Saving...

ZX Spectrum Next Tilemap Editor

System: ZX Spectrum Next

Map

Project name

Level width (in tiles)

Level height (in tiles)

512 tile mode Save levels as separate files

Files

Load JSON Load Map (*.bin) Load Objects (*.bin)

Load tiles Load Palette

Import .hex/.gpl/.ase palette

Import Indexed PNG tiles

Tiles

Size:3x

LMB:1 RMB:0

Tileset:tileset-1

Tile options

Project uses: 0

This level: 0 Tileset levels: 1

Preserve attributes

Reorder tiles

Move LMB tile to index

Attributes

No cell selected.

Palette offset: 0

Mirror X Mirror Y Rotate ULA over

Random Solid

Zoom: 2x

Cell: -

Load JSON Load Map (*.bin) Load Objects (*.bin) Load tiles Load paletteImport Indexed PNG tiles

Map panel Files Reorder tiles Tile options Palette Tile editor Levels Random brushes Objects Objects on map Preview Preview always on top

Next Paint Sample Code NextBuildStudio

Direct Draw Tools

Drag to select pixels

Brush size Tile mode Pixel perfect mode

Edit colour 0

R0

G0

B0

Preview

Preview zoom: 100%

Palette

LMB colour: 0 RMB colour: 0

Palette Offset: 0

Palette offset in use: 0

Import .hex/.gpl/.ase palette Import indexed PNG tiles

Palette Editor

Editing palette index: 0

R0

G0

B0

To recolour: click “Edit palette colours”, select a swatch, then change its RGB sliders or colour box. Each row is one 16-colour palette bank: row 1 is offset 0, row 2 is offset 1, and so on. The map updates immediately.

Tile Editor

Paint

Transform

Shift / Move

Export

Editing tile: 0 Import Indexed PNG tiles Preview Zoom: 8x -

Preview

Collision Mask

LMB solid, RMB erase. Automate mask treats colour 0 as passable and all other colours as blocking.

Levels

Plane

Inheriting project palette

Palette file

Tilesets and palettes are separate. Use a palette file below to change this level's colours.

Use palette file… (.nxp)

Tileset

Random brushes

Objects

Object type

Colour

Ready Use Help → Keyboard shortcuts for controls

Editing "level1" (160x128)

Map Tools

Export

No export folder set, using Downloads fallback

Sample Code

Download example code to go with these tools

Map Properties

Keyboard shortcuts

B

Brush mode

E

Erase mode

A

Attribute mode

G

Fill mode

X

Toggle Mirror X while painting tiles

Y

Toggle Mirror Y while painting tiles

R

Toggle Rotate while painting tiles

M

Marquee selection tool

U

Shape tool

O

Object placement mode

H

Toggle grid

Ctrl+Z

Undo

Ctrl+Y

Redo

Ctrl+S

Save all exports

Ctrl+O

Load JSON

Ctrl+C/X/V

Copy, cut and paste the active marquee selection

Esc

Close this help window

View menu shortcuts

Alt+M

Toggle Map panel

Alt+F

Toggle Files panel

Alt+R

Toggle Reorder tiles

Alt+T

Toggle Tile options

Alt+P

Toggle Palette panel

Alt+E

Toggle Tile editor

Alt+N

Toggle Levels

Alt+B

Toggle Random brushes

Alt+O

Toggle Objects panel

Alt+L

Toggle Objects on map

Alt+V

Toggle Preview panel

Alt+W

Toggle Preview always on top

Alt+0

Reset floating panel positions

Mouse controls

LMB

Paint with the selected LMB tile, select a cell in Attribute mode, place objects in Object mode, or drag an existing object to move it

RMB

Paint or fill with the selected RMB tile

MMB

Pan the map

Alt+LMB

Sample tile and attributes from the map into the current brush

Hardware notes

512

512 tile mode uses tilemap entry bit 8 as tile number bit 8. Palette offset, mirror X/Y, and rotate remain available.

ULA

In 256 tile mode, the same bit controls ULA over tilemap for that cell.

Tile / palette editor shortcuts

B

Brush mode

E

Erase mode (uses first colour for current palette offset)

G

Fill mode

Z

Clear current tile using the selected LMB colour

Ctrl+Z

Undo tile/palette edit

Ctrl+Y

Redo tile/palette edit

Esc

Return to tilemap editor, or close this help window

Mouse controls

LMB

Paint with the selected left colour, or select a palette colour as the left colour

RMB

Paint with the selected right colour, or select a palette colour as the right colour

Alt+LMB

Sample a pixel colour from the tile editor into the left colour

About Hardware Tilemap Editor

Hardware Tilemap Editor is in development by Gary Pinkett.

Create hardware-ready tilemaps, tilesets, palettes, collision masks and object data for ZX Spectrum Next or Sega Mega Drive / Genesis projects.

Follow Gary Pinkett on X: @STompyRR

Import Palette

No palette loaded.

Start import at palette index

Colours are converted to the selected system's hardware colour range and clipped to its available palette entries.

Import PNG Tiles

No PNG loaded.

Show tiles from palette bank

Preview palette offset: 0

Apply generated palette from PNG colours

Only indexed PNG files are accepted. Each 8x8 tile must use colours from one 16-colour palette bank. Duplicate tiles are binned across exact, mirror X, mirror Y, rotate, and all combinations.