If you left-click on him, instead of being picked up, he assumes you are arresting him. He drops to his knees, hands in the air, and frantically points at the Recycle Bin, implicating it for the "crime."
For a character to perform these actions, a set of images (sprites) and an XML configuration file are required. That is what we call the Shimeji template.
The alignment of your character inside the 128x128 canvas is off. Re-center the artwork to match the baseline of the original template frames. Distributing Your Custom Shimeji
Specialized loops for when the character climbs up the sides of your monitor or walks upside down on the top edge of your screen.
The Absent-Minded Accomplice
The Ultimate Guide to Using a Shimeji Template to Create Your Own Desktop Mascot
, such as changing a character's expressions or accessories dynamically without needing entirely separate image sets. App-Specific Templates
The origins of the Shimeji template can be traced back to Japanese internet culture, where it gained popularity as a form of comedic and artistic expression. The term "Shimeji" itself refers to a type of edible mushroom, but in the context of internet memes, it has come to signify this specific style of character illustration and its associated themes.
) that tell the program which images to display for specific behaviors and how often they should perform certain tasks. Chrome Web Store Types of Templates Blank/Base Templates shimeji template
Once every frame is meticulously drawn and colored, hide your template guideline layer. You will need to export each frame individually, or crop the canvas grid into individual numbered .png files, matching the exact naming convention required by the shimeji program.
: Check that your images are saved strictly as PNG files and not accidentally as JPEGs or BMPs.
: Looking around or interacting with a floor surface. Frames 15–17 : Falling through the air due to gravity.
A template is the blank, pre-configured framework you use to build your character. Imagine it as the unpainted sculpt of a mannequin. It doesn't have any specific features yet, but it has all the correct joints, poses, and proportions expected by the underlying animation software. If you left-click on him, instead of being
The drawings must have a strictly transparent background. Erasing must be hard-edged (pencil mode) because older desktop engines do not render semi-transparent pixels properly, causing white or pixelated halos around characters. Icon Asset: A proper template folder will also include a separate pixel tray icon file (
If your Shimeji starts to stutter or your computer slows down, the program may be running out of memory. This is common if you have multiple Shimejis active or are running a complex template.
base (like an anime or game character) to use as your starting point? Shimeji Browser Extension - Chrome Web Store
Ask in r/Shimeji (Reddit) or the Shimeji Discord server. Happy drawing! 🎉 The alignment of your character inside the 128x128