diff --git a/toonz/sources/image/CMakeLists.txt b/toonz/sources/image/CMakeLists.txt
index 87953ce..720af0e 100644
--- a/toonz/sources/image/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/toonz/sources/image/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ set(HEADERS
     mesh/tiio_mesh.h
     exr/tinyexr_otmod.h
     exr/tiio_exr.h
+    tzm/tiio_tzm.h
 )
 
 set(SOURCES
@@ -56,6 +57,7 @@ set(SOURCES
     sprite/tiio_sprite.cpp
     mesh/tiio_mesh.cpp
     exr/tiio_exr.cpp
+    tzm/tiio_tzm.cpp
 )
 
 
diff --git a/toonz/sources/image/tiio.cpp b/toonz/sources/image/tiio.cpp
index 97d766e..e0ccc01 100644
--- a/toonz/sources/image/tiio.cpp
+++ b/toonz/sources/image/tiio.cpp
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@
 #include "./avi/tiio_avi.h"
 #include "./pli/tiio_pli.h"
 #include "./tzl/tiio_tzl.h"
+#include "./tzm/tiio_tzm.h"
 #include "./svg/tiio_svg.h"
 #include "./ffmpeg/tiio_gif.h"
 #include "./ffmpeg/tiio_webm.h"
@@ -141,6 +142,9 @@ void initImageIo(bool lightVersion) {
     TLevelReader::define("mesh", TLevelReaderMesh::create);
     TFileType::declare("mesh", TFileType::MESH_IMAGE);
 
+    TLevelWriter::define("tzm", tzm::createWriter, false);
+    TLevelReader::define("tzm", tzm::createReader);
+    TFileType::declare("tzm", TFileType::META_LEVEL);
   }  // !lightversion
 
