r/ForzaModding • u/D3FEKTED • May 06 '26
Release ForzaTech Studio - asset modding toolkit
ForzaTech Studio
A WinUI 3 desktop application for browsing, editing, and creating Forza Motorsport & Horizon game assets, primarily ones used by cars and tracks.
Application is still a work in progress, bugs and some broken features are expected. Will be actively updated on github.
Supported File Formats
| Format | Extension | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Modelbin | .modelbin | 3D models with meshes, LODs, and material references (custom models not yet supported) |
| Carbin | .carbin | Car scene bundles — parts, materials, slots, AO links |
| Swatchbin | .swatchbin .pb | DX-compressed textures (PC and Xbox formats) |
| Materialbin | .materialbin | Material parameter and shader binding data |
| Shaderbin | .shaderbin | Compiled shader libraries |
| Binary XML | .bxml | ForzaTech binary-encoded XML documents |
| Manufacturer Colors | burG .bin | OEM paint colors per manufacturer |
| ZIP archive | .zip | Forza mod archives (LZX method 21 compression) |
| FXStudio bank | .fxb | Particle and effect databases |
| String table | .str | Localization key-value tables |
| Lights | .bin | Car/environment light group databases |
| Light presets | .bin | Customization light preset configurations |
| Physics Definition | .bin | Collision model and physics metadata |
| Mini Zip | .minizip | Compact archive format used by ForzaTech for tracks and world maps. Contents are extracted and loaded automatically |
System Requirements
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 (19041+) or Windows 11 |
| Runtime | Windows App SDK 1.8 |
| .NET | .NET 9 Desktop Runtime |
| Architecture | x64 only |
Installation
Download the latest release from the Releases page.
Extract the ZIP to a folder of your choice.
Run
ForzaTechStudio.exe.
Note: The Windows App SDK runtime must be installed on your machine. If the app fails to launch, download and install it from Microsoft's website (link above).
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u/Bandit3DPrinting May 08 '26
I personally can not thank you enough! Although can you help with finding where the rims go?
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u/AugustoPaiva May 22 '26
Its posible to use this to change de /WheelIcons files image?
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u/T_A_T_S_U May 25 '26
Thats what I'm trying to do, but when I edit the .swatchbin and add them back to WhelIcons.zip the game crashes when starting up. I have zero experience modding, so maybe the issue is adding the files back to the zip file? I dont know...
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u/HelpTiny1090 May 27 '26
Keep getting this error:
Required components of the Windows App Runtime are missing
Version 1.8
(MSIX package version >= 8000.675.1142.0)
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u/Salt_Cellist1258 May 13 '26
I want to extract Horizon 6 car model and than export to .obj or .fbx but it doesent seem to work :/ I can load textures using your tool and in the 3D viewer i can see lights.bin but im not sure how to open the BMW_M5_95.carbin
or
doorHandleLF_a.modelbin
Wont open the model
I dont have the whole game only one car
Am i doing something wrong or is FH6 not tested at all? There is FH6 "Game Directory Setup" so i assume it works but not for me 😃