PixelLab Tileset Generator Skill

This skill generates placeholder tilemaps and tilesets using the PixelLab MCP service through an interactive workflow, supporting top-down, sidescroller, and isometric tile types with terrain transitions and connected tileset chaining.

Workflow Context

Field	Value
Assigned Agent	asset-artist
Sprint Phase	Phase B (Implementation)
Directory Scope	`assets/`
Workflow Reference	See `docs/agent-team-workflow.md`

When to Use This Skill

Invoke this skill when the user:

•Asks to "create tiles" or "generate a tileset"
•Says "I need terrain tiles for my game"
•Wants to create ground, grass, water, or platform tiles
•Says "make placeholder tiles with PixelLab"
•Needs tilesets for world maps or combat grids
•Wants to create connected terrain transitions (water→beach→grass)

Project Art Direction Context

Blood & Gold Art Style Guidelines

Setting: Dark Fantasy (Low Magic) - The Shattered Kingdoms Tile Usage: World map terrain, combat grid tiles, dungeon floors Tone: Gritty, medieval, war-torn

Recommended Tile Sizes:

Use Case	Tile Size	Notes
World Map	16x16	Standard overworld tiles
Combat Grid	32x32	Larger for tactical visibility
Dungeon	16x16 or 32x32	Match combat or world scale
Platformer	16x16	Standard sidescroller tiles

Default Style Settings (Blood & Gold Consistency):

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outline: "single color outline" or "lineless"
shading: "basic shading" or "medium shading"
detail: "medium detail"
view: "high top-down" (world map) or "low top-down" (combat)

Terrain Types by Region:

•Ironmark (North): Snow, frozen lakes, stone roads, pine forests
•Silvermere (South): Grasslands, rivers, cobblestone, farmland
•Thornwood (West): Dense forest, swamps, moss-covered stone
•Sunspire (East): Desert sand, oasis water, sandstone paths
•Ashenvale (Center): Corrupted earth, dead grass, ashen stone
•Generic: Dirt paths, water, grass, stone walls

Tileset Types Overview

1. Top-Down Tilesets (Wang Tilesets)

Best for: World maps, combat grids, tactical games Output: 16-23 tiles with corner-based autotiling Features: Terrain transitions, seamless tiling, elevation support

2. Sidescroller Tilesets

Best for: 2D platformers, side-view games Output: Platform tiles with edges and surfaces Features: Transparent backgrounds, decorative top layers

3. Isometric Tiles

Best for: Isometric games, individual assets Output: Single isometric block/tile Features: Various shapes (thin tile, thick tile, block)

Interactive Workflow

Phase 1: Tileset Type Selection

Start by asking:

code

I'll help you create tileset assets using PixelLab! First, what type of tileset do you need?

**Tileset Type:**
- [ ] Top-Down (Wang tileset) - For world maps, tactical combat grids
- [ ] Sidescroller - For 2D platformer games
- [ ] Isometric Tile - For isometric games, individual blocks

**Tip:** Top-down tilesets are most common for RPGs like Blood & Gold.

Wait for user response before proceeding.

Phase 2: Terrain Definition

For Top-Down Tilesets:

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Great! Let's define the terrain types for your tileset.

**Base/Lower Terrain:**
What is the lower or base terrain? (The terrain that appears "underneath")
Examples: ocean water, dirt, grass, stone floor, snow

Your lower terrain: _______

**Upper/Elevated Terrain:**
What is the upper or elevated terrain? (The terrain that appears "on top")
Examples: sandy beach, green grass, cobblestone path, forest floor

Your upper terrain: _______

**Transition Description (Optional):**
How should the terrains blend together?
Examples: "wet sand with foam", "muddy grass", "crumbling stone edge"

Leave blank for automatic transitions, or describe: _______

**Transition Size:**
How prominent should the transition be?
- [ ] 0.0 - No transition (hard edge)
- [ ] 0.25 - Light transition
- [ ] 0.5 - Medium transition (Recommended)
- [ ] 1.0 - Full tile transition (23 tiles, includes center variants)

For Sidescroller Tilesets:

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Let's define your platform tiles.

**Platform Material:**
What is the main platform surface made of?
Examples: stone brick, wooden planks, metal grating, dirt

Your platform material: _______

**Surface Layer:**
What decorates the top of platforms?
Examples: grass, snow cover, moss, none

Your surface layer: _______

**Surface Coverage:**
How much of the platform top should the surface cover?
- [ ] 0.0 - No surface (just platform material)
- [ ] 0.25 - Light coverage
- [ ] 0.5 - Heavy coverage

For Isometric Tiles:

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Let's define your isometric tile.

**Tile Description:**
Describe what this tile represents.
Examples: grass on top of dirt, stone brick wall, wooden crate, water

Your tile description: _______

**Tile Shape:**
What thickness should the tile be?
- [ ] thin tile (~10% canvas height) - Flat surfaces
- [ ] thick tile (~25% height) - Medium depth
- [ ] block (~50% height) - Full 3D blocks

Wait for user response before proceeding.

