diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index d7d19b0..a45da6e 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -199,18 +199,11 @@
         </div>
         <nav class="controls">
             <div id="editor-tile">
-                <!-- tools go here -->
-            </div>
-            <div id="editor-toolbar">
-                <!-- tools go here -->
             </div>
             <div class="-buttons">
                 <button id="editor-share-url" type="button">Share?</button>
                 <button id="editor-toggle-green" type="button">Toggle green objects</button>
             </div>
-            <div id="editor-tool-help">
-                <strong>Pencil</strong> — <span>Select a tile and draw with the left mouse button.  Erase with the right mouse button.</span>
-            </div>
             <!--
             <p style>
                 Tip: Right click to color drop.<br>
diff --git a/js/editor-tile-overlays.js b/js/editor-tile-overlays.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4797dee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/js/editor-tile-overlays.js
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+import { TransientOverlay } from './main-base.js';
+import { mk } from './util.js';
+
+// FIXME could very much stand to have a little animation when appearing
+class TileEditorOverlay extends TransientOverlay {
+    constructor(conductor) {
+        let root = mk('form.editor-popup-tile-editor');
+        root.append(mk('span.popup-chevron'));
+        super(conductor, root);
+        this.editor = conductor.editor;
+        this.tile = null;
+    }
+
+    edit_tile(tile) {
+        this.tile = tile;
+    }
+
+    static configure_tile_defaults(tile) {
+        // FIXME maybe this should be on the tile type, so it functions as documentation there?
+    }
+}
+
+class LetterTileEditor extends TileEditorOverlay {
+    constructor(conductor) {
+        super(conductor);
+
+        let list = mk('ol.editor-letter-tile-picker');
+        this.root.append(list);
+        this.glyph_elements = {};
+        for (let c = 32; c < 128; c++) {
+            let glyph = String.fromCharCode(c);
+            let input = mk('input', {type: 'radio', name: 'glyph', value: glyph});
+            this.glyph_elements[glyph] = input;
+            let item = mk('li', mk('label', input, mk('span.-glyph', glyph)));
+            list.append(item);
+        }
+
+        list.addEventListener('change', ev => {
+            let glyph = this.root.elements['glyph'].value;
+            if (this.tile) {
+                this.tile.ascii_code = glyph.charCodeAt(0);
+                // FIXME should be able to mark tiles as dirty, also this is sure a mouthful
+                this.conductor.editor.renderer.draw();
+            }
+        });
+    }
+
+    edit_tile(tile) {
+        super.edit_tile(tile);
+        this.root.elements['glyph'].value = String.fromCharCode(tile.ascii_code);
+    }
+
+    static configure_tile_defaults(tile) {
+        tile.ascii_code = 32;
+    }
+}
+
+class HintTileEditor extends TileEditorOverlay {
+    constructor(conductor) {
+        super(conductor);
+
+        this.text = mk('textarea.editor-hint-tile-text');
+        this.root.append(this.text);
+        this.text.addEventListener('input', ev => {
+            if (this.tile) {
+                this.tile.specific_hint = this.text.value;
+            }
+        });
+    }
+
+    edit_tile(tile) {
+        super.edit_tile(tile);
+        this.text.value = tile.specific_hint ?? "";
+    }
+
+    static configure_tile_defaults(tile) {
+        tile.specific_hint = "";
+    }
+}
+
+
+export const TILES_WITH_PROPS = {
+    floor_letter: LetterTileEditor,
+    hint: HintTileEditor,
+    // TODO various wireable tiles
+    // TODO initial value of counter
+    // TODO cloner arrows
+    // TODO railroad parts
+    // TODO later, custom floor/wall selection
+};
diff --git a/js/main-editor.js b/js/main-editor.js
index 79c3fca..84576fc 100644
--- a/js/main-editor.js
+++ b/js/main-editor.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { DIRECTIONS, TICS_PER_SECOND } from './defs.js';
+import { TILES_WITH_PROPS } from './editor-tile-overlays.js';
 import * as c2g from './format-c2g.js';
 import { PrimaryView, TransientOverlay, DialogOverlay } from './main-base.js';
 import CanvasRenderer from './renderer-canvas.js';
@@ -150,16 +151,14 @@ class PencilOperation extends DrawOperation {
         if (this.modifier === 'ctrl') {
             let cell = this.cell(x, y);
             if (cell) {
-                // FIXME the selected tile should actually be a template
-                // FIXME this doesn't update the ui
-                this.editor.palette_selection = cell[cell.length - 1].type.name;
+                this.editor.select_palette(cell[cell.length - 1]);
             }
         }
         else if (this.modifier === 'shift') {
             // Aggressive mode: erase whatever's already in the cell
             let cell = this.cell(x, y);
             cell.length = 0;
-            let type = TILE_TYPES[this.editor.palette_selection];
+            let type = this.editor.palette_selection.type;
             if (type.draw_layer !== 0) {
                 cell.push({type: TILE_TYPES.floor});
             }
@@ -269,7 +268,7 @@ class AdjustOperation extends MouseOperation {
         let cell = this.cell(this.gx1, this.gy1);
         if (this.modifier === 'ctrl') {
             for (let tile of cell) {
-                if (tile.type.name === 'floor_letter') {
+                if (TILES_WITH_PROPS[tile.type.name] !== undefined) {
                     // TODO use the tile's bbox, not the mouse position
                     this.editor.open_tile_prop_overlay(tile, this.mx0, this.my0);
                     break;
@@ -483,7 +482,7 @@ const EDITOR_TOOLS = {
     pencil: {
         icon: 'icons/tool-pencil.png',
         name: "Pencil",
-        desc: "Click to draw.  Right click to erase.  Hold Shift to affect all layers.  Ctrl-click to eyedrop.",
+        desc: "Place, erase, and select tiles.\nLeft click: draw\nRight click: erase\nShift: Replace all layers\nCtrl-click: eyedrop",
         op1: PencilOperation,
         //op2: EraseOperation,
         //hover: show current selection under cursor
@@ -509,13 +508,13 @@ const EDITOR_TOOLS = {
     'force-floors': {
         icon: 'icons/tool-force-floors.png',
         name: "Force floors",
-        desc: "Draw force floors in the direction you draw",
+        desc: "Draw force floors following the cursor.",
         op1: ForceFloorOperation,
     },
     adjust: {
         icon: 'icons/tool-adjust.png',
         name: "Adjust",
-        desc: "Click to rotate actor or toggle terrain.  Right click to rotate in reverse.  Hold Shift to always affect terrain.  Ctrl-click to edit properties of complex tiles (wires, railroads, hints, etc.)",
+        desc: "Edit existing tiles.\nLeft click: rotate actor or toggle terrain\nRight click: rotate or toggle in reverse\nShift: always target terrain\nCtrl-click: edit properties of complex tiles\n(wires, railroads, hints, etc.)",
         op1: AdjustOperation,
     },
     connect: {
@@ -534,7 +533,7 @@ const EDITOR_TOOLS = {
         icon: 'icons/tool-camera.png',
         name: "Camera",
         desc: "Draw and edit custom camera regions",
-        help: "Draw and edit camera regions.  Right-click to erase a region.  When the player is within a camera region, the camera will avoid showing anything outside that region.  LL only.",
+        help: "Draw and edit camera regions.\n(LL only.  When the player is within a camera region,\nthe camera stays locked inside it.)\nLeft click: create or edit a region\nRight click: erase a region",
         op1: CameraOperation,
         op2: CameraEraseOperation,
     },
@@ -614,48 +613,6 @@ const EDITOR_PALETTE = [{
     ],
 }];
 
