How to connect your toy to Virt-A-Mate (VAM)

The easy way (vamX's built-in Lovense panel) and the advanced way (the VaMSync plugin) to drive a real toy from a Virt-A-Mate scene through ToyControl.

Virt-A-Mate (VAM) can drive a real toy from scene motion, and ToyControl sits in the middle: VAM talks to ToyControl, and ToyControl drives whatever toy you have paired. There are two ways to connect, one easy and one advanced.

Which one should I use?

Use the vamX path if you can. It is by far the easier of the two, it is actively maintained, and it works with any toy you have paired in ToyControl. The VaMSync path is only for people who do not have vamX.

	vamX (recommended)	VaMSync (advanced)
How it connects	vamX's built-in Lovense panel	A separate Buttplug plugin
Setup effort	A couple of clicks	Multi-step, older software
Maintained?	Yes, actively	No, frozen since 2021
Best for	Almost everyone	People without vamX

Before either path, you need two things ready:

A toy paired in ToyControl in your browser (Chrome or Edge).
The ToyControl Helper app installed and running. Get the Helper here, and if your computer warns that it is unsigned, here is how to allow it.

The easy way: vamX

vamX has a Lovense panel built in. You point it at ToyControl and you are done. Quick version:

Run the ToyControl Helper app. Game Link needs it. Once it is running you will see its icon in your system tray, and a green dot on the Helper chip in ToyControl's sidebar. If you have not installed it yet, get it here.
In ToyControl, open the Game Link tab. Note the connection target shown for Lovense Game Mode (something like 192.168.1.42:6010).
In VAM, open the vamX menu and find its Lovense section.
Type ToyControl's IP and port into vamX's Lovense fields and click Connect.
Play a scene. Your toy follows the motion.

That is the whole thing. For screenshots and the exact vamX menu path, see the dedicated guide: Pairing your toy with vamX inside Virt-A-Mate.

The advanced way: VaMSync

Only use this if you do not have vamX. VaMSync is abandoned software, its last release is from May 2021, and it takes several steps to set up. It still works, but treat it as a reliable old tool, not a polished one.

One naming note so you are not confused: VaMSync and VAMLaunch are the same plugin. It was renamed in 2021, but the folder, the installer, and the in-VAM plugin are all still called "VAMLaunch." That is normal.

VaMSync comes in two parts: a plugin that loads inside your VAM scene, and a small Windows server app that does the actual talking to ToyControl.

Step 1: Install VaMSync

Download VaMSync-3.0-Windows-x86_64.zip from the VaMSync releases page.
Extract the zip. Inside you get vamlaunch-installer.exe and a folder named VAMLaunch.
Run vamlaunch-installer.exe to install the server app.
Copy the VAMLaunch folder into your VAM install at VAM/Saves/Scripts/, so you end up with VAM/Saves/Scripts/VAMLaunch/.

Step 2: Add the plugin to a scene

Open a scene in VAM and select any Atom (a person model is typical).
Open its Plugins tab and click Add Plugin.
Browse to Saves/Scripts/VAMLaunch/ and select ADD_ME.cslist.

Step 3: Let the plugin use the network

VAM blocks plugin network access by default, and VaMSync needs it.

Open VAM's User Preferences.
Go to the Security tab.
Check Allow Plugins Network Access, then save your preferences.

Step 4: Connect to ToyControl

Two quick prerequisites first:

Quit Intiface Central if it is running. ToyControl's Intiface bridge and Intiface Central both use the same port; only one can hold it. If you do not have Intiface Central installed, skip this.
Make sure the ToyControl Helper is running.

Then:

In ToyControl, open the Game Link tab and turn on the Intiface bridge toggle. A ws://... address appears next to it.
Open the VaMSync server app.
Set its mode to Intiface Desktop and make sure the websocket address matches the one from ToyControl (the default ws://127.0.0.1:12345 is usually already correct).
Click Connect. It should say it is connected to a remote Buttplug server.

Step 5: Drive the toy

Back in VAM, open the VAMLaunch plugin's Custom UI, pick a Motion Source (Oscillate, AnimationPattern, or Influence Zone), and untick Pause Launch. Scene motion now drives your toy.

If the toy connects but does not move

VaMSync speaks an older version of the Buttplug protocol (it is frozen at 2021). ToyControl's Intiface bridge includes compatibility for that older version, but that support is recent, so:

Update the ToyControl Helper to the latest version (download here) and try again.
If it still does not move, use the vamX path above instead. It uses a different, always-supported connection and will work.
Either way, please tap Report a bug in ToyControl so we can check the handshake.

Tuning and multiple toys

Once VAM is driving your toy, shape the feel with ToyControl's normal controls: the Multiplier in the bottom bar, the Speed range for the floor and ceiling, and the per-device intensity slider. If you have more than one toy paired, each gets its own controls, see using more than one toy.

Troubleshooting

Nothing shows up / cannot connect (VaMSync).

The Helper must be running, and Intiface Central must be closed.
The Intiface bridge toggle in ToyControl's Game Link tab must be on, with a ws:// address showing.
In VAM, User Preferences → Security → Allow Plugins Network Access must be checked.
The VaMSync server app must be in Intiface Desktop mode with the matching address.

Connected, but the toy does not respond. See If the toy connects but does not move above. The vamX path is the reliable fallback.

The motion feels off. Adjust the Multiplier and Speed range in ToyControl.