Version: Unity 6 (6000.0)
Language : English
Sort Sprites with a Custom Sorting Axis
Create a Tile Palette for an Isometric Tilemap

Create an Isometric Tilemap

When creating an Isometric TilemapA GameObject that allows you to quickly create 2D levels using tiles and a grid overlay. More info
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, there are additional configuration steps to take compared to creating a regular Tilemap.

Create the Isometric Tilemap

To create an Isometric Tilemap, go to GameObject > 2D Object and select either Isometric Tilemap or Isometric Z as Y Tilemap.

After creating the Isometric Tilemap, there are additional settings that need to set with the Project and Grid settings for the Isometric Tilemap to be rendered properly.

Custom Axis Sorting

To render the Tiles of an Isometric Tilemap, Tiles placed further to the ‘back’ of the Tilemap need to be rendered first before those in front to create the pseudo-depth of an isometric perspective. To ensure that all Renderers in the SceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info
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conform to this logic, a Custom Axis is used as the Sorting Axis. Set the Transparency Sort Mode to ‘Custom Axis’ and enter (0,1,0) for the XYZ values of the Transparency Sort Axis.

Go to Edit > Project Settings > Graphics > Camera Settings to set the Custom Axis settings.

Set the Transparency Sort Axis XYZ values to (0,1,0) to cause all Renderers which are at a higher Y position in the Scene to be rendered first, and appear behind Renderers at a lower Y position.

With the Isometric Z as Y Tilemap, Tiles with different Z-position values are offset along the Y-axis and appear to be at different heights, producing a ‘stacking’ effect with Tiles at the same XY Cell Position. By default, the generic isometric Transparency Sort Axis setting of (0,1,0) does not consider the Tile’s Z-position values during sorting which results in the Tiles being rendered out of intended order (see the example below).

Left: With (0,1,0), Tiles rendered in incorrect order. Right: With (0,1,-0.26), Tiles appear correctly stacked on each other.
Left: With (0,1,0), Tiles rendered in incorrect order. Right: With (0,1,–0.26), Tiles appear correctly ‘stacked’ on each other.

Set the Transparency Sort Axis to (0,1,–0.26) to correctly render Tiles with different Z positions. The Z-axis is set to –0.26 to give a bias to Tiles with higher Z positions to be drawn first.


  • Isometric Tilemaps added in 2018.3 NewIn20183
Sort Sprites with a Custom Sorting Axis
Create a Tile Palette for an Isometric Tilemap