# Create a tile palette

> Create an empty tile palette and add sprites to it manually, or create a tileset that automatically generates tiles from a texture.

To create a tile palette, use one of the following approaches:

* Create an empty tile palette, then manually drag sprites into it to create tiles.
* Create a tileset, which automatically creates tiles from a texture and its sprites.

A tileset also automatically does the following:

* Updates the tile palette if the source texture changes.
* Creates a combined [sprite atlas](/engine/6000.7/manual/unity2d/sprite/atlas.md) texture from the source textures.

Use a tileset if your tiles correlate directly with the textures you use, for example if you import a spritesheet. You can also use a tileset to create placeholder tiles with a texture you can update at any time, without needing to reimport or reslice.

## Create an empty tile palette

To create an empty tile palette, follow these steps:

1. Make sure the 2D Sprite package is installed in your project. For more information, refer to [set up your project for 2D games](/engine/6000.7/manual/unity2d/2d-game-development/setup-project-2d-game.md).
2. From the main menu, select **Assets** > **Create** > **2D** > **Tile Palette**.
3. Select a tilemap type, which determines the shape of the tiles in the tile palette. The default tilemap type is **Rectangular**.

Unity creates the following in the **Project** window:

* A tile palette asset with the name you specified.
* A child asset that contains the settings for the palette.

You can also create a tile palette using the **Tile Palette** window. For more information, refer to [Tile Palette window reference](/engine/6000.7/manual/unity2d/tilemaps/create-tile-palette/tile-palette-editor-reference.md).

### Add tiles to a tile palette

Follow these steps:

1. From the main menu, select **Window** > **2D** > **Tile Palette** to open the **Tile Palette** window.

   If you have multiple tile palettes, set **Active Palette** () to the tile palette you want to add tiles to.

2. Drag a sprite asset () or a texture from the **Project** window to the **Tile Palette** window.

   If you drag a texture with a **Sprite Mode** of **Multiple**, Unity creates a tile for each child sprite. For more information, refer to [Import a sprite or spritesheet](/engine/6000.7/manual/unity2d/sprite/import-images-sprites.md).

3. Unity converts the sprite to a tile asset (). In the folder dialog that appears, select a location to save the converted tile asset.

The sprite now appears as a tile in the **Project** window and the **Tile Palette** window.

> **Note:**
>
> The tile asset isn't connected to the source sprite or texture. If you update the source sprite or texture, the tile palette doesn't change.

## Create a tileset

To create a tileset, from the main menu, select **Assets** > **Create** > **2D** > **Tile Palette** > **New Tile Set**. Unity creates the following in the **Project** window:

* A **Tile Set Importer** asset.
* A child asset that contains the settings for the palette.
* A child [sprite atlas](/engine/6000.7/manual/unity2d/sprite/atlas/atlas-introduction.md).

### Create tiles from a texture

Follow these steps:

1. In the **Project** window, select the **Tile Set Importer** asset.

2. In the Editor window, open the **Texture Sources** dropdown.

3. Select the **Add** (**+**) button to add a texture source.

4. Open the **Element** dropdown.

5. Drag a texture from the **Project** window into the **Texture** field, or select the picker (**⊙**).

   If you drag a texture with a **Sprite Mode** of **Multiple**, Unity creates a tile for each child sprite. For more information, refer to [Import a sprite or spritesheet](/engine/6000.7/manual/unity2d/sprite/import-images-sprites.md).

6. Select **Apply**.

Unity converts the texture to tile assets () and adds them as children of the tileset in the **Project** window.

To check the tiles Unity creates, open the **Tile Palette** window, then set **Active Palette** () to the tileset.

If you change the source texture, the tiles in a tileset automatically update to match the changes.

## Additional resources

* [Create a tile palette](/engine/6000.7/manual/new-tile-palette-reference.md)
* [Tile palette editor tools](/engine/6000.7/manual/unity2d/tilemaps/create-tile-palette/tile-palette-tools.md)
* [Tile asset reference](/engine/6000.7/manual/unity2d/tilemaps/reference/tile-asset.md)
* [Tile Palette window reference](/engine/6000.7/manual/unity2d/tilemaps/create-tile-palette/tile-palette-editor-reference.md)