Asset Guide — Project Y

01

File Specifications

All character assets must follow these exact specifications to work correctly in the layer system.

Property	Value	Notes
Canvas size	160 × 192 px	Every asset, no exceptions. This is Project Y's primary canvas size.
Format	PNG or GIF	PNG for static assets. GIF for animated (walk cycle, etc.).
Background	Transparent	No white, black, or solid backgrounds. Must show checkerboard in your editor.
Max file size	50 KB	Pixel sprites compress well. If you're over 50KB something is wrong with the export.
Color depth	Any	Indexed or RGBA both work. Keep palettes consistent with existing assets for visual cohesion.
Grid	8 × 8 px	Not required but recommended. All official assets use an 8px grid.

⚠ Common mistake: Exporting with a black or white background instead of transparency. In your pixel editor, make sure the background layer is hidden before exporting. The canvas should show a checkerboard pattern.

✓ Tops/Shirts — PNG recommended: Upload your shirt as a PNG and Project Y will automatically generate a subtle 2-frame breathing animation for the idle state. Upload as a GIF only if you want full control over your own animation (flowing fabric, walk cycle, etc.).

✓ Tip: A well-made 160×192 transparent PNG is usually 1–10 KB. A GIF walk cycle with 8 frames is usually 10–30 KB. If your file is larger, check for a baked-in background.

Base Templates

Download these reference files to use as the bottom layer in your pixel editor. Draw your assets on a transparent layer above them, then hide/delete the base before exporting.

IDLE / FORWARD

⬇ Download PNG

WALK / SIDE

⬇ PNG ⬇ GIF

SITTING

⬇ PNG ⬇ GIF

✓ How to use: Open the base in your pixel editor, add a new transparent layer on top, and draw your asset there. When exporting, hide/delete the base layer so only your asset pixels remain on a transparent background. Your exported file should be 160×192px.

02

Layer Slot Guide

The character is built from stacked layers. Each layer slot has a specific purpose. Assets must be assigned to the correct slot or they won't stack in the right order.

Layer order from back to front:

🎀

BACK HAIR

Long hair that falls behind the body. Renders behind everything else.

slot: back_hair

🪽

BACK ACCESSORY

Wings, capes, backpacks — anything that sits behind the body.

slot: back_accessory

🦴

BODY

The base mannequin. Skin, head, eyes, back arm, torso, legs. Foundation layer.

slot: body (not uploadable)

👟

SHOES

Footwear. Sits above the body, below pants.

slot: shoes

👖

BOTTOMS

Pants, skirts, shorts. Sits above shoes, below the front arm.

slot: bottoms

💪

FRONT ARM

The forward-facing arm. Sits above bottoms, under the shirt.

slot: front_arm

👕

TOP

Shirts, hoodies, jackets, dresses, full body outfits. Dresses and full body assets go here too.

slot: top ✨ auto-breathing for PNG

✨

FACE

Blush, freckles, makeup, face markings. Sits above the shirt.

slot: face

👁️

EYES

Eye overlays, pupils, lashes, eye styles. Sits above face layer.

slot: eyes

👜

FRONT ACCESSORY

Bags, held items, front jewelry — anything carried or worn in front.

slot: front_accessory

🎭

ACCESSORY

Masks, scarves, neck accessories. Worn over clothing.

slot: accessory

💇

HAIR

Hair styles. Sits above accessories.

slot: hair

🎩

HEADWEAR

Hats, crowns, animal ears, horns. Topmost layer — sits over hair.

slot: headwear

✓ Tip: When drawing, use the mannequin base as a reference layer underneath. Draw only your asset's pixels on a transparent layer on top. The mannequin should never be included in your export.

03

Asset Format

Each asset is a single front-facing image. Draw your clothing, hair, eyes, or accessories to match the idle/forward base mannequin pose. That's it — one drawing per asset.

FORWARD

SINGLE POSE

Front-facing idle pose. This is the only pose needed. Your asset sits on top of the breathing base mannequin. PNG for still items, GIF if you want animation (e.g. flowing hair).

✓ Backgrounds: You can also create and share custom backgrounds for companions. Background images should be 800×600px (any image format). These go behind the sprite, not as a clothing layer.

04

Naming Conventions

Use clear, consistent names when uploading. The asset name is what users see in the dressing room and Wardrobe Commons.

# Format: slot_name_creator
# Examples:

top_black_hoodie_solen.png             # hoodie
hair_silver_spiky_missy.png            # hair style
hair_white_medium_forward_missy.png     # hair, front facing
hair_white_medium_side_missy.png        # hair, side profile
shoes_brown_boots_forward_solen.png     # shoes, front facing
accessory_black_mask_forward_missy.png  # mask accessory

When uploading through the dressing room or app, the asset name field is just the human-readable name (e.g. "Black Hoodie"). You don't need to follow the filename convention exactly — it's just good practice for keeping your files organized locally.

05

How to Export

These instructions apply to Shadow World Pixel Art App (swpapy.pages.dev) — the official Project Y pixel editor. The same principles apply to Aseprite or any other pixel art tool.

For a static asset (PNG):

1. Make sure ONLY your asset layer is visible
   (hide the mannequin reference layer)
2. Background must show checkerboard = transparent
3. Export → Export PNG → 1x scale
4. Confirm file is under 50KB
5. Open in any image viewer — should show transparent bg

⚠ Aseprite users: Make sure to delete or hide the default "Background" layer (solid white) before exporting. File → Export → check "Use layer opacity" and ensure alpha channel is preserved.

06

How to Upload

You can upload assets from two places — the Dressing Room on the website, or directly from the Dressing Room in the app. Both sync to the same account.

From the website (dressing-room.html):

1. Log in at the top right → Launch App → sign in
2. Go to Dressing Room in the nav
3. Select the slot you want to upload to (e.g. Hair)
4. Scroll down to the Upload section
5. Fill in: asset name, tags (optional), public toggle
6. Choose your PNG or GIF file
7. Hit Upload
8. It appears in your slot immediately for preview
9. Select it → Save to App to sync to your companions

From the app (Settings → 👗 Dressing Room):

1. Open the app and go to Settings (⚙ gear icon)
2. Tap 👗 Dressing Room
3. Select your companion at the top
4. Scroll down to Upload Asset
5. Fill in: asset name, tags (optional), public toggle
6. Choose File → pick your PNG or GIF
7. Tap Upload
8. Select it from the dropdown to preview
9. Tap Save Outfit to apply

Once uploaded, your asset is saved to your account and available across all devices. If you set it to public, it will appear in The Wardrobe Commons for other users to add to their closets.

07

UAYOR License

UAYOR — Use At Your Own Risk. All assets shared publicly in The Wardrobe Commons are released under this community license.

// WHAT UAYOR MEANS //

Anyone can use your public asset in their Project Y companions for free
You keep full credit as the creator
Assets are shared as-is — no guaranteed compatibility with all activity states
If an asset only has a forward state, it may not display during walk or sit — that's okay
You cannot sell assets submitted to The Wardrobe Commons
You cannot claim ownership of assets made by others
Assets with copyrighted characters or IP are not allowed

Private assets (not marked public) are only visible to you and never appear in The Wardrobe Commons. You can keep your companion's look entirely private if you prefer.

Project Y itself is not responsible for the content of community-submitted assets. If you encounter an asset that violates these terms, please report it.