Tiles
A layer-based 2D map editor for building tile worlds from your own texture atlases. A custom OpenGL batch renderer under the hood, brush and fill tools, and a flexible layer-to-PNG export matrix. Built for Windows in C++.
Tiles is a 2D map editor for building detailed tile worlds out of your own texture atlases. I wanted a focused, modern take on tile-map editing, and I wanted to write the whole thing myself, the renderer included, rather than lean on a game engine to do the heavy lifting.
Why I built it
Tile editors already exist, and good ones. But I wanted my own streamlined version, and more than that, I wanted the excuse to build the rendering from the ground up. A map editor is a great project for exactly that: it needs a fast 2D renderer for a grid of thousands of tiles, and a real editing interface sitting on top of it. So I built both.
What it does
- Layer-based editing. Organize tiles into layers you can reorder, rename, and toggle while you work, so a busy map stays manageable.
- Brush, erase, and fill. Paint with adjustable rotation, size, and RGBA tint, or flood a region in a single click.
- Bring your own atlas. Import a texture atlas, set its grid dimensions, and pick tiles straight from it.
- A flexible export matrix. Assign layers to groups, then flatten a project into one PNG or split it into several.
- Save and load. Projects keep every layer and texture reference, so you can pick a map back up later.
Importing and selecting from a texture atlas
The layer panel
Brush attributes: rotation, size, and tint
The export render matrix, grouping layers into PNGs
How it works
Tiles doesn't sit on a game engine. It ships with its own built-in application framework, and at the center of that is a state-based batch 2D renderer written in OpenGL, handling the pipeline, the window, and real-time editing. The interface (the layer panel, brush attributes, atlas selection) is built on an immediate-mode UI.
Batching is what makes it feel instant. A tile map is thousands of little quads, and drawn one at a time that would crawl. The renderer collects them into batches and pushes each in a single draw, so painting across a big map stays smooth instead of dragging as it fills in.
The rendering layer took its cues from TheCherno's Walnut framework, and the editor itself from the Tiled map editor, the goal being a leaner, more modern take on tile-based world building.
Example maps
A few maps built entirely in Tiles, to show what the editor puts out:
A map on a decay theme
Factory, an industrial complex
Factory, a multi-level platform
Factory, an underground facility
Where it's going
Tiles is another one I'm planning to majorly overhaul, so consider this its current form. A proper rework is on the way.
Tech stack
| Layer | Technology | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Language | C++ | The editor and its renderer |
| Graphics | OpenGL | The batch 2D renderer everything draws through |
| UI | Dear ImGui | The layer panel, brush controls, and atlas picker |
| Framework | My own built-in app framework | Windowing and the app shell, Walnut-inspired |
| Build | Visual Studio (Windows) | Where it compiles and runs |