BRLAN File

What are BRLAN files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a BRLAN file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your BRLAN files.

What is a BRLAN file?

A .BRLAN file is a Wii Binary Revolution Layout Animation file.

Wii Binary Revolution Layout Animation files store motion data for user interface elements in Nintendo's Wii system. These files encode keyframe-based animation instructions that tell the system how UI panes (parts of the menu layout such as icons, text boxes, banners) should move, scale, rotate, change visibility, color, or undergo similar changes over time during menus, banners, and channel animations.

They are produced as part of Nintendo's "Layout" asset system (with matching layout files often using BRLYT formats for imagery and layout definitions). Animation files in this format are read by the Wii (or by tools emulating its SDK) to animate interface widgets in menu screens, title banners, icons, and the like. Users modifying themes sometimes convert them into XML and edit the animation definitions before recompiling or re-converting back into this form.

Technical details: these files always begin with the ASCII signature RLAN at offset zero. They use a header struct starting with that signature, followed by fields including file-size and certain unspecified flag or version fields. Following that is a section called pai1 that lists entries for different animated objects or panes. Animation types include entries with keywords such as RLPA (translate/rotate/scale/size), RLVI (visibility/alpha), RLVC / RLMC (vertex/material color), RLTS (texture SRT), RLTP (texture pattern swapping), among others.

How to open BRLAN files

Important: Different programs may use files with the BRLAN file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your BRLAN file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

We have not yet verified any programs for Windows that work with this specific file format. If you know one, please use the 'Suggest a program' link below. Thanks!

Last updated: August 24, 2026

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