diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 8d92fe770b..ef1a7b215e 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -94,3 +94,8 @@ interface/resources/GPUCache/*
 
 # package lock file for JSDoc tool
 tools/jsdoc/package-lock.json
+
+# ignore unneeded unity project files for avatar exporter
+tools/unity-avatar-exporter/Library
+tools/unity-avatar-exporter/Packages
+tools/unity-avatar-exporter/ProjectSettings
diff --git a/tools/unity-avatar-exporter/Assets/Editor.meta b/tools/unity-avatar-exporter/Assets/Editor.meta
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..aac82b4258
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/unity-avatar-exporter/Assets/Editor.meta
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+fileFormatVersion: 2
+guid: 51b3237a2992bd449a58ade16e52d0e0
+folderAsset: yes
+DefaultImporter:
+  externalObjects: {}
+  userData: 
+  assetBundleName: 
+  assetBundleVariant: 
diff --git a/tools/unity-avatar-exporter/Assets/Editor/AvatarExporter.cs b/tools/unity-avatar-exporter/Assets/Editor/AvatarExporter.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..60b5e0e643
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/unity-avatar-exporter/Assets/Editor/AvatarExporter.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,207 @@
+//  AvatarExporter.cs
+//
+//  Created by David Back on 28 Nov 2018
+//  Copyright 2018 High Fidelity, Inc.
+//
+//  Distributed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.
+//  See the accompanying file LICENSE or http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.html
+
+using UnityEngine;
+using UnityEditor;
+using System;
+using System.IO;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+
+public class AvatarExporter : MonoBehaviour {
+    public static Dictionary<string, string> UNITY_TO_HIFI_JOINT_NAME = new Dictionary<string, string> {
+        {"Chest", "Spine1"},
+        {"Head", "Head"},
+        {"Hips", "Hips"},
+        {"Left Index Distal", "LeftHandIndex3"},
+        {"Left Index Intermediate", "LeftHandIndex2"},
+        {"Left Index Proximal", "LeftHandIndex1"},
+        {"Left Little Distal", "LeftHandPinky3"},
+        {"Left Little Intermediate", "LeftHandPinky2"},
+        {"Left Little Proximal", "LeftHandPinky1"},
+        {"Left Middle Distal", "LeftHandMiddle3"},
+        {"Left Middle Intermediate", "LeftHandMiddle2"},
+        {"Left Middle Proximal", "LeftHandMiddle1"},
+        {"Left Ring Distal", "LeftHandRing3"},
+        {"Left Ring Intermediate", "LeftHandRing2"},
+        {"Left Ring Proximal", "LeftHandRing1"},
+        {"Left Thumb Distal", "LeftHandThumb3"},
+        {"Left Thumb Intermediate", "LeftHandThumb2"},
+        {"Left Thumb Proximal", "LeftHandThumb1"},
+        {"LeftEye", "LeftEye"},
+        {"LeftFoot", "LeftFoot"},
+        {"LeftHand", "LeftHand"},
+        {"LeftLowerArm", "LeftForeArm"},
+        {"LeftLowerLeg", "LeftLeg"},
+        {"LeftShoulder", "LeftShoulder"},
+        {"LeftToes", "LeftToeBase"},
+        {"LeftUpperArm", "LeftArm"},
+        {"LeftUpperLeg", "LeftUpLeg"},
+        {"Neck", "Neck"},
+        {"Right Index Distal", "RightHandIndex3"},
+        {"Right Index Intermediate", "RightHandIndex2"},
+        {"Right Index Proximal", "RightHandIndex1"},
+        {"Right Little Distal", "RightHandPinky3"},
+        {"Right Little Intermediate", "RightHandPinky2"},
+        {"Right Little Proximal", "RightHandPinky1"},
+        {"Right Middle Distal", "RightHandMiddle3"},
+        {"Right Middle Intermediate", "RightHandMiddle2"},
+        {"Right Middle Proximal", "RightHandMiddle1"},
+        {"Right Ring Distal", "RightHandRing3"},
+        {"Right Ring Intermediate", "RightHandRing2"},
+        {"Right Ring Proximal", "RightHandRing1"},
+        {"Right Thumb Distal", "RightHandThumb3"},
+        {"Right Thumb Intermediate", "RightHandThumb2"},
+        {"Right Thumb Proximal", "RightHandThumb1"},
+        {"RightEye", "RightEye"},
+        {"RightFoot", "RightFoot"},
+        {"RightHand", "RightHand"},