Phase 3: Technical Specifications

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Now let's set the technical details:

**Tile Size:**
- [ ] 16x16 pixels (Recommended - standard for pixel art)
- [ ] 32x32 pixels (Larger, more detail)
- [ ] Custom: _______

**Camera View:** (Top-down only)
- [ ] high top-down (Recommended - classic RPG view)
- [ ] low top-down (More angled, shows more vertical detail)

Wait for user response before proceeding.

Phase 4: Art Style Configuration

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Let's match the art style to Blood & Gold:

**Detail Level:**
- [ ] low detail (Simple, clean)
- [ ] medium detail (Recommended - balanced)
- [ ] highly detailed (Complex textures)

**Shading:**
- [ ] flat shading (No shadows)
- [ ] basic shading (Recommended - subtle depth)
- [ ] medium shading (More depth)
- [ ] detailed shading (Complex lighting)
- [ ] highly detailed shading (Maximum depth)

**Outline:**
- [ ] single color outline (Black edges)
- [ ] selective outline (Outline where needed)
- [ ] lineless (Recommended for tiles - no outline)

**Prompt Adherence:**
How strictly should PixelLab follow your description?
- [ ] 5 (More creative freedom)
- [ ] 8 (Recommended - balanced)
- [ ] 15 (Very strict adherence)

Wait for user response before proceeding.

Phase 5: Connected Tileset Chaining (Optional)

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Do you want to create a CONNECTED tileset chain?

Connected tilesets share common terrain types for seamless transitions:
- Ocean → Beach (beach becomes lower terrain for next set)
- Beach → Grass (grass becomes lower terrain for next set)
- Grass → Forest

**Options:**
- [ ] No - Just create a single tileset
- [ ] Yes - I want to chain this with existing tilesets
- [ ] Yes - This is the START of a new chain

**If chaining with existing tilesets:**
Which tileset should this connect to?
[Call mcp__pixellab__list_topdown_tilesets to show options]

I'll use the base tile ID from that tileset to ensure seamless transitions.

Phase 6: Review & Generate

Present summary before generating:

code

Here's the tileset I'll create:

**Tileset Summary:**
- Type: [Top-Down / Sidescroller / Isometric]
- Lower Terrain: [description]
- Upper Terrain: [description]
- Transition: [description or "automatic"]
- Transition Size: [0.0 / 0.25 / 0.5 / 1.0]

**Technical Settings:**
- Tile Size: [X]x[Y] pixels
- View: [high/low top-down]
- Output: [16 or 23] tiles

**Art Style:**
- Detail: [level]
- Shading: [complexity]
- Outline: [style]
- Text Guidance: [value]

**Chaining:**
- [Standalone / Connected to: tileset_name]

**Estimated Generation Time:** ~100 seconds

Ready to generate? [Yes / Modify settings]

Phase 7: Execute Generation

For Top-Down Tilesets:

gdscript

# Use mcp__pixellab__create_topdown_tileset with:
{
  "lower_description": "[lower terrain]",
  "upper_description": "[upper terrain]",
  "transition_description": "[transition or null]",
  "transition_size": [0.0-1.0],
  "tile_size": {"width": 16, "height": 16},
  "view": "[high top-down / low top-down]",
  "detail": "[detail level]",
  "shading": "[shading level]",
  "outline": "[outline style]",
  "text_guidance_scale": [1-20],
  "lower_base_tile_id": "[optional - for chaining]",
  "upper_base_tile_id": "[optional - for chaining]"
}

For Sidescroller Tilesets:

gdscript

# Use mcp__pixellab__create_sidescroller_tileset with:
{
  "lower_description": "[platform material]",
  "transition_description": "[surface layer]",
  "transition_size": [0.0-0.5],
  "tile_size": {"width": 16, "height": 16},
  "detail": "[detail level]",
  "shading": "[shading level]",
  "outline": "[outline style]",
  "text_guidance_scale": [1-20],
  "base_tile_id": "[optional - for chaining]"
}

For Isometric Tiles:

gdscript

# Use mcp__pixellab__create_isometric_tile with:
{
  "description": "[tile description]",
  "size": [16-64],
  "tile_shape": "[thin tile / thick tile / block]",
  "detail": "[detail level]",
  "shading": "[shading level]",
  "outline": "[outline style]",
  "text_guidance_scale": [1-20]
}

After submission:

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Tileset generation queued!

**Job Details:**
- Tileset ID: [ID from response]
- Type: [Tileset type]
- Status: Processing
- Estimated Time: ~100 seconds

**Next Steps:**
1. The tileset generates asynchronously
2. Ask me to "check tileset status" or wait ~2 minutes
3. Once complete, I'll show download links and import instructions

**Tip:** You can queue multiple tilesets while waiting!

Status Checking & Download

When checking status:

code

# For top-down tilesets:
mcp__pixellab__get_topdown_tileset(tileset_id)

# For sidescroller tilesets:
mcp__pixellab__get_sidescroller_tileset(tileset_id, include_example_map=true)

# For isometric tiles:
mcp__pixellab__get_isometric_tile(tile_id)

When complete, provide:

code

Tileset Complete!

