Understand the layer system and terrain properties.
Terrain & Layers
The Layer System
The map editor paints on stacking layers, each with a different purpose:
Floor (Ground Layer)
The base terrain — grass, dirt, sand, snow, water, stone, lava, etc. Each floor tile has:- Biome type — which biome it belongs to (Plains, Forest, Desert, etc.)
- Variant — specific visual style within that biome
- Walkability — whether characters can walk on it
- Elevation — height value for creating cliffs and raised terrain
- Floor tileset — the ground sprite, with autotile support
- Wall tileset — the cliff face sprite used when adjacent tiles have different elevations
Layer 1 (Mid Objects)
Objects that sit on the floor at mid-height — bushes, fences, barrels, small rocks, signposts, low walls. These have a 2-tile visual stacking height.Layer 2 (Upper Objects)
Taller objects — trees, buildings, tall walls, pillars, statues. These have a 3-tile visual stacking height and are drawn above Layer 1.Events Layer
Interactive trigger points — NPC dialogues, cutscene triggers, teleport zones, treasure chests. These are invisible in-game and activate when a player walks onto them or interacts.Tile Properties
Each terrain tile can be configured:
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Biome | One of 15 types: Plains, Forest, Desert, Swamp, Tundra, Mountain, Jungle, Savanna, Beach, Ocean, River, Lake, Volcanic, Mushroom, Corrupted |
| Walkable | Can characters walk here? |
| Elevation | Height value — differences between adjacent tiles create cliff edges automatically |
| Variant | Visual variation (e.g., grass type 1, grass type 2) |
Placing Objects
When placing objects on Layer 1 or Layer 2:
- Multi-tile objects — objects can span 2×2, 3×3, or any custom size
- Passage grid — each cell of a multi-tile object can be set to:
- Display options — ladder, bush (character partially hidden), draw-on-top
- Animations — animated objects use framesheet sprites that play in a loop
Autotile System
When you paint terrain, the editor automatically selects the correct tile variant based on neighboring tiles:
- Grass next to water gets a natural shore-edge variant
- Paths next to grass get correct border pieces
- Cliff edges auto-generate when adjacent tiles have different elevations