Map Explorer 0.3.1

Fly over Azeroth, drawn from the World of Warcraft Classic files on your own computer.

What's new in 0.3.1

• Fixes "Not a BLTE stream" on some Forever Beta installs. Some installs store a file's data with no 30-byte header in front of it; Map Explorer always skipped those bytes and so read the wrong place. It now reads both layouts. This should also bring back the missing textures (grey trees, bare buildings) and the missing dungeons and test maps some people saw.
• If a file still can't be read, the error now says which file, archive and offset failed, and what was found there.
• Includes the View panel sliders for how far grass and other details are drawn, and smoother loading (textures sent to the graphics card a few per frame, shaders built ahead).

Getting started

1. Download MapExplorer-portable.zip below and unzip it anywhere.
2. Double-click MapExplorer.exe. Map Explorer opens in a window of its own and finds World of Warcraft by itself.
3. If it can't, choose your World of Warcraft folder, usually C:\Program Files (x86)\World of Warcraft (the folder that contains _classic_ or _classic_beta_).

Nothing needs installing. You need Windows 10 or 11 and World of Warcraft Classic installed.

Your game files are read locally and never uploaded. Keep MapExplorer.exe next to the app folder; your settings are kept in a data folder beside them.

Everything new in 0.3.0 (walking, boats and zeppelins, meeting stones, weather choices and more) is described on the 0.3.0 release.

Map Explorer 0.3.0

Fly over Azeroth, drawn from the World of Warcraft Classic files on your own computer.

What's new in 0.3.0

• Walking. A character on foot, moved and animated as in the game, with a Smart fly speed toggle.
• Boats and zeppelins, sailing their routes on the server's schedule.
• Meeting stones: each one's dungeon and levels, a summons to it, and a way in. Instance portals now show at dungeon entrances and exits.
• Weather, regions and the world map: region tints, rested areas, flight paths, a No rain or snow choice, and a No fog option so the far continents show.
• The game's own look: its interface art, a top-left settings menu, a minimap and Go to search, zone text as the game shows it, animated lake, sea and slime water, ground clutter, colour grading, sun shadows and height fog.
• Sound: each area's background ambience, by day and by night. Music and sound start muted.
• View toggles to hide NPCs, objects and spirit healers, a flying speed slider (Y / Shift+Y), a cinematic camera (J), and a Highlight toggle for walkable and too-steep slopes.
• Faster, smoother starts: shaders are compiled behind the loading screen, far-terrain textures are sent in bulk, and drawing is faster overall.
• Clearer errors: "Not a BLTE stream" now says which file, archive and offset failed and whether the game's index and data files disagree, so reports can be diagnosed. If you see it, try Scan and Repair in the Battle.net app.
• Many fixes: the camera no longer snaps, building parts the game never shows are hidden, helmets hide only what they should.

Getting started

1. Download MapExplorer-portable.zip below and unzip it anywhere.
2. Double-click MapExplorer.exe. Map Explorer opens in a window of its own and finds World of Warcraft by itself.
3. If it can't, choose your World of Warcraft folder, usually C:\Program Files (x86)\World of Warcraft (the folder that contains _classic_ or _classic_beta_).

Nothing needs installing. You need Windows 10 or 11 and World of Warcraft Classic installed.

Your game files are read locally and never uploaded. Keep MapExplorer.exe next to the app folder; your settings are kept in a data folder beside them.

Map Explorer 0.2.0

Fly over Azeroth, drawn from the World of Warcraft Classic files on your own computer.

What's new in 0.2.0

• Finds World of Warcraft by itself. No folder to choose when the game is installed in the usual way; the folder button is still there if it can't be found.
• Screenshot mode (P). Loads everything in view at full detail, however far off, then saves the view as a PNG at twice your screen's resolution. P or Esc cancels.
• Sound panel with master, music, underwater and splash volumes, remembered between visits. Water splashes are quieter.
• Map names in the sea are hidden by default; press I to show them.
• Faster drawing: nothing hidden in the fog is drawn, and game objects are read once instead of twice.
• Fixed a line through everything at the horizon where the sea meets the sky.

Getting started

1. Download MapExplorer-portable.zip below and unzip it anywhere.
2. Double-click MapExplorer.exe. Map Explorer opens in a window of its own and finds World of Warcraft by itself.
3. If it can't, choose your World of Warcraft folder, usually C:\Program Files (x86)\World of Warcraft (the folder that contains _classic_ or _classic_beta_).

Nothing needs installing. You need Windows 10 or 11 and World of Warcraft Classic installed.

The window is Microsoft Edge (or Chrome) showing the app, served from the app folder to your computer only: your game files are read locally and never uploaded. Close the window to stop it. Keep MapExplorer.exe next to the app folder; your settings are kept in a data folder beside them.

What's in it

• Both continents at once, with every other map (dungeons, raids, battlegrounds, unused and test maps) laid out in the sea to the south, to fly to or enter through their entrances
• Terrain, buildings, animated props, fire and smoke, and the game's own sky, fog and lighting, with a time-of-day control
• Water that deepens in colour from the shore out, with foam, and the game's animated lava
• Creatures and objects from VMaNGOS: clickable, with Wowhead links, name plates and their gear, walking their patrols
• Zone names, zone music and underwater sound
• Highlight chests, herbs, ore, fishing pools or anything by name, from up to a kilometre away

Controls

Key	Action
Click	Look around, or open info on a creature or object
W A S D, Space / C	Fly, up / down (Shift for faster)
G	Go through walls and the ground
O, 1, 2	Whole world, continents
T / Shift+T, N	Time of day, back to local time
H	Highlights
I	Names of the maps in the sea
P	Screenshot
U	Hide the interface
L, F, M	Torch light, Alliance / Horde names, music

Map Explorer 0.1.0

Fly over Azeroth, drawn from the World of Warcraft Classic files on your own computer.

Getting started

1. Download MapExplorer-portable.zip below and unzip it anywhere.
2. Double-click MapExplorer.exe. Map Explorer opens in a window of its own.
3. Choose your World of Warcraft folder, usually C:\Program Files (x86)\World of Warcraft (the folder that contains _classic_ or _classic_beta_).

Nothing needs installing. You need Windows 10 or 11 and World of Warcraft Classic installed.

The window is Microsoft Edge (or Chrome) showing the app, served from the app folder to your computer only: your game files are read locally and never uploaded. Close the window to stop it. Keep MapExplorer.exe next to the app folder; your settings are kept in a data folder beside them.

What's in it

• Both continents at once, with every other map (dungeons, raids, battlegrounds, unused and test maps) laid out in the sea to the south, named from afar, to fly to or enter through their entrances
• Terrain, buildings, animated props, fire and smoke, and the game's own sky, fog and lighting, with a time-of-day control
• Water that deepens in colour from the shore out, with foam, and the game's animated lava
• Creatures and objects from VMaNGOS: clickable, with Wowhead links, name plates and their gear, walking their patrols
• Zone names, zone music and underwater sound
• Highlight chests, herbs, ore, fishing pools or anything by name, from up to a kilometre away

Controls

Key	Action
Click	Look around, or open info on a creature or object
W A S D, Space / C	Fly, up / down (Shift for faster)
G	Go through walls and the ground
O, 1, 2	Whole world, continents
T / Shift+T, N	Time of day, back to local time
H	Highlights
U	Hide the interface
L, F, M	Torch light, Alliance / Horde names, music