**Download Links:**
- PNG Tileset: [URL]
- Metadata JSON: [URL]
- [For sidescroller: Example Map: [URL]]

**Base Tile IDs for Chaining:**
- Lower terrain base tile: [ID] - Use as upper_base_tile_id for next tileset
- Upper terrain base tile: [ID] - Use as lower_base_tile_id for next tileset

**Tile Layout:**
[Describe the tile arrangement for autotiling setup]

**Godot Import Instructions:**
[See Godot Import section below]

Connected Tileset Workflow

Creating a terrain chain (example: Ocean → Beach → Grass → Forest):

Step 1: Ocean to Beach

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Lower: "deep ocean water with waves"
Upper: "sandy beach"
Transition: "wet sand with foam"
→ Save beach base tile ID

Step 2: Beach to Grass (using beach ID)

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Lower: "sandy beach"
Lower Base Tile ID: [ID from step 1]  ← This ensures visual consistency!
Upper: "green grass meadow"
Transition: "sandy grass with scattered sand"
→ Save grass base tile ID

Step 3: Grass to Forest (using grass ID)

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Lower: "green grass meadow"
Lower Base Tile ID: [ID from step 2]
Upper: "dense forest floor with leaves"
Transition: "grass with fallen leaves"

Benefits of Chaining:

•Consistent color palette across terrain types
•Seamless transitions when different tilesets meet
•Professional-looking world maps

Terrain Presets by Game Type

Blood & Gold - Combat Grid

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Preset: "Battlefield Grass"
Lower: "dirt and mud"
Upper: "trampled grass"
Transition: "muddy grass"
Size: 32x32
View: low top-down

Blood & Gold - World Map

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Preset: "Kingdom Roads"
Lower: "green grass meadow"
Upper: "cobblestone road"
Transition: "grass growing through stone cracks"
Size: 16x16
View: high top-down

Blood & Gold - Dungeon

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Preset: "Stone Dungeon"
Lower: "dark stone floor"
Upper: "cracked ancient tiles"
Transition: "broken tile edges"
Size: 32x32
View: high top-down

Ashenvale (Corrupted)

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Preset: "Corrupted Lands"
Lower: "dead gray earth"
Upper: "corrupted purple grass"
Transition: "dying vegetation with purple veins"

Godot Import Instructions

Top-Down Tileset Import

•
Download the tileset PNG and metadata JSON

•

Create folder structure:

code

assets/tilesets/
├── terrain/
│   ├── grass_to_water.png
│   ├── grass_to_water.json
│   └── grass_to_water.tres  (TileSet resource)

•
Create TileSet in Godot:
- •Create new TileSet resource
- •Add texture (the PNG)
- •Set tile size (16x16 or 32x32)
- •Configure terrain sets for autotiling
•
Wang Tile Setup: The metadata JSON includes tile mapping for Godot's terrain system:
- •Configure corner-based terrain
- •Map each tile to its terrain corners
- •Enable autotiling in TileMap

Sidescroller Tileset Import

•
Download PNG and example map (optional)
•
Import as Atlas:
- •Add to TileSet as texture
- •Set tile size
- •Mark physics collision shapes for platforms
•
Setup Platform Tiles:
- •Top tiles: Walkable surface
- •Middle tiles: Fill/background
- •Edge tiles: Left/right caps

Isometric Tile Import

•
Individual tiles work as standalone sprites
•
For TileMap:
- •Configure isometric tile shape in TileMap
- •Set tile size matching your isometric ratio
- •Consider using y-sort for proper depth

Quick Generation (Skip Interactive)

If user provides details upfront, generate directly:

Example:

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User: "Create a grass to water tileset, 16x16, high top-down"

Skip to generation with:
- lower_description: "deep blue water"
- upper_description: "green grass meadow"
- transition_description: "muddy shoreline with reeds"
- transition_size: 0.5
- tile_size: {"width": 16, "height": 16}
- view: "high top-down"
- detail: "medium detail"
- shading: "basic shading"
- outline: "lineless"
- text_guidance_scale: 8

Error Handling

If generation fails:

•Check PixelLab service status
•Simplify terrain descriptions
•Reduce text_guidance_scale for more creative freedom
•Check subscription/credits status

If tiles don't match:

•Increase text_guidance_scale for stricter adherence
•Add more specific transition descriptions
•Try different shading/detail levels
•Use base tile IDs from successful tilesets for consistency

If transitions look wrong:

•Adjust transition_size (0.25 vs 0.5 vs 1.0)
•Add explicit transition_description
•Ensure lower/upper descriptions are visually distinct

Example Invocations

User: "Create terrain tiles for my world map" User: "I need grass to water transition tiles" User: "Make platformer tiles for a forest level" User: "Generate dungeon floor tiles" User: "Create a tileset chain for beach to forest" User: "I need isometric blocks for buildings"

Reference: List Existing Tilesets

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# Check what tilesets already exist:
mcp__pixellab__list_topdown_tilesets(limit=20)
mcp__pixellab__list_sidescroller_tilesets(limit=20)
mcp__pixellab__list_isometric_tiles(limit=20)

Use existing tilesets as references for style consistency or for chaining.