+        {"RightLowerArm", "RightForeArm"},
+        {"RightLowerLeg", "RightLeg"},
+        {"RightShoulder", "RightShoulder"},
+        {"RightToes", "RightToeBase"},
+        {"RightUpperArm", "RightArm"},
+        {"RightUpperLeg", "RightUpLeg"},
+        {"Spine", "Spine"},
+        {"UpperChest", "Spine2"},
+    };
+    
+    public static string exportedPath = String.Empty;
+ 
+    [MenuItem("High Fidelity/Export New Avatar")]
+    public static void ExportNewAvatar() {
+        ExportSelectedAvatar(false);
+    }
+    
+    [MenuItem("High Fidelity/Export New Avatar", true)]
+    private static bool ExportNewAvatarValidator() {
+        // only enable Export New Avatar option if we have an asset selected
+        string[] guids = Selection.assetGUIDs;
+        return guids.Length > 0;
+    }
+     
+    [MenuItem("High Fidelity/Update Avatar")]
+    public static void UpdateAvatar() {
+        ExportSelectedAvatar(true);
+    }
+
+    [MenuItem("High Fidelity/Update Avatar", true)]
+    private static bool UpdateAvatarValidation() {
+        // only enable Update Avatar option if the selected avatar is the last one that was exported
+        if (exportedPath != String.Empty) {
+            string[] guids = Selection.assetGUIDs;
+            if (guids.Length > 0) {
+                string selectedAssetPath = AssetDatabase.GUIDToAssetPath(guids[0]);
+                string selectedAsset = Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(selectedAssetPath);
+                string exportedAsset = Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(exportedPath);
+                return exportedAsset == selectedAsset;
+            }
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
+    
+    public static void ExportSelectedAvatar(bool usePreviousPath) {     
+        string assetPath = AssetDatabase.GUIDToAssetPath(Selection.assetGUIDs[0]);
+        if (assetPath.LastIndexOf(".fbx") == -1) {
+            EditorUtility.DisplayDialog("Error", "Please select an fbx avatar to export", "Ok");
+            return;
+        }
+        ModelImporter importer = ModelImporter.GetAtPath(assetPath) as ModelImporter;
+        if (importer == null) {
+            EditorUtility.DisplayDialog("Error", "Please select a model", "Ok");
+            return;
+        }
+        if (importer.animationType != ModelImporterAnimationType.Human) {
+            EditorUtility.DisplayDialog("Error", "Please set model's Animation Type to Humanoid", "Ok");
+            return;
+        }
+        
+        // store joint mappings only for joints that exist in hifi and verify missing joints
+        HumanDescription humanDescription = importer.humanDescription;
+        HumanBone[] boneMap = humanDescription.human;
+        Dictionary<string, string> jointMappings = new Dictionary<string, string>();
+        foreach (HumanBone bone in boneMap) {
+            string humanBone = bone.humanName;
+            string hifiJointName;
+            if (UNITY_TO_HIFI_JOINT_NAME.TryGetValue(humanBone, out hifiJointName)) {
+                jointMappings.Add(hifiJointName, bone.boneName);
+            }
+        }
+        if (!jointMappings.ContainsKey("Hips")) {
+            EditorUtility.DisplayDialog("Error", "There is no Hips bone in selected avatar", "Ok");
+            return;
+        }
+        if (!jointMappings.ContainsKey("Spine")) {
+            EditorUtility.DisplayDialog("Error", "There is no Spine bone in selected avatar", "Ok");
+            return;
+        }
+        if (!jointMappings.ContainsKey("Spine1")) {
+            EditorUtility.DisplayDialog("Error", "There is no Chest bone in selected avatar", "Ok");
+            return;
+        }
+        if (!jointMappings.ContainsKey("Spine2")) {
+            // if there is no UpperChest (Spine2) bone then we remap Chest (Spine1) to Spine2 in hifi and skip Spine1
+            jointMappings["Spine2"] = jointMappings["Spine1"];
+            jointMappings.Remove("Spine1");
+        }
+    
