Template — Shimeji

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.

Creating your own custom desktop buddy does not require programming knowledge—only patience and basic digital art skills. 1. Download a Clean Base Template

Have you ever wanted a tiny, animated anime character or original mascot crawling across your computer screen? These digital companions are called (desktop buddies). They walk around your windows, sit on your taskbar, and occasionally steal your internet browser tabs. shimeji template

Ensure your background is transparent, or your character will have a white box around them.

Frames for moving left to right across the floor, or vertically up the sides of your screen. For a character to perform these actions, a

The image assets are meticulously organized into subfolders representing specific actions: img_0 for idle standing, img_1 for walking left, img_2 for walking right, and crucial interaction sets like img_3 for hanging from the top of a window, img_4 for climbing down the side, and img_5 for falling. More advanced templates include img_6 for dragging the character, img_9 for a "ukemi" (landing) pose, and even img_11 for replication—the act of creating a new Shimeji. Each image is typically a PNG file with transparency, and the frame count determines the smoothness of the animation.

Open the folder and find the /img subfolder. Inside, you will see placeholder images (usually plain grey or pink silhouettes). They walk around your windows, sit on your

You will need a digital art program. Paint.NET (a free, robust image editor) or GIMP (a free, open-source Photoshop alternative) are excellent choices. Open the folder of your template and go to the img directory. You will see a long list of PNG files.

Open the existing template files (like shime1.png ) directly into your art software. Check the image dimensions. Standard shimeji templates use canvas sizes of or 256x256 pixels .

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.

The basic "look" of your character while they wait for their next move.