Godot TileMap (4.7 TileMapLayer)

Author tile-based levels with TileMapLayer + TileSet, add per-tile collision and custom data, autotile with terrains, and manipulate cells at runtime. Targets Godot 4.7, where TileMapLayer replaces the now-deprecated TileMap node.

When to use

• Use when designing 2D levels from a tile grid, configuring a TileSet (collision, navigation, custom data, terrains), or reading/writing tiles from code.
• Use when migrating a TileMap node (single node, many layers) to multiple TileMapLayer nodes (one layer each).

When not to use: moving the player across the tiles → godot-2d-movement; general physics bodies/raycasts → godot-physics; procedural map generation algorithms → procedural-gen; level design practice → level-design.

Core workflow

1. Add a TileMapLayer node (one per visual/logical layer: background, walls, foreground). Each holds exactly one layer of tiles.
2. Create or assign a TileSet on the layer's tile_set property. Add an atlas source (a texture sliced into tiles) in the TileSet editor. Save the TileSet as an external .tres so multiple layers/levels reuse it.
3. Add tile data in the TileSet editor: physics layers (collision polygons), navigation layers, occlusion, and custom data layers (typed per-tile values like damage or is_ladder).
4. Paint in the TileMap bottom panel (Paint/Line/Rectangle/Bucket). For self- connecting tiles, define a terrain set and paint with Connect/Path mode.
5. Enable per-layer collision/navigation via the layer's collision_enabled / navigation_enabled properties.
6. Read/write from code with local_to_map, set_cell, get_cell_source_id, and get_cell_tile_data(...).get_custom_data(...).

Patterns

1. Convert mouse position to a cell and read its custom data

extends TileMapLayer

func _unhandled_input(event: InputEvent) -> void:
    if event is InputEventMouseButton and event.pressed:
        # event.position is in viewport pixels and ignores Camera2D scroll/zoom.
        # make_input_local() converts it into this layer's local space.
        var local_event := make_input_local(event) as InputEventMouseButton
        var cell := local_to_map(local_event.position)
        var data := get_cell_tile_data(cell)   # TileData or null
        if data:
            var dmg: int = data.get_custom_data("damage")  # custom data layer
            print("Cell %s deals %d damage" % [cell, dmg])

2. Place and erase tiles at runtime

# set_cell(coords, source_id, atlas_coords, alternative_tile = 0)
func place_wall(cell: Vector2i) -> void:
    set_cell(cell, 0, Vector2i(2, 1))   # source 0, atlas tile at column 2, row 1

func dig(cell: Vector2i) -> void:
    erase_cell(cell)                    # same as set_cell(cell, -1)

func clear_level() -> void:
    clear()                             # remove every tile on this layer

3. Autotiling a region with a terrain set

# Paint a filled area with terrain `terrain` of terrain set `terrain_set`;
# Godot picks the correct edge/corner tiles to connect them.
func fill_with_grass(cells: Array[Vector2i]) -> void:
    var terrain_set := 0
    var grass_terrain := 0
    set_cells_terrain_connect(cells, terrain_set, grass_terrain, true)

4. Iterate placed tiles (e.g. find all spawn tiles)

func find_spawns() -> Array[Vector2i]:
    var spawns: Array[Vector2i] = []
    for cell in get_used_cells():
        var data := get_cell_tile_data(cell)
        if data and data.get_custom_data("is_spawn"):
            spawns.append(cell)
    return spawns

Pitfalls

• TileMap node is deprecated in 4.3. Use TileMapLayer nodes (one layer per node); group them under a parent Node2D. Old TileMap calls that took a layer argument (set_cell(layer, ...)) do not apply to TileMapLayer.
• local_to_map needs layer-local coordinates. A world position needs to_local(...) first. A mouse event's position is in viewport pixels, not world space, so it is wrong as soon as a Camera2D scrolls or zooms; convert it with make_input_local(event) (or poll get_local_mouse_position()) instead.
• get_cell_tile_data returns null for empty cells or non-atlas sources — always null-check before get_custom_data.
• Custom data is typed. A layer declared as int returns int; reading it as the wrong type or referencing a non-existent layer name errors. Define the layer in the TileSet first.
• Terrains need every combination defined. set_cells_terrain_connect produces odd results if the TileSet's terrain bitmask peering is incomplete.
• Runtime edits are batched to end-of-frame. If you must read updated internals immediately after set_cell, call update_internals() (expensive — avoid in loops).
• Collision not working? Check the layer's collision_enabled, that the tile has a physics layer with a polygon, and that the TileSet's physics layer mask matches your bodies.

References

• For TileSet setup (atlas sources, physics/navigation/custom-data layers, terrain bitmasks), scene tiles, Y-sorting, and runtime tile-data overrides (_use_tile_data_runtime_update), read references/tileset-and-terrains.md.

Related skills

• godot-2d-movement — characters that walk on these tiles.
• godot-physics — collision layers/masks the tile collisions participate in.
• procedural-gen — generating tilemaps from noise/RNG.
• level-design / roguelike — design practice and grid-based genres.