Shimeji Template File

You have the template, you drew the art, but the Shimeji won't move. Here is the fix.

| Problem | Most Likely Cause | Solution | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Character is invisible | Wrong image size or background isn't transparent. | Re-export PNGs with transparency. Ensure canvas is exact match to template. | | Character walks off screen and dies | The "floor" is set too low in the XML. | Edit floorHeight in the XML or increase your canvas Y-position. | | Shimeji doesn't climb | Missing climbing frames or wrong folder name | Ensure folder is named exactly /climb not /climbing. | | Java error: Class not found | Using wrong Shimeji engine for the template. | Download the shimeji-ee version. Old templates require old Java 6. | | Splitting animation crashes | The divide animation has missing frames. | The template likely expects 2 frames. Make sure you have both divide0.png and divide1.png. |

Despite its charm, the original Shimeji template has limitations. The Java-based software can be resource-intensive on older machines, and the pixel-based collision detection sometimes fails with odd-shaped windows. Moreover, the template is fundamentally 2D and lacks support for complex interactions like sound or contextual pop-up menus. shimeji template

In response, the community has evolved the template. Modern forks, such as the "Shimeji-ee" browser extension and Desktop Mate (a spiritual successor), have introduced physics upgrades, multi-monitor support, and even 3D models. Yet, the core logic of the original template—the discrete pose states governed by a simple finite state machine—remains the gold standard. It is a testament to a resilient design pattern.

Replace icon.png with a 16x16 or 32x32 version of your character’s face. This appears in your system tray. You have the template, you drew the art,

Each PNG is transparent and ideally 40x40 to 80x80 px.

| Action | Typical file names | Frames | |--------|--------------------|--------| | Idle | 0.png, 1.png, 2.png | loop 3–6 | | Walk left | l0.png, l1.png, l2.png | 3–6 | | Walk right | r0.png, r1.png, r2.png | 3–6 | | Fall | fall.png (1 frame) | 1 | | Hang (from top) | hang.png | 1 | | Climb | climb0.png, climb1.png | 2 | | Drag (held by mouse) | drag.png | 1 | | Sleep | sleep0.png, sleep1.png | loop | | Edge peek | edge.png | 1 | Some versions also support: kick , stretch , land , look

Some versions also support: kick, stretch, land, look.