dandeliondino / terrain-autotiler

An advanced terrain tile matching algorithm for Godot 4.

Terrain Autotiler

Note: As of 4/2024, this repo is no longer being actively maintained.

Terrain Autotiler is a replacement terrain tile matching algorithm for Godot 4. It was designed for accurate, deterministic results in player-facing situations such as procedural generation and tile-based games. It is fully compatible with Godot 4 TileSets without any additional setup, but also brings back optional features from Godot 3, such as ignore bits and merging autotiles.

Features

Core

• A more accurate and deterministic terrain tile matching algorithm. It fixes multiple open issues. (While it is not fast, it is usually a bit faster than the engine.)
• Fully compatible with the Godot 4 terrains system. No additional setup is required.
• Brings back compatible Godot 3 features:
  • Corners and Sides "Full" 256-tile mode to match individual diagonal connections.
  • Alternative terrains can function as ignore bits similar to Godot 3.x by matching any other terrain, or can match a specific list of terrains.
  • Custom primary peering terrains to allow merging tiles of different terrains.
  • Ability to recalculate and update all terrain tiles in a TileMap layer.

Scripting

• Create a new Autotiler object using Autotiler.new(tile_map), then use it to access terrain tile placement functions. Contains complete in-editor documentation.
  • set_cells_terrain_connect and set_cells_terrain_path work the same as their base TileMap functions, but provide more accurate, reproducible results.
  • set_cells_terrains places multiple terrains by providing dictionary of {coords (Vector2i) : terrain (int)}. This makes bulk updates in procedural generation faster and simpler.
  • update_terrain_tiles recalculates and updates all the terrain tiles in a layer.

Editor Plugin

• TileMap editor: Toggle seamlessly between Godot 4 and Terrain Autotiler painting tools in the Terrains tab.
  • Paint in real time with a more accurate Draw mode.
  • Lock individual cells to prevent tiles from being updated (useful for preserving Path mode painting).
  • Error notifications appear in real-time while painting to assist in identifying issues such as missing tiles.
  • Open the debug panel to view detailed data for troubleshooting and bug reports.
  • Note: The editor plugin is a work in progress. Notably, it is missing the option to paint specific individual tiles as well as non-contiguous mode for bucket fill. Toggle off the Terrain Autotiler tools to access these base Godot 4 editor features instead.
• TileSet inspector: Set up advanced features such as "Full" Corners and Sides matching mode, @ignore terrains and custom primary peering terrains.
• Includes minor editor bug fixes and UX improvements
  • Selecting a TileMap in the scene tree always opens the bottom TileMap editor (rather than sometimes opening the TileSet editor instead)
  • Coordinates and current tool information appear when hovering over cells
  • More obvious visual feedback when painting with terrain tools
  • Bucket tool fills all adjacent tiles of the same terrain, even if the tiles are not identical.

Installation

Github

1. Download the latest version from Releases.
2. Unzip and move the addons/terrain_autotiler folder to the project.
3. Go to Project Settings -> Plugins and enable Terrain Autotiler.

Uninstallation

1. Go to Project Settings -> Plugins and disable Terrain Autotiler.
2. Delete the addons/terrain_autotiler folder from the project.
3. (optional) Open the TileMap and TileSet inspectors for your scenes and delete the "terrain_autotiler" metadata.

Acknowledgements

• GUT (Godot Unit Test)
• Godot Editor Theme Explorer
• Editor Debugger

License

• Terrain Autotiler is Copyright (c) 2023 dandeliondino (MIT license)
• Godot Engine is Copyright (c) 2014-present Godot Engine contributors (MIT license)