   TFileType::declare("tpl", TFileType::PALETTE_LEVEL);
diff --git a/toonz/sources/image/tzm/tiio_tzm.cpp b/toonz/sources/image/tzm/tiio_tzm.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7a8421f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/toonz/sources/image/tzm/tiio_tzm.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,191 @@
+
+#include <iostream>
+
+#include <tsystem.h>
+#include <tconvert.h>
+#include <tiio.h>
+
+#include <tmetaimage.h>
+#include <toonz/txshsimplelevel.h>
+
+#include "tiio_tzm.h"
+
+
+
+//===========================================================================
+
+namespace {
+  class TLevelWriterTzm;
+
+  class TImageWriterTzm final : public TImageWriter {
+  private:
+    TLevelWriterTzm &m_writer;
+    TFrameId m_frameId;
+  public:
+    TImageWriterTzm(const TFilePath &path, TLevelWriterTzm &writer, const TFrameId &frameId):
+      TImageWriter(path), m_writer(writer), m_frameId(frameId) { }
+    void save(const TImageP &image) override;
+  };
+
+  class TLevelWriterTzm final : public TLevelWriter {
+  private:
+    TVariant m_data;
+    Tofstream *m_stream;
+
+  public:
+    TLevelWriterTzm(const TFilePath &path, TPropertyGroup *winfo):
+      TLevelWriter(path, winfo)
+    {
+      // lock file for whole time of saving process to avoid collisions
+      try {
+        m_stream = new Tofstream(path);
+      } catch (const std::exception &e) {
+        throw TImageException(path, e.what());
+      } catch (const TException &e) {
+        throw TImageException(path, to_string(e.getMessage()));
+      }
+
+      m_data["type"].setString("tzm");
+      m_data["version"].setDouble( 0.0 );
+    }
+
+    TImageWriterP getFrameWriter(TFrameId frameId) override
+      { return TImageWriterP(new TImageWriterTzm(m_path, *this, frameId)); }
+
+    void saveFrame(const TFrameId &frameId, const TImageP &image) {
+      if (const TMetaImage *metaImage = dynamic_cast<const TMetaImage*>(image.getPointer())) {
+        TMetaImage::Reader reader(*metaImage);
+        TVariant &frameData = m_data["frames"][frameId.expand()];
+        TVariant &objectsData = frameData["objects"];
+        objectsData.setType(TVariant::List);
+        for(TMetaObjectRefList::const_iterator i = reader->begin(); i != reader->end(); ++i) {
+          if (*i) {
+            TVariant &objectData = objectsData[ objectsData.size() ];
+            objectData["type"].setString( (*i)->getTypeName() );
+            objectData["data"] = (*i)->data();
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    }
+
+    ~TLevelWriterTzm() {
+      try {
+        m_data["creator"].setString( m_creator.toStdString() );
+        m_data.toStream(*m_stream, true);
+        delete m_stream;
+      } catch (const std::exception &e) {
+        throw TImageException(m_path, e.what());
+      } catch (const TException &e) {
+        throw TImageException(m_path, to_string(e.getMessage()));
+      }
+    }
+  };
+
+  void TImageWriterTzm::save(const TImageP &image)
+    { m_writer.saveFrame(m_frameId, image); }
+} // end of anonymous namespace for TLevelWriterTzm
+
+//===========================================================================
+
+namespace {
+  class TLevelReaderTzm;
+
+  class TImageReaderTzm final : public TImageReader {
+  private:
+    TLevelReaderTzm &m_reader;
+    TFrameId m_frameId;
+  public:
+    TImageReaderTzm(const TFilePath &path, TLevelReaderTzm &reader, const TFrameId &frameId):
+      TImageReader(path), m_reader(reader), m_frameId(frameId) { }
+    TImageP load() override;
+  };
+
+
+  class TLevelReaderTzm final : public TLevelReader {
+  private:
+    TVariant m_data;
+    TLevelP m_level;
+
+    void warning(const std::string &msg)
+      { std::cerr << to_string(m_path.getWideString()) << ": " << msg << std::endl; }
+
+  public:
+    TLevelReaderTzm(const TFilePath &path):
+      TLevelReader(path) { }
+
+    TImageReaderP getFrameReader(TFrameId frameId) override
+      { return TImageReaderP(new TImageReaderTzm(m_path, *this, frameId)); }
+
+    TLevelP loadInfo() override {
+      try {
+        Tifstream stream(m_path);
+        m_data.fromStream(stream);
+      } catch (const std::exception &e) {
+        throw TImageException(m_path, e.what());
+      } catch (const TException &e) {
+        throw TImageException(m_path, to_string(e.getMessage()));
+      }
+
+      if (m_data["type"].getString() != "tzm")
+        warning("seems it's not TZM");
+      if (m_data["version"].getDouble() > 0.0 + TConsts::epsilon)
+        warning( "version ("
+               + std::to_string(m_data["version"].getDouble())
+               + ") is higher than supported (0.0)");
+
+      const TVariantMap &map = m_data["frames"].getMap();
+      for(TVariantMap::const_iterator i = map.begin(); i != map.end(); ++i) {
+        TFrameId frameId(i->first.str());
+        if (frameId.getNumber() < 0)
+          warning("wrong frame number: " + i->first.str());
+        else
+        if (m_level->getTable()->count(frameId))
+          warning(frameId.expand());
+        else
+          m_level->setFrame(frameId, TImageP());
+      }
+
+      return m_level;
+    }
+
+    QString getCreator() override
+      { return QString::fromStdString( m_data["creator"].getString() ); }
+
+    TImageP loadFrame(const TFrameId &frameId) {
+      const TVariantMap &map = m_data["frames"].getMap();
+      for(TVariantMap::const_iterator i = map.begin(); i != map.end(); ++i) {
+        if (TFrameId(i->first.str()) == frameId) {
+          TMetaImage *image = new TMetaImage();
+          TMetaImage::Writer writer(*image);
+          const TVariant &objectsData = i->second["objects"];
+          if (objectsData.getType() == TVariant::List) {
+            for(int j = 0; j < objectsData.size(); ++j) {
+              const TVariant &objectData = objectsData[j];
+              if (!objectData["type"].getString().empty()) {
+                TMetaObjectR obj( new TMetaObject(objectData["type"].getString()) );
+                obj->data() = objectData["data"];
+                writer->push_back(obj);
+              }
+            }
+          }
+          return image;
+        }
+      }
+      return TImageP();
+    }
+  };
+
+  TImageP TImageReaderTzm::load()
+    { return m_reader.loadFrame(m_frameId); }
+} // end of anonymous namespace for TLevelReaderTzm
+
+//===========================================================================
+
+namespace tzm {
+  TLevelWriter* createWriter(const TFilePath &path, TPropertyGroup *winfo)
+    { return new TLevelWriterTzm(path, winfo); }
+  TLevelReader* createReader(const TFilePath &path)
+    { return new TLevelReaderTzm(path); }
+}
+
+//=============================================================================
diff --git a/toonz/sources/image/tzm/tiio_tzm.h b/toonz/sources/image/tzm/tiio_tzm.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..07f9a61
--- /dev/null
+++ b/toonz/sources/image/tzm/tiio_tzm.h
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#ifndef TTIO_TZM_INCLUDED
+#define TTIO_TZM_INCLUDED
+
+#include <tlevel_io.h>
+
+
+namespace tzm {
+  TLevelWriter* createWriter(const TFilePath &path, TPropertyGroup *winfo);
+  TLevelReader* createReader(const TFilePath &path);
+}
+
+#endif  // TTIO_TZM_INCLUDED
diff --git a/toonz/sources/include/tfiletype.h b/toonz/sources/include/tfiletype.h
index cc3d928..05cf3b2 100644
--- a/toonz/sources/include/tfiletype.h
+++ b/toonz/sources/include/tfiletype.h
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@ enum Type {
   AUDIO_LEVEL   = 0x20 | LEVEL,
   PALETTE_LEVEL = 0x40 | LEVEL,
 