-// FIXME could very much stand to have a little animation when appearing
-class LetterTileEditor extends TransientOverlay {
-    constructor(conductor) {
-        let root = mk('form.editor-popup-tile-editor');
-        root.append(mk('span.popup-chevron'));
-        super(conductor, root);
-        this.tile = null;
-
-        let list = mk('ol.editor-letter-tile-picker');
-        root.append(list);
-        this.glyph_elements = {};
-        for (let c = 32; c < 128; c++) {
-            let glyph = String.fromCharCode(c);
-            let input = mk('input', {type: 'radio', name: 'glyph', value: glyph});
-            this.glyph_elements[glyph] = input;
-            let item = mk('li', mk('label', input, mk('span.-glyph', glyph)));
-            list.append(item);
-        }
-
-        list.addEventListener('change', ev => {
-            let glyph = this.root.elements['glyph'].value;
-            if (this.tile) {
-                this.tile.ascii_code = glyph.charCodeAt(0);
-                // FIXME should be able to mark tiles as dirty, also this is sure a mouthful
-                this.conductor.editor.renderer.draw();
-            }
-        });
-    }
-
-    edit_tile(tile) {
-        this.tile = tile;
-        this.root.elements['glyph'].value = String.fromCharCode(tile.ascii_code);
-    }
-
-    static configure_tile_defaults(tile) {
-        tile.ascii_code = 32;
-    }
-}
-
-const EDITOR_TILES_WITH_PROPS = {
-    floor_letter: LetterTileEditor,
-};
 
 export class Editor extends PrimaryView {
     constructor(conductor) {
@@ -758,7 +715,17 @@ export class Editor extends PrimaryView {
         });
 
