I’ve spent a LOT of time drawing tiles! So when I came across this alternative approach to auto-tiling that requires fewer tiles, I knew I had to give it a go. This video is all about the “Dual-Grid System” (first proposed by Oskar Stalberg), and how I implemented it in Godot. Unlike most other tilesets, it also allows for equally rounded corners! Finally - I can sleep well at night knowing my tiles are all equally rounded.
I also go through the 3 more common tilesets that I’ve seen so you have a better understanding of alllll the options.
I would honestly love to see the dual-grid system used more widely - so I hope this video at least brings some awareness to it! There was hardly anything online about implementing this in a game engine, so it was a lot of trial and error. I apologise if I made any mistakes and I’m sure there’s many improvements and optimisations (e.g. tile symmetry) that could be made. I’d be keen to hear your thoughts!
I tried by best to explain my understanding of this complicated topic, but these guys probably do a better job lol :)
- Talk by Oskar Stålberg: https://youtu.be/Uxeo9c-PX-w?si=uXGV6z9LAICe7Pe0&t=308
- Dual-grid explained by ThinMatrix: https://youtu.be/buKQjkad2I0?si=FA_As5fVZVVWyJk8&t=83
Other links:
Tile templates adapted from: https://github.com/godotengine/godot-docs/issues/3316
Dual-grid system in Godot demo: https://github.com/jess-hammer/dual-grid-tilemap-system-godot
Dual-grid system in Unity demo: https://github.com/jess-hammer/dual-grid-tilemap-system-unity
Helpful tool to convert 15-piece sets to 47-piece sets: https://wareya.github.io/webtyler/
Edit: I've had quite a few people ask how I achieved the textured look of the grass tilemaps in this video. I have since uploaded an example shader here: https://godotshaders.com/shader/repeated-texture-overlay-for-tilemaps/
Chapters:
00:00 - Making tiles is hard
00:32 - 3 commonly used tilesets
01:57 - The problem of equally rounded corners
02:26 - What is the dual-grid system?
03:20 - Implementing dual-grid system in Godot
04:06 - Understanding dual-grid coordinates
04:55 - Final remarks & tips
05:32 - Game update :)
Music:
Undertale - Hotel
C418 - Taswell
https://pixabay.com/music/beats-untitled-123636/
https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-space-chillout-14194/
https://pixabay.com/music/bossa-nova-bossa-176627/
https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-atmospheric-14188/
https://pixabay.com/music/beats-empty-mind-118973/
https://www.youtube.com/@madisonjamessmithmusic3641