BongoWaifu Workshop Guide

How to Launch

There are two ways to open the Workshop Editor:

Method 1: Start Menu

When you click Play in Steam, a launch dialog will appear with two options. Select Workshop Editor to open the editor directly.

Method 2: Launch Options

1. Open Steam Library, find BongoWaifu
2. Right-click → Properties
3. In Launch Options, type --workshop
4. Click Play — the Workshop Editor will open instead of the main app

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Steam Library → Properties → Launch Options with --workshop typed in

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Two Character Types

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Workshop Editor overview showing the Create, Upload, and Manage tabs

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Specifications

Spine Spine Character Requirements

Image Image Character Requirements

Common Requirements

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Side-by-side comparison of Spine (animated) vs Image (static) character

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Example Downloads

Download a template package to get started quickly. Each template includes a working character.json and sample assets.

Spine Spine Template Structure

Image Image Template Structure

Spine Character Guide

Follow these steps to create a Spine-based animated cat character from scratch.

1. Create your character in Spine Editor 4.2. Design the skeleton, meshes, and attach your artwork.
2. Set up 3 animations: idle (set to loop), click_left, and click_right. Names are case-sensitive.
3. Export as binary: File → Export → Binary.
4. You will get 3 files: .skel.bytes, .atlas.txt, and .png. Place them in a new folder.
5. Create a character.json file in the same folder (see example below).
6. Launch BongoWaifu with --workshop to open the Workshop Editor.
7. In the Create tab, click Browse or drag-and-drop your character.json file.
8. Adjust Position X/Y, Scale, and Animation Fade Out to fine-tune the character.
9. Click the character on your desktop to test the click animations.
10. When satisfied, click Save, then switch to the Upload tab to publish.

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Spine Editor 4.2 with character skeleton and 3 animations visible

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Spine binary export dialog

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Exported files: .skel.bytes, .atlas.txt, .png in a folder

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Spine character.json Example

{
  "type": "spine",
  "name": "MyCat",
  "spine_file": "skeleton.skel.bytes",
  "atlas_file": "skeleton.atlas.txt",
  "animations": {
    "idle": "Idle",
    "click_left": "Hand_L",
    "click_right": "Hand_R"
  },
  "position": [0, 0],
  "scale": [1, 1],
  "hand_mix_out_time": 0.3
}

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Workshop Editor Create tab with Spine character loaded

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Image Character Guide

Image characters are the simplest way to add a custom cat. Just prepare 3 PNG files and a character.json.

1. Prepare 3 transparent PNG images: idle, click_left, click_right.
2. Recommended: use the same dimensions for all 3 images to avoid visual shifting.
3. Create a new folder and place the 3 PNGs inside. Create a character.json file (see example below).
4. Launch BongoWaifu with --workshop to open the Workshop Editor.
5. In the Create tab, click Browse and select your character.json.
6. Adjust Position, Scale, and Click Duration to fine-tune the character display.
7. Click the character on your desktop to test the click images.
8. When satisfied, click Save, then switch to the Upload tab to publish.

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Three PNG images side by side: idle, click_left, click_right

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Image character.json Example

{
  "type": "image",
  "name": "MyCat",
  "images": {
    "idle": "idle.png",
    "click_left": "click_left.png",
    "click_right": "click_right.png"
  },
  "position": [0, 0],
  "scale": [1, 1],
  "click_display_duration": 0.1
}

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Workshop Editor Create tab with Image character loaded

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Upload Flow

1. Switch to the Upload tab in the Workshop Editor.
2. Browse for a preview image (PNG/JPG) to use as the Workshop thumbnail.
3. Title is auto-filled from your character name (max 128 characters).
4. Enter a Description for your Workshop item (max 8000 characters).
5. Click Upload and wait for the upload to complete.
6. First time: You may be asked to accept the Steam Workshop Legal Agreement. Accept it in your browser, then retry.
7. After successful upload, the Item ID is displayed and the Upload button changes to Update.
8. character.json is automatically saved before uploading to ensure your latest changes are included.

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Upload tab with preview image, title, and description fields

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Download & Update Flow

1. Switch to the Manage tab and click Refresh to load your published items.
2. Your published Workshop items are listed with their title, ID, and status.
3. Load: Clicking Load auto-subscribes and downloads the item, then loads it into the Create/Upload tabs for editing.
4. Delete: Shows a confirmation dialog. Deletion is permanent and removes the item from the Workshop.
5. After loading, make your edits in the Create tab → click Save → switch to Upload tab → click Update.

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Manage tab showing list of published Workshop items with Load and Delete buttons

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Field Reference

Complete reference for all character.json fields.

Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions. Click a question to expand.

Supported Languages