Editing Maps

A map is a top-level asset file that contains :doc:layers <layers> and references :doc:tileset files <editing-tilesets> (which can optionally be embedded). It defines the coordinate system, tile size, orientation, render order and other map-wide configuration options that affect how the content is displayed and exported.

Creating a Map

You can create a new map via File -> New -> New Map…. The New Map dialog lets you set:

Orientation (see :ref:map-orientations)
Tile Layer Format (the storage format for tile data)
Render Order (only for orthogonal and oblique maps)
Map Size (fixed width/height or infinite)
Tile Size (tile width/height in pixels)

All of these options can be changed later in the Properties panel, via Map -> Map Properties….

.. _map-orientations:

Map Orientations

The map orientation controls how the tile grid is projected and how tiles are positioned relative to each other. Tiled supports the following orientations.

Orthogonal


The classic top-down grid where rectangular tiles are arranged in straight rows
and columns. This is the most straightforward orientation.

Isometric
~~~~~~~~~

Isometric maps are projected to give a 3D-like appearance. Tiles are still arranged in a grid, but
are drawn as diamonds (though Tiled doesn't transform your art, you'll need to provide the diamond
shaped tiles). Object positions are stored in a projected coordinate space (see
:ref:`object-layer-introduction`).

Isometric (Staggered)

Staggered isometric maps also use diamond-shaped tiles, but the grid is staggered every other row or column. The exact staggering is controlled by the Stagger Axis and Stagger Index map properties.

This orientation allows a map based on isometric tiles to still have an overall rectangular shape.

Hexagonal (Staggered)


Hexagonal maps use hex tiles arranged in a staggered grid. Like staggered
isometric maps, the staggering is controlled by **Stagger Axis** and
**Stagger Index**. Hexagonal maps also support a **Hex Side Length** that
defines the length of the straight edges of the hex tile.

The following table shows how **Stagger Axis** relates to the two common hex
tile orientations:

.. list-table::
   :header-rows: 1
   :widths: 30 70

   * - Stagger Axis
     - Hex Tile Orientation
   * - X
     - Pointy-top
   * - Y
     - Straight-top


.. raw:: html

    <div class="new">New in Tiled 1.12</div>

Oblique
~~~~~~~

Oblique maps apply a skew transform to achieve a pseudo-3D projection. The amount of skew is
controlled by the **Skew** map property, in pixels.

**Skew X** determines the horizontal offset applied for each row, while **Skew Y** determines the
vertical offset applied for each column.

Map Properties
--------------

The following properties are especially relevant when configuring a map.

Map Size (Fixed vs. Infinite)

Maps can be fixed size or infinite. A fixed map has a set width and height in tiles, while an infinite map has an auto-growing canvas that expands as you paint. The choice impacts how tile layers are stored.

For details on working with infinite maps and converting between the two, see :doc:using-infinite-maps.

Tile Size


The tile width and height define the size of each tile in pixels. These values affect the tile grid
and the map bounds, but does not affect the size at which tiles are rendered (unless the relevant
tileset has **Tile Render Size** set to **Map Grid Size**).

Parallax Origin

The parallax origin defines the reference point for :ref:parallax scrolling factor <parallax-factor> on layers. It is stored per map and defaults to (0, 0), which is the top-left of the map's bounding box.

Tile Layer Format


The tile layer format determines how tile data is stored when saving or
exporting the map. Some formats are more compact or faster to parse than
others. You can change the format at any time in the **Properties** panel,
via *Map -> Map Properties…*.