         // Toolbox
-        let toolbox = mk('div.icon-button-set')
+        // Selected tile
+        this.selected_tile_el = this.root.querySelector('.controls #editor-tile');
+        this.selected_tile_el.addEventListener('click', ev => {
+            if (this.palette_selection && TILES_WITH_PROPS[this.palette_selection.type.name]) {
+                // FIXME use tile bounds
+                // FIXME redraw the tile after editing
+                this.open_tile_prop_overlay(this.palette_selection, ev.clientX, ev.clientY);
+            }
+        });
+        // Tools themselves
+        let toolbox = mk('div.icon-button-set', {id: 'editor-toolbar'});
         this.root.querySelector('.controls').append(toolbox);
         this.tool_button_els = {};
         for (let toolname of EDITOR_TOOL_ORDER) {
@@ -771,8 +738,8 @@ export class Editor extends PrimaryView {
                 mk('img', {
                     src: tooldef.icon,
                     alt: tooldef.name,
-                    title: `${tooldef.name}: ${tooldef.desc}`,
                 }),
+                mk('div.-help', mk('h3', tooldef.name), tooldef.desc),
             );
             this.tool_button_els[toolname] = button;
             toolbox.append(button);
@@ -874,16 +841,40 @@ export class Editor extends PrimaryView {
         this.tool_button_els[this.current_tool].classList.add('-selected');
     }
 
-    select_palette(name) {
-        if (name === this.palette_selection)
-            return;
+    select_palette(name_or_tile) {
+        let name, tile;
+        if (typeof name_or_tile === 'string') {
+            name = name_or_tile;
+            if (this.palette_selection && name === this.palette_selection.type.name)
+                return;
+
+            tile = { type: TILE_TYPES[name] };
+            if (tile.type.is_actor) {
+                tile.direction = 'south';
+            }
+            if (TILES_WITH_PROPS[name]) {
+                TILES_WITH_PROPS[name].configure_tile_defaults(tile);
+            }
+        }
+        else {
+            tile = Object.assign({}, name_or_tile);
+            name = tile.type.name;
+        }
+
+        // FIXME should redraw in an existing canvas
+        this.selected_tile_el.textContent = '';
+        // FIXME should draw the actual tile!!
+        this.selected_tile_el.append(this.renderer.create_tile_type_canvas(name, tile));
 
         if (this.palette_selection) {
-            this.palette[this.palette_selection].classList.remove('--selected');
+            let entry = this.palette[this.palette_selection.type.name];
+            if (entry) {
+                entry.classList.remove('--selected');
+            }
         }
-        this.palette_selection = name;
-        if (this.palette_selection) {
-            this.palette[this.palette_selection].classList.add('--selected');
+        this.palette_selection = tile;
+        if (this.palette[name]) {
+            this.palette[name].classList.add('--selected');
         }
 
         // Some tools obviously don't work with a palette selection, in which case changing tiles
@@ -906,32 +897,28 @@ export class Editor extends PrimaryView {
         }
     }
 
-    place_in_cell(x, y, name) {
+    place_in_cell(x, y, tile) {
         // TODO weird api?
-        if (! name)
+        if (! tile)
             return;
 
-        let type = TILE_TYPES[name];
-        let direction;
-        if (type.is_actor) {
-            direction = 'south';
-        }
         let cell = this.stored_level.cells[y][x];
         // Replace whatever's on the same layer
         // TODO probably not the best heuristic yet, since i imagine you can
         // combine e.g. the tent with thin walls
         for (let i = cell.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
-            if (cell[i].type.draw_layer === type.draw_layer) {
+            if (cell[i].type.draw_layer === tile.type.draw_layer) {
                 cell.splice(i, 1);
             }
         }
-        cell.push({type, direction});
+        cell.push(Object.assign({}, tile));
         cell.sort((a, b) => a.type.draw_layer - b.type.draw_layer);
     }
 
     open_tile_prop_overlay(tile, x0, y0) {
         this.cancel_mouse_operation();
-        let overlay_class = EDITOR_TILES_WITH_PROPS[tile.type.name];
+        // FIXME keep these around, don't recreate them constantly
+        let overlay_class = TILES_WITH_PROPS[tile.type.name];
         let overlay = new overlay_class(this.conductor);
         overlay.edit_tile(tile);
         overlay.open();
diff --git a/js/renderer-canvas.js b/js/renderer-canvas.js
index 8ee4416..e0d3b56 100644
--- a/js/renderer-canvas.js
+++ b/js/renderer-canvas.js
@@ -202,11 +202,11 @@ export class CanvasRenderer {
         }
     }
 
