure it will never happen? Are you really sure? [in Lorne Malvo’s voice]: Is this what you want?
Mad skillz: resizing models without a plugin
Now, how is it different from resizing a mere part of the model? On the surface, it’s all the same — select a part you want to resize, drag it by the Scale button, put it in place. You must always keep in mind, though, that the model consists not just of materials, but also bones and physics elements. When resizing a whole model, you could simply “Select All” and then rest assured that every part will be scaled proportionally to others. Resizing a part, you must keep in mind its relation to non-resized parts, how it will move on a bone it belongs to, whether a bone itself must be shifted or not, whether and how physics must be adjusted according the part’s new size, etc. With materials, you can split off a part you need using “Vertex/Masking” panel and breaking a material to sub-pieces if necessary, so that pieces of other parts of the model wouldn’t find their way into your selection by accident. It’s important to remember, though, that doing so does NOT allow you to only select bones and physics specific to the selected part. If you think that they have to be adjusted as well, you’d have to hand-pick them one by one.
Living by numbers
Up to the task: change size on the fly
All previous methods change model’s size to a fixed value, so if you need a model of another size, you need to do the whole routine once again. There’s a method, though, to make a .pmd model adjustable in MMD itself by creating an UV morph (“facial”). It will *not* work on models with bones, as they are not affected by facials, so this method has limited usefulness. Still, there are certain items that are distributed in form of .pmd models rather than .x accessories even though they have no bone structure except the basic Center bone. For those, at least, you can solve the problem of adjusting the size once and for all.
Models used in illustrations: Len&Rin Kagamine and Kaito by Animasa, sonic screwdriver accessory by Maddoktor2, scissors accessory by The-Horrible-Mu.
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