+  META_IMAGE    = 0x80,
+  META_LEVEL    = META_IMAGE | LEVEL,
+
   TABSCENE   = 0x2000 | SCENE,
   TOONZSCENE = 0x4000 | SCENE,
 
diff --git a/toonz/sources/toonzlib/imagebuilders.cpp b/toonz/sources/toonzlib/imagebuilders.cpp
index dfb2f4e..a794ecd 100644
--- a/toonz/sources/toonzlib/imagebuilders.cpp
+++ b/toonz/sources/toonzlib/imagebuilders.cpp
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ TImageP ImageLoader::build(int imFlags, void *extData) {
     lr->doReadPalette(false);
 
     if ((m_path.getType() == "pli") || (m_path.getType() == "svg") ||
-        (m_path.getType() == "psd"))
+        (m_path.getType() == "psd") || (m_path.getType() == "tzm"))
       lr->loadInfo();
 
     bool isTlvIcon = data->m_icon && m_path.getType() == "tlv";
diff --git a/toonz/sources/toonzlib/toonzscene.cpp b/toonz/sources/toonzlib/toonzscene.cpp
index 01c5aa4..ae91a6c 100644
--- a/toonz/sources/toonzlib/toonzscene.cpp
+++ b/toonz/sources/toonzlib/toonzscene.cpp
@@ -1017,6 +1017,12 @@ static LevelType getLevelType(const TFilePath &fp) {
   case TFileType::MESH_LEVEL:
     ret.m_ltype = MESH_XSHLEVEL;
     break;
+
+  case TFileType::META_IMAGE:
+  case TFileType::META_LEVEL:
+    ret.m_ltype = META_XSHLEVEL;
+    break;
+
   default:
     break;
   }
@@ -1401,6 +1407,9 @@ TFilePath ToonzScene::getDefaultLevelPath(int levelType,
   case TZP_XSHLEVEL:
     levelPath = TFilePath(levelName).withType("tlv");
     break;
+  case META_XSHLEVEL:
+    levelPath = TFilePath(levelName).withType("tzm");
+    break;
   default:
     levelPath = TFilePath(levelName + L"..png");
   }
diff --git a/toonz/sources/toonzlib/txshsimplelevel.cpp b/toonz/sources/toonzlib/txshsimplelevel.cpp
index 6c52010..4e9acd5 100644
--- a/toonz/sources/toonzlib/txshsimplelevel.cpp
+++ b/toonz/sources/toonzlib/txshsimplelevel.cpp
@@ -1019,6 +1019,8 @@ void TXshSimpleLevel::loadData(TIStream &is) {
       type = TZI_XSHLEVEL;
     else if (ext == "mesh")
       type = MESH_XSHLEVEL;
+    else if (ext == "tzm")
+      type = META_XSHLEVEL;
     else
       type = OVL_XSHLEVEL;
   }
diff --git a/toonz/sources/toonzqt/infoviewer.cpp b/toonz/sources/toonzqt/infoviewer.cpp
index b26b850..4f86c24 100644
--- a/toonz/sources/toonzqt/infoviewer.cpp
+++ b/toonz/sources/toonzqt/infoviewer.cpp
@@ -282,6 +282,8 @@ QString InfoViewerImp::getTypeString() {
     return "Audio File";
   else if (ext == "mesh")
     return "Toonz Mesh Level";
+  else if (ext == "tzm")
+    return "Toonz Meta Level";
   else if (ext == "pic")
     return "Pic File";
   else if (Tiio::makeReader(ext.toStdString()))