Search for "Shimeji-ee template" on GitHub. The shimeji-ee repository (the actively maintained version of the software) often includes a template folder.
Leo downloaded a file called Shimeji-ee (a popular English-enhanced version of the original Japanese program). Inside the folders, he found a generic, white mascot. It was boring, but it moved.
He realized that the program didn't know how to "see" his art; it only knew how to read a specific set of instructions.
"The program is like a puppeteer," Leo muttered to himself, "and it needs a specific puppet structure to work." shimeji template
He navigated to the img folder. Inside, he found the Template. It wasn't a single file; it was a folder containing 46 individual image files, all named with cryptic codes like shime1.png, shime2.png, all the way up to shime46.png.
Leo placed his new folder of Biscuit images into the img directory of the Shimeji program. He launched the Shimeji-ee.jar file and selected "Biscuit" from the list.
Suddenly, a small, grumpy cat fell from the top of his screen. It landed on the taskbar. It looked left. It looked right. And then, it began to march across the screen, exactly as Leo had drawn it. Search for "Shimeji-ee template" on GitHub
Leo sat back and smiled. He hadn't needed to learn Java. He hadn't needed to learn complex animation logic. By simply respecting the Shimeji Template, he had brought his character to life.
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. | You have the template, you drew the art,
If you want to create a Shimeji of Pikachu, Hatsune Miku, or your own persona, you have two options:
Using a blank template is superior because:
It's a folder of blank PNG images (usually ~50-100 frames) showing the character's different poses and movements:
idle, walking, grabbing, falling, dragging, climbing, etc. You draw over these blanks to create your custom character.