Extract text from openCanvas brush files (OBL)
To convert OBL brush files to another format, you need openCanvas or other Settings software.
To convert other file formats to the "Brush Preset File" file type, you need software like openCanvas or a similar tool.
The .OBL file extension represents an openCanvas Brush File, a proprietary settings file used exclusively by openCanvas, a digital painting application developed by Portalgraphics. These files store custom brush presets, holding specific mathematical parameters such as brush size, opacity, texture, jitter, and stroke scatter. Digital artists create, save, and share .OBL files to replicate specific artistic strokes or drawing tools within the software.
Because .OBL files contain mathematical tool parameters rather than raster image data, they are essentially useless outside of the openCanvas ecosystem. They cannot be opened or utilized by standard image editors like Adobe Photoshop, GIMP, or standard web browsers. This strict vendor lock-in frustrates users who wish to migrate their custom brushes to other platforms.
Converting an .OBL file is highly problematic. Since it does not store a conventional image, converting it to standard visual formats like JPG or PNG is only applicable if the file contains an embedded thumbnail of the brush tip. Users attempting to port their favorite brushes to Photoshop typically find no direct path and must manually recreate the parameter settings in a new ABR file.
Since .OBL is a closed, proprietary format, standard online converters fail to process it. Usually, only the original software can properly read or export the tool data.
Convert.Guru analyzes your OBL file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert OBL file to , you can use openCanvas or similar software from the "Brush Parameter Settings" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to OBL, try openCanvas or another comparable tool in the "Brush Parameter Settings" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our OBL converter.