PixelLab AI Tilesets

Generate pixel art tilesets from text descriptions using AI.

Overview

TileForge integrates with PixelLab, an AI service that generates pixel art tilesets from text descriptions. Describe what you want — "ocean water transitioning to sandy beach" — and get a ready-to-use tileset in under 2 minutes.

Getting Your API Key

PixelLab requires a free account and API key. TileForge will guide you through setup the first time you use it, but here's the process:

1. Visit pixellab.ai and create a free account.
2. Go to your Account page.
3. Copy your API key (a long text string).
4. In TileForge, open Generate > Generate Tileset (PixelLab).
5. Paste your API key when prompted. TileForge saves it locally in your browser so you only need to do this once.

Costs

PixelLab offers a free tier with a limited number of generations per month. If you need more, paid plans start around $10/month.

Each tileset generation typically costs 1 credit. Individual tile generation costs vary. Check your remaining credits at pixellab.ai/account.

Generation Types

Top-down Terrain Tileset (Wang Tiles)

Generates a set of 16-23 tiles that handle terrain transitions automatically. Perfect for terrain layers like grass-to-dirt, water-to-sand, etc.

You describe two terrain types and an optional transition:

• Lower terrain: The base terrain (e.g., "ocean water", "dirt path")
• Upper terrain: The elevated terrain (e.g., "sandy beach", "grass")
• Transition: Optional blending description (e.g., "wet sand with foam")

The generated tiles include all corner and edge variations needed for seamless autotiling.

Individual Tiles (Loose Sprites)

Generates 2-16 individual tile variations from your descriptions. Good for creating themed sets of terrain, props, or decorations.

Number each tile for best results:

1). grass tile
2). dirt tile
3). stone tile
4). water tile
5). sand tile
6). lava tile

Workflow

1. Open Generate > Generate Tileset (PixelLab).
2. Choose your generation type (terrain tileset or individual tiles).
3. Fill in the descriptions.
4. Select tile size (16px or 32px — matches your map's tile size).
5. Click Generate and wait 30 seconds to 2 minutes.
6. The generated tileset is automatically loaded into your editor palette.
7. Start painting with your new AI-generated tiles!

Tips for Good Results

• Be specific: "lush green grass with small flowers" works better than just "grass".
• Match your game's style: Include style words like "retro", "fantasy", "modern", "dark".
• Use 32px for detail: 16px tiles are tiny — 32px gives the AI more room for detail.
• Iterate: If the first result isn't perfect, try again with a refined description. Each generation may look different.
• Combine with hand-editing: Generate a base tileset, then touch up individual tiles in a pixel art editor like Aseprite.

Troubleshooting

Managing Your API Key

Your key is saved in localStorage (key: pixellab_api_key). To change or remove it:

• Click "Change API Key" in the PixelLab dialog.
• Or clear it manually: open browser DevTools > Application > Local Storage > delete pixellab_api_key.