File Formats
Modding League of Legends involves working with several key file types. Master these three formats and you'll be able to edit anything in the game.
Quick Reference
| File | What It Is | Edit / Convert With |
|---|---|---|
.bin | Logic & config data | Jade or Ritobin |
.dds | Standard texture format | Direct edit |
.tex | Riot's texture format | TEX plugin, Flint, or LtMAO |
File Types
.bin Files: Data & Logic
.bin files store all the logic in League: particle systems, skin definitions, animations, sounds, and more.
| Contains | Examples |
|---|---|
| Particle data | VFX colors, sizes, timing |
| Skin definitions | Model paths, texture paths |
| Animation configs | Animation names, blending |
| Sound configs | Audio triggers, volumes |
Workflow
- Extract
.binusing Flint - Convert to
.pyusing Ritobin (or edit directly in Jade) - Edit in a text editor like VS Code or Notepad++
- Convert back to
.bin - Add to your mod folder
💡
.pyfiles are human-readable. You can search and edit them.
.dds Files: Textures
.dds (DirectDraw Surface) is the standard texture format used for:
| Usage | Examples |
|---|---|
| Champion models | Skin textures, faces |
| Particles | VFX sprites, glows |
| UI/HUD | Icons, ability panels |
Editing Tools
PhotoshopBest option with NVIDIA DDS plugin.
GIMPFree alternative with DDS support.
Paint.NETLightweight with DDS plugin.
Export Settings
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Format | .dds |
| Compression | BC3 / DXT5 |
| Mipmaps | ✅ Enabled |
⚠️ Wrong compression = broken textures in-game!
.tex Files: Riot's Format
.tex is Riot's proprietary texture format found in .wad.client files.
| Status | Info |
|---|---|
| ❌ Cannot edit directly | It's a compiled format |
| ✅ Must convert first | Use tex2dds |
| ✅ Convert back after | Before reimporting |
You have two ways to work with .tex:
- Open it directly with a TEX plugin for your image editor. No conversion step.
- Convert
.texto.ddsand back with Flint or LtMAO.
Open and save .tex and .dds in Photoshop. No conversion step.
Open and save .tex in Paint.NET.
Open and save .tex in GIMP.
Converts .tex ↔ .dds, plus full extract and pack.
Right-click .tex ↔ .dds conversion. Legacy fallback.
💡 Always keep the original
.texas backup before converting.
Complete Workflow Chart
| Task | File | Tool | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edit VFX/particles | .bin | Jade (or Ritobin) | .bin |
| Edit champion skin | .dds | Photoshop/GIMP | .dds |
| Edit a texture directly | .tex | RitoTex, Paint.NET, or GIMP plugin | .tex |
| Convert a texture | .tex | Flint or LtMAO | .dds |
| Reimport a texture | .dds | Flint or LtMAO | .tex |
| Browse game files | .wad | Flint | Extracted files |
Essential Tools
JadeVisual BIN editor. No conversion needed.
RitobinConvert .bin to .py for editing.
Convert .tex to .dds for textures.
Extract files from .wad.client.