WALLPAPER
ENGINE GUIDE
QUICK ACCESSBeginner setupHigh GPU usageWorkshopAudio fix
Official Wallpaper Engine editor interface showing a live 3D scene
INDEPENDENT FIELD MANUAL · UPDATED SEP 10, 2026

Create Your Own Wallpaper

Use a scene project for animated images, video for finished loops, and web for interactive HTML experiences.

Start reading ↓
VERIFIEDOfficial sources first
Reviewed by Wallpaper Engine Guide Editorial TeamLast reviewed: September 10, 2026

Pick a project type

  1. Scene: animate an image with layers, effects, particles, and camera motion.
  2. Video: import a finished looping video.
  3. Web: build an interactive HTML/CSS/JavaScript wallpaper.

Scene workflow

  1. Start a new scene project and import a high-resolution source image.
  2. Separate foreground and background when you need depth.
  3. Add subtle motion before adding particles or post-processing.
  4. Preview at the target resolution and test CPU/GPU usage.
  5. Add a clear title, thumbnail, tags, and description before Workshop publishing.

Publishing check

Only publish assets you own or have permission to distribute. Credit permitted third-party material according to its license.

Build a useful first Scene wallpaper

The official editor tutorial recommends starting with an image at a real display resolution, such as 1920×1080, rather than an arbitrary canvas. Import the image through the editor welcome screen. Add one subtle effect, preview it, and save before layering in particles, light shafts, text, or scripts.

  1. Prepare an image you own and crop it to the target aspect ratio.
  2. Create a Scene project and confirm project resolution.
  3. Add gentle motion to one region instead of animating everything.
  4. Use assets such as images, text, particle systems, sounds, or 3D models only when they support the composition.
  5. Preview at full resolution and check performance at 30 and 60 FPS.
  6. Create user properties for options people may want to disable, such as sound or strong particles.

Scene, video, or web: decision table

TypeChoose it whenMain limitation
SceneYou want layered animation, particles, parallax, interaction, or audio response.Requires learning the editor and optimizing effects.
VideoYou already have a finished loop and do not need interactive controls.Quality and file size depend on encoding; it is not easily editable.
WebYou can build HTML/CSS/JavaScript and need widgets or rich interaction.Complex code can use more resources or scale poorly.

For web wallpapers, the official documentation recommends placing all files in a dedicated project folder and bundling required images, scripts, and styles locally. The editor copies the folder into its project directory and creates a project.json file.

Before publishing to Workshop

  • Use only art, audio, fonts, and video you have permission to distribute.
  • Test 16:9 and at least one ultrawide layout; web projects should scale dynamically.
  • Include an accurate title, preview, description, content rating, and controls.
  • Offer switches for costly or distracting effects.
  • Update the existing project rather than publishing duplicate versions.
  • Do not load essential files from remote servers; offline users should still see the wallpaper.

Official editor references

Editor guidance reviewed September 10, 2026.

Keep exploring

Beginner setupBest settingsWorkshopMultiple monitors