+        // open folder explorer defaulting to user documents folder to select target path if exporting new avatar,
+        // otherwise use previously exported path if updating avatar
+        string directoryPath;
+        string assetName = Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(assetPath);
+        if (!usePreviousPath || exportedPath == String.Empty) {
+            string documentsFolder = System.Environment.GetFolderPath(System.Environment.SpecialFolder.MyDocuments);
+            if (!SelectExportFolder(assetName, documentsFolder, out directoryPath)) {
+                return;
+            }
+        } else {
+            directoryPath = Path.GetDirectoryName(exportedPath) + "/";
+        }
+        Directory.CreateDirectory(directoryPath);
+        
+        // delete any existing fst since we agreed to overwrite it
+        string fstPath = directoryPath + assetName + ".fst";
+        if (File.Exists(fstPath)) {
+            File.Delete(fstPath);
+        }
+        
+        // write out core fields to top of fst file
+        File.WriteAllText(fstPath, "name = " + assetName + "\ntype = body+head\nscale = 1\nfilename = " + 
+                          assetName + ".fbx\n" + "texdir = textures\n");
+        
+        // write out joint mappings to fst file
+        foreach (var jointMapping in jointMappings) {
+            File.AppendAllText(fstPath, "jointMap = " + jointMapping.Key + " = " + jointMapping.Value + "\n");
+        }
+
+        // delete any existing fbx since we agreed to overwrite it, and copy fbx over
+        string targetAssetPath = directoryPath + assetName + ".fbx";
+        if (File.Exists(targetAssetPath)) {
+            File.Delete(targetAssetPath);
+        }
+        File.Copy(assetPath, targetAssetPath);
+        
+        exportedPath = targetAssetPath;
+    }
+    
+    public static bool SelectExportFolder(string assetName, string initialPath, out string directoryPath) {
+        string selectedPath = EditorUtility.OpenFolderPanel("Select export location", initialPath, "");
+        if (selectedPath.Length == 0) { // folder selection cancelled
+            directoryPath = "";
+            return false;
+        }
+        directoryPath = selectedPath + "/" + assetName + "/";
+        if (Directory.Exists(directoryPath)) {
+            bool overwrite = EditorUtility.DisplayDialog("Error", "Directory " + assetName + 
+                                                         " already exists here, would you like to overwrite it?", "Yes", "No");
+            if (!overwrite) {
+                SelectExportFolder(assetName, selectedPath, out directoryPath);
+            }
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tools/unity-avatar-exporter/Assets/Editor/AvatarExporter.cs.meta b/tools/unity-avatar-exporter/Assets/Editor/AvatarExporter.cs.meta
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c71e4c396d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/unity-avatar-exporter/Assets/Editor/AvatarExporter.cs.meta
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+fileFormatVersion: 2
+guid: c7a34be82b3ae554ea097963914b083f
+MonoImporter:
+  externalObjects: {}
+  serializedVersion: 2
+  defaultReferences: []
+  executionOrder: 0
+  icon: {instanceID: 0}
+  userData: 
+  assetBundleName: 
+  assetBundleVariant: 
diff --git a/tools/unity-avatar-exporter/avatarExporter.unitypackage b/tools/unity-avatar-exporter/avatarExporter.unitypackage
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bb25cb4072
Binary files /dev/null and b/tools/unity-avatar-exporter/avatarExporter.unitypackage differ
diff --git a/tools/unity-avatar-exporter/packager.bat b/tools/unity-avatar-exporter/packager.bat
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..99932f1ead
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/unity-avatar-exporter/packager.bat
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+"C:\Program Files\Unity\Editor\Unity.exe" -quit -batchmode -projectPath %CD% -exportPackage "Assets/Editor" "avatarExporter.unitypackage"