Shimeji: Template
If you need a breakdown of the for a specific movement (like crawling or window throwing)
Desktop buddies, or Shimeji, are interactive digital companions that roam around your computer screen. They walk, crawl, sit, and steal your internet browser windows. Creating a custom Shimeji is a fantastic way to bring your favorite anime, game, or original characters to life.
Have you created a Shimeji using a template? Share your results in the comments below—we want to see your virtual pets!
Before you begin drawing over a template, you must ensure your canvas matches the exact technical constraints of the Shimeji engine to avoid distorted or broken animations. shimeji template
Ensure your background is transparent, or your character will have a white box around them.
Creating a custom (a "desktop pet" that crawls around your screen) is a rewarding project for artists, but it can be surprisingly time-consuming. Most creators use a Shimeji Template or "base" to streamline the process.
The is a beautiful bridge between programmer logic and artistic expression. It requires no coding knowledge, only patience, pixel art skills, and a love for cute chaos. If you need a breakdown of the for
The Ultimate Guide to Using a Shimeji Template to Create Your Own Desktop Mascot
The Blank Guy is exactly what it sounds like: a simple, featureless humanoid figure posed in all 46 positions necessary for a Shimeji to function. The critical technical detail of this template, and virtually all Shimeji templates, is the image dimensions. The standard size for each frame is .
In the world of Shimeji, a template includes: Have you created a Shimeji using a template
: Use the Shimeji Browser Extension and their Shimeji Editor to upload individual sprites directly.
How they look when they are hanging from the ceiling or the side of a window.
If you pick him up and throw him, he won't just fall. Mid-air, he will deploy a tiny, pixelated parachute and drift slowly downward, occasionally checking a wrist-watch as if annoyed by the delay.
Save your finished artwork back into the img folder. You must overwrite the original template files using the exact same naming convention (e.g., shime1.png , shime2.png ) and format (PNG-24 with transparency). Technical Dimensions and Best Practices Metric / Feature Standard Specification Purpose / Notes Transparent PNG Prevents ugly white boxes around your character. Standard Dimensions 128 x 128 pixels Best for classic, crisp pixel-art styling. HD Dimensions 256 x 256 pixels Ideal for smooth, high-resolution digital drawings. Color Mode RGB (8-bit or 16-bit) Standard display profile; avoid CMYK print profiles. Anchor Point Bottom-Center Keeps the feet properly aligned with desktop windows. Troubleshooting Common Template Errors
The character stands still, blinks, or breathes.
