Northlight Tools

Collection of various tools for Northlight Engine used for Polish fan translation of Quantum Break!

Table of Contents

• Features
• Requirements
• Installing
• Usage
• Credits

Features

Northlight Tools provides the following utilities:

• Remedy Package Tools (rmdp):
  Allows you to extract, pack, and inspect Remedy package files (.bin/.rmdp).

  • Export: Extract all files from a package to a directory.
  • Import: Pack a directory of files into a new Remedy package.
  • Info: Print metadata and structure of a package.
  • List-files: List all files contained in a package.

• String Table Tools (string-table):
  Enables conversion between string_table.bin and editable formats (XML, JSON, CSV, PO), and re-importing translations.

  • Export: Convert string_table.bin to XML, JSON, CSV, or PO for translation.
  • Import: Generate a new string_table.bin from a translated file.
  • Flexible handling of missing translations with the --missing-strings option.

• Binary Font Tools (binfnt):
  Supports decompiling and compiling Northlight binary font files (.binfnt).

  • Decompile: Convert .binfnt to editable xml metadata and png bitmap(s), optionally extracting each character to seperate bitmap file.
  • Compile: Build a .binfnt from xml metadata and bitmap(s).

Requirements

• Python 3.11+

Installing

Either use compiled portable build for Windows or Linux from Releases page or use your python package management system (like pipx or uv)

Example: pipx install git+https://github.com/GrzybDev/NorthlightTools.git

Usage

After installing the package, you can use the tools via the northlighttools command (or python -m northlighttools for local installs).

General

northlighttools --help

String Table Tools

Export a string_table.bin to XML, JSON, CSV, or PO:

northlighttools string-table export path/to/string_table.bin --output-type xml
northlighttools string-table export path/to/string_table.bin --output-type json
northlighttools string-table export path/to/string_table.bin --output-type csv
northlighttools string-table export path/to/string_table.bin --output-type po

Import a translation file (XML, JSON, CSV, PO) and generate a new string_table.bin:

northlighttools string-table import path/to/translated_file.xml
northlighttools string-table import path/to/translated_file.csv --missing-strings key

Options for --missing-strings:

• key+original (default): Use both the key and the original string as the fallback, e.g. (KEY) Original text.
• key: Use only the key as the fallback for missing translations.
• original: Use only the original (source) string as the fallback.
• empty: Use an empty string for missing translations.
• remove: Remove entries with missing translations from the output file.
• error: Raise an error if any translation is missing (import will fail).

Remedy Package Tools (rmdp)

Show info about a package:

northlighttools rmdp info path/to/archive.rmdp

List files in a package:

northlighttools rmdp list path/to/archive.rmdp

Extract all files from a package:

northlighttools rmdp extract path/to/archive.rmdp path/to/output_dir

Pack a directory into a Remedy package:

northlighttools rmdp pack path/to/input_dir path/to/output_archive.rmdp

You can customize the package creation with these options:

• --endianness: Set the byte order for the package files. Use little (default) for most cases, or big if required by your target game/version.
• --version: Specify the package format version. Supported values:
  • 2 for Alan Wake
  • 7 for Alan Wake: American Nightmare
  • 8 for Quantum Break (default)
  • 9 for Control

Binary Font Tools (binfnt)

Decompile a .binfnt file to editable XML and bitmap(s):

northlighttools binfnt decompile path/to/font.binfnt path/to/output_dir

To save each character as a separate image:

northlighttools binfnt decompile path/to/font.binfnt path/to/output_dir --separate-chars

Compile metadata and bitmap(s) back to .binfnt:

northlighttools binfnt compile path/to/modified.xml path/to/output.binfnt

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Each command has its own help, e.g.:

northlighttools binfnt --help
northlighttools rmdp extract --help

Credits

• GrzybDev

Thanks to:

• Nostritius who created AWTools which helped with understanding rmdp and string table formats
• eprilx who created NorthlightFontMaker which helped with understanding binfnt format!

Special thanks to:

• Remedy Entertainment (for making Northlight Engine)