Import TilePix Maps into SpriteKit (Swift)

A practical guide to loading TilePix tilemaps into iOS and macOS games using SpriteKit and Swift.

⏱ 5 min read • Game Development / Swift

Overview
What TilePix Exports
Requirements
Prerequisites
Code Implementation
Why This Works
Use in Your Game

Overview

If you're using TilePix to design your 2D game levels, you can easily load the exported ZIP archive (which contains your single or multi-layered JSON map data and PNG tileset) directly into your iOS or macOS game.

Below is a complete, ready-to-use Swift script using SwiftUI, SpriteKit, and ZIPFoundation to automatically parse the JSON and build a layered SKTileMapNode.

What You Get from TilePix

ZIP archive with JSON map data
PNG tileset image sheet
Layer-based tilemap structure
Engine-ready export format

Requirements

Swift 5+
SpriteKit framework
ZIPFoundation (GitHub)

Prerequisites (TilePix Export Setup)

Add the ZIPFoundation library to your Xcode project via Swift Package Manager.
Export your project from TilePix as a ZIP file, name it archive.zip, and drag it into your Xcode project bundle.

Code Implementation (SpriteKit + TilePix)

import SwiftUI
import SpriteKit
import ZIPFoundation

struct GameProject: Codable {
    let id: String
    let maps: [GameMap]
    let tilesets: [Tileset]
}

struct Tileset: Codable {
    let id: String
    let name: String
    let tileWidth: Int
    let tileHeight: Int
    let grid: Grid
}

struct Grid: Codable {
    let width: Int
    let height: Int
}

struct GameMap: Codable {
    let id: String
    let name: String
    let layers: [MapLayer]
    let mapWidthInTiles: Int
    let mapHeightInTiles: Int
    let associatedTilesetID: String
}

struct MapLayer: Codable {
    let id: String
    let name: String?
    let tileData: [Int]
    let isVisible: Bool?
}

class GameScene: SKScene {
    private let cameraNode = SKCameraNode()
    private var mapContainer = SKNode()

    private var project: GameProject?

    override func didMove(to view: SKView) {
        addChild(mapContainer)
        addChild(cameraNode)
        camera = cameraNode

        if let url = Bundle.main.url(forResource: "archive", withExtension: "zip") {
            loadProjectFromZip(url: url)
        }
    }

    func loadProjectFromZip(url: URL) {
        guard let archive = Archive(url: url, accessMode: .read) else { return }

        guard let jsonEntry = archive.first(where: {
            $0.path.hasSuffix(".json")
        }) else { return }

        var jsonData = Data()
        _ = try? archive.extract(jsonEntry) { jsonData.append($0) }

        project = try? JSONDecoder().decode(GameProject.self, from: jsonData)

        guard let imgEntry = archive.first(where: {
            $0.path.hasSuffix(".png")
        }) else { return }

        var imgData = Data()
        _ = try? archive.extract(imgEntry) { imgData.append($0) }

        guard let uiImage = UIImage(data: imgData) else { return }

        let texture = SKTexture(image: uiImage)
        texture.filteringMode = .nearest
    }
}

Preview:

Why This Works Well

Performance

SpriteKit handles tile rendering efficiently using GPU acceleration.

Pixel Accuracy

Nearest-neighbour filtering keeps retro visuals sharp.

Workflow

TilePix exports are structured specifically for game engines.

Scalability

Supports multi-layer tilemaps for complex levels.

Build Your Game Faster with TilePix

Design visually in TilePix and export directly into SpriteKit without manual tilemap work.

Download TilePix

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