-    create_tile_type_canvas(name) {
+    create_tile_type_canvas(name, tile = null) {
         let canvas = mk('canvas', {width: this.tileset.size_x, height: this.tileset.size_y});
         let ctx = canvas.getContext('2d');
-        this.tileset.draw_type(name, null, 0, (sx, sy, dx = 0, dy = 0, w = 1, h = w) =>
-            this.blit(ctx, sx, sy, dx, dy, w, h));
+        this.tileset.draw_type(name, tile, 0, (tx, ty, mx = 0, my = 0, mw = 1, mh = mw, mdx = mx, mdy = my) =>
+            this.blit(ctx, tx + mx, ty + my, mdx, mdy, mw, mh));
         return canvas;
     }
 }
diff --git a/js/tileset.js b/js/tileset.js
index 6108965..fd9177f 100644
--- a/js/tileset.js
+++ b/js/tileset.js
@@ -1147,7 +1147,7 @@ export class Tileset {
 
         // Special behavior for special objects
         // TODO? hardcode this less?
-        if (name === 'floor_letter') {
+        if (name === 'floor_letter' && tile) {
             let n = tile.ascii_code - 32;
             let scale = 0.5;
             let sx, sy;
diff --git a/style.css b/style.css
index 956f193..7617fd0 100644
--- a/style.css
+++ b/style.css
@@ -949,22 +949,64 @@ main.--has-demo .demo-controls {
 }
 
 #editor .controls {
+    /* TODO with the hint area gone i don't think this needs to be a grid?  could just flex */
     grid-area: controls;
     display: grid;
     grid:
-        "toolbar    layer   direction   menu" auto
-        "hint       hint    hint        hint" 1.5em
+        "tile   toolbar    layer   direction   .       menu" auto
+        / auto auto auto auto 1fr auto
     ;
+    align-items: center;
+    column-gap: 1em;
+}
+#editor .controls #editor-tile {
+    grid-area: tile;
+}
+#editor .controls #editor-tile canvas {
+    display: block;
 }
 #editor .controls #editor-toolbar {
     grid-area: toolbar;
 }
+#editor-toolbar .-help {
+    opacity: 0;
+    visibility: hidden;
+    z-index: 1;
+    position: absolute;
+    margin-top: -0.25em;
+    margin-left: -0.5em;
+    padding: 0.33em 0.75em;
+    pointer-events: none;
+
+    border: 1px solid black;
+    white-space: pre-wrap;
+    line-height: 1.5;
+    text-transform: none;
+    text-align: left;
+    background: hsl(225, 10%, 20%);
+    box-shadow: 0 1px 2px 1px #0004;
+
+    transition-property: margin-top, opacity, visibility;
+    transition-timing-function: ease-out;
+    transition-duration: 0.125s, 0.125s, 0s;
+    transition-delay: 0s, 0s, 0.125s;
+}
+#editor-toolbar .-help h3 {
+    font-size: 1.25em;
+    margin-bottom: 0.25rem;
+    border-bottom: 1px solid currentColor;
+}
+#editor-toolbar button:hover .-help {
+    opacity: 1;
+    z-index: 2;  /* show above any that are in mid-fade */
+    visibility: visible;
+    margin-top: 0.25em;
+    transition-delay: 0.5s;
+    transition-timing-function: ease-in;
+}
 #editor .controls .-buttons {
     grid-area: menu;
 }
-#editor .controls #editor-tool-help {
-    grid-area: hint;
-}
 .icon-button-set {
     display: flex;
     flex-wrap: wrap;
@@ -988,6 +1030,7 @@ main.--has-demo .demo-controls {
 }
 
 #editor .palette {
+    isolation: isolate;
     grid-area: palette;
     padding-right: 0.25em;  /* in case of scrollbar */
     overflow-y: auto;
@@ -1073,3 +1116,12 @@ ol.editor-letter-tile-picker input[type=radio]:checked + .-glyph {
     background: hsl(225, 75%, 90%);
     outline: 2px solid hsl(225, 75%, 80%);
 }
+/* Hint tiles accept prose */
+textarea.editor-hint-tile-text {
+    font-size: 1.5em;
+    width: 20vw;
+    height: 20vh;
+    min-width: 15rem;
+    min-height: 5rem;
+    font-family: serif;
+}