NPC Studio
by Seltop
NPC Studio lets a player stage a scene inside Minecraft, posing characters, adjusting the world and lighting, and capturing the result with in-game camera tools.
What it does
The mod is aimed at players who make screenshots, thumbnails and short scenes. A player arranges characters, mobs and items, sets up the surrounding world and light, then frames the picture with a camera. Presets and saved scenes let a setup be reused. Custom mobs and items can be placed in a scene as well.
NPC Studio runs on Fabric and on Forge, with files for 1.8.9, 1.20.1 and 1.21.11. The latest Fabric file is 1.3.7 for 1.21.11, and the latest Forge file is 3.0.0 for 1.20.1. It is installed on the player's side alone, so servers need nothing. The code is not open source and is covered by All rights reserved.
The batch screenshot feature can use a cutout pass when Iris and a compatible shaderpack are installed. The option is switched on from the batch screen, and if several compatible shaderpacks are present, the one used for the cutout pass is picked before the batch runs.
Key features
Advanced character posing
Characters can be posed by hand, and pose presets give a starting point for common stances.
Custom mob and item support
Custom mobs and items can be placed in a scene next to vanilla characters.
World and lighting control
The surrounding world and its lighting can be adjusted to suit the shot.
In-game camera tools
A camera can be positioned and aimed inside the game to frame each picture.
Scene saving
A finished setup can be saved and loaded again for later shots.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Use cases
Thumbnails and showcases
Creators stage a single frame for a video thumbnail or a showcase image.
Batch screenshots
Several frames of the same scene can be captured in one run, with the optional cutout pass.
Who it’s for: Players and content creators who want to stage and photograph scenes in Minecraft, and who are comfortable setting up posing and camera options.
How it compares
Mannequin is a Fabric mod for 1.21.8 – 1.21.11 that runs on client and server, and its code is not open source under All rights reserved. CinematicTools is a Fabric mod for 1.20.1 – 1.21.1 that runs on client and server and is open source under the GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0 only. Director's Cut is client-side only, open source under the MIT License and covers 1.20.1 – 1.21.5 on Fabric.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NPC Studio | Fabric and Forge | 1.8.9 – 1.21.11 | Client-side only | 2026-08-15 |
| Mannequin | Fabric | 1.21.8 – 1.21.11 | Client and server | 2026-06-08 |
| CinematicTools | Fabric | 1.20.1 – 1.21.1 | Client and server | 2026-04-08 |
| Director's Cut | Fabric | 1.20.1 – 1.21.5 | Client-side only | 2025-11-14 |
Questions
Does NPC Studio need to be installed on the server?
Which loaders does NPC Studio support?
What is needed for the batch cutout option?
In the catalog
NPC Studio is one of 8,499 Technology mods on ModsFinder, and one of 4,201 Technology mods for Fabric. 19,862 mods support Minecraft 1.21.11.
More from Seltop
Similar mods
What the author says
# Be the director of your best thumbnail yet. Stage the shot, pose the characters, control the world, and capture it all inside Minecraft. # Create with control - Advanced character posing - Custom mob & item support - Detailed world and lighting control - Powerful in-game camera tools - Pose presets, scene saving…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/npc-studio
- Owner
- Seltop
- Published
- 2024-01-16
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-08-15
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15