BLP Laboratory

Spec · 09-03-2009, 02:59 PM

Description

BLP Laboratory (BLP Lab) is a tool for working with BLP textures. "Working" includes viewing, converting and some other stuff.

Current version is 0.5.0 build 500

Features

Supports following file formats: BMP, JPG, TGA, PNG, BLP (supports BLP2 textures), DDS (supports non-complex textures);
May convert multiple files at once;
Can add/remove alpha channel when saving;
Gives detailed information about opened image file;
Provides additional file format options when saving;
Can optimize BLP files to decrease their size (doesn't affect quality);
May display alpha channel and transparency on image.

More screenshots

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How to open *.7z file?
A: Read this.

Q: What all those BLP settings for?
A: Check blplab_readme_eng.txt.

Version history

>> v0.5.0.500 // 31.10.2010

Version 0.5.0.500 (31.10.2010) was downloaded 1111+ times.
Version 0.4.1.422 (17.04.2010) was downloaded 790 times.
Version 0.4.0.404 (04.03.2010) was downloaded 142 times.
Version 0.3.2.362 (11.11.2009) was downloaded 460 times.
Version 0.3.1.333 (02.09.2009) was downloaded 317 times.

Toadcop · 09-03-2009, 03:53 PM

THIS FUCKING SHIT BLOWS ME AWAY ! O_O
Luminary - My World (Andy Moor Remix)
gj !

Karawasa · 09-03-2009, 10:49 PM

My understanding of the music link is that he approves. This seems like the best tool of its kind so far, seeing the power it gives you in a nice interface. Are there any downsides I'm missing?

I think if you were to combine this with button manager, you would end up with the only program people need regarding these types of things.

TotallyAwesome · 09-03-2009, 11:48 PM

I masturbate to this tool, I haven't noticed any problems while using it so far.

Nestharus · 09-04-2009, 01:34 AM

Really nice man ^^

Spec · 09-04-2009, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Karawasa

My understanding of the music link is that he approves. This seems like the best tool of its kind so far, seeing the power it gives you in a nice interface. Are there any downsides I'm missing?

I think if you were to combine this with button manager, you would end up with the only program people need regarding these types of things.

Zooming is quite slow, there's no MPQ / thumbnail browser, and no way for saving image to BLP2. That's all what I can say about "downsides".

Well, I think I shouldn't "mix" two programs in one, because they have some specific stuff, which would be quite useless in "mixed" program. While coding new versions of that monster, ass pain is guaranteed too. Also, it will have more complicated interface (when someone can't find and change BLP settings in Button Manager, this causes me to facepalm 5 times in a row).

**Rising_Dusk** · 09-04-2009, 03:45 PM

I agree that the programs should stay separate. Furthermore, I quite like this program after testing it.

TKF · 09-04-2009, 05:55 PM

This is a very good tool. Imma going to use it :D

Thanks for providing such a useful tool!!!

**Vexorian** · 09-04-2009, 06:13 PM

Please use zip or 7z
Seems useful and nice. Protocol forces us to check for viruses before approving a tool. I'll wait for some admin with windows and those barbaric anti-virus tools to confirm there is no virus (I pretty much doubt it) and I'll approve (don't forget the zip/7zip one though).

**Rising_Dusk** · 09-04-2009, 07:04 PM

I already ran the tool through my McAffee and stuff when I downloaded it and tested it earlier. It was cleared as far as I could tell and my computer didn't act weird or something.

In lieu of that and Vex's post, I consider this hereby approved.

Spec · 09-04-2009, 07:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vexorian

Please use zip or 7z

Okay, fixed.

Hmm, what's wrong with *.rar?

**Rising_Dusk** · 09-04-2009, 07:06 PM

Nothing, Vex just doesn't like it. :p
Anyways, now that it's 7z, we're good.

DanThanh · 09-05-2009, 09:17 AM

I like button manager very much..this tool also looks useful and flawless, thanks !

Adovid · 09-06-2009, 02:02 PM

Tool is awesome. I only had one problem when I tried to take a paletted image and compress it, the resulting blp was unusable. :(

I am guessing when you compress the paletted image you treat it as if it were a regular image or something?

Either way I noticed that paletted images take up more space than the compressed images, even after putting them in a map (which I thought the MPQ archiving would shrink paletted images considerably more). So I decided I'm not going to use paletted images instead of compressed images anyway.

Spec · 09-06-2009, 06:13 PM

@Adovid

What are the image width, height and colour count? Converting image with size greater than 64x64 (or 32x128, 16x256, etc) OR with colour count greater than (25% of all pixel count, e.g., 64x64 = 4096, 4096 * 25% = 1024) to paletted BLP is mostly useless.

During saving "Error diffusion" option makes paletted image look better, but it may be not enough - you might check image quality in game.

09-03-2009, 03:53 PM	#2
Toadcop BuranX Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 1,886 Submissions (4)	THIS FUCKING SHIT BLOWS ME AWAY ! O_O Luminary - My World (Andy Moor Remix) gj ! __________________ DJ Eremit - Tanz De Seele (YOMC Club mix)

09-03-2009, 10:49 PM	#3
Karawasa Element Tower Defense Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 1,094 Submissions (2)	My understanding of the music link is that he approves. This seems like the best tool of its kind so far, seeing the power it gives you in a nice interface. Are there any downsides I'm missing? I think if you were to combine this with button manager, you would end up with the only program people need regarding these types of things. __________________ Element Tower Defense - Premier WC3 Custom Game Last edited by Karawasa : 09-03-2009 at 10:52 PM.

09-05-2009, 09:17 AM	#13
DanThanh User Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 137 Submissions (1)	I like button manager very much..this tool also looks useful and flawless, thanks ! __________________

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09-04-2009, 01:34 AM	#5
Nestharus User Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 220	Really nice man ^^

09-04-2009, 05:55 PM	#8
TKF User Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 384	This is a very good tool. Imma going to use it :D Thanks for providing such a useful tool!!!

09-06-2009, 02:02 PM	#14
Adovid User Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 11	Tool is awesome. I only had one problem when I tried to take a paletted image and compress it, the resulting blp was unusable. :( I am guessing when you compress the paletted image you treat it as if it were a regular image or something? Either way I noticed that paletted images take up more space than the compressed images, even after putting them in a map (which I thought the MPQ archiving would shrink paletted images considerably more). So I decided I'm not going to use paletted images instead of compressed images anyway.