Create a tilemap

A tilemapA GameObject that allows you to quickly create 2D levels using tiles and a grid overlay. More info
See in Glossary is a GameObjectThe fundamental object in Unity scenes, which can represent characters, props, scenery, cameras, waypoints, and more. A GameObject’s functionality is defined by the Components attached to it. More info
See in Glossary which acts as a grid that you place your selected tiles on.

There are multiple types of tilemap, these are:

• Rectangular
• Hexagonal Point Top
• Hexagonal Flat Top
• Isometric
• Isometric Z as Y

The default tilemap is Rectangular. Refer to the respective pages for Hexagonal and Isometric tilemaps for more information on their specific features and uses.

Create a tilemap asset

To create a tilemap asset, do the following:

1. Right-click in Hierarchy window and select 2D Object > Tilemap.
2. Select the type of tilemap you want to create from the options available.

After creating a tilemap, Unity creates a new Grid GameObject with a child tilemap GameObject in the sceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
See in Glossary. The Grid GameObject determines the layout of its child tilemaps. The child tilemap consists of the Tilemap component and Tilemap Renderer component. Unity paints tiles onto the tilemap GameObject.

Note: If you don’t have these options in the menu bar, you may not have the 2D Tilemap Editor package installed. In this scenario, download the 2D Tilemap Editor package from the Package Manager.

Create a tilemap asset in the Tile Palette window

You can also create a new tilemap from the Tile Palette window. To do this, do the following:

1. Open the Tile Palette window.
2. If you have a tile palette you want to create a tilemap asset for, open that tile palette in the Tile Palette window.
3. In the Active Target dropdown menu, select the Create New Tilemap option.
4. Select the type of tilemap you want to create. If you have an active tile palette, select From Tile Palette to create a new tilemap with the same settings as the tile palette.

Create additional tilemaps

You can create additional tilemaps for a Grid with the following steps:

1. Select the Grid in the Hierarchy window.
2. Right-click on the selected GameObject and go to 2D Object > Tilemap and select the type of tilemap you want.

If the type of tilemap you select does not match the type of grid, you may encounter a dialog with a warning. For more information on how to handle this, refer to Troubleshooting mismatched Cell Layouts.

Update tilemap asset properties

After creating the tilemaps, you can adjust the properties of the Grid GameObject to adjust the properties of its child tilemaps. This ensures consistency across all the child tilemaps of a Grid. These changes also affect attached components such as the Tilemap Renderer and Tilemap Collider 2D components.

Additional resources

• Tilemap class (Scripting API)