Supported
About This File
Version 2 including a 256 grayscale-indexed bitmap manually created from the SC4M formatted image.
This map is in SC4M format and SC4 Mapper is required to render the file into a region.
The map is designed for building region networks, including ferries, highways, and rail(s).
The intended use is for experimenting with traffic flow toward maximizing network efficiency within and across cities.
This download may help to get acquainted with Maxis networks preliminary to using the Network Addon Mod (NAM).
________________________________________________________________________
About SC4 Mapper
With SC4M the user can create region maps from regions in the game. Using the terraforming tools one can build their own region and then share it, or archive it, in SC4M format. Regions already containing cities can be used to create blank regions with the same terrain.
SC4 Mapper 2013 (v1.0)
https://www.sc4devotion.com/csxlex/lex_filedesc.php?lotGET=2880
________________________________________________________________________
In order to make the game easy enough to experiment with, the following mods were used:
Super Demand Mod (max-out all demand)
https://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/22391-super-demand-mod-not-demand-ordinance/
Cousin Vinnie Ordinance (200,000§ per month)
https://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/13382-cousin-vinnie-ordinance/
Re-lotted nuclear power plant with 22,000MWh (included in this download).
________________________________________________________________________
The map was made using SC4 terraforming tools and rendered using SC4 Mapper.
God Terraforming in Mayor Mode
https://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/20092-god-terraforming-in-mayor-mode/
Additional God Mode Terrain tools
https://community.simtropolis.com/files/file/21288-additional-god-mode-terrain-tools
________________________________________________________________________
Picture descriptions in sequential order as above:
1.) Title
2.) The map will first appear in-game according to SC4M format. As the cities are loaded and saved the map will appear according to SimCity graphics, or according to whatever terrain mods are used.
3.) Traffic flow is highlighted in color-codes for each network, showing sims travelling to work and back using road, rail and ferry. The re-lotted nuclear power plant (shown) is included in this download.
4.) The map in region view showing the ferry routes with black dotted lines. The ferry will travel around several curves to connect terminals, moving passengers and cars great distances within and between cities.
5.) Here is a an avenue connection showing the sims flocking to the bus and subway stations, and utilizing the parking garages. The toll booth is used to measure how much traffic is flowing between cities.
6.) All cities networked with airports, seaports, road, rail(s) and ferry. Sims travel to work and back between cities.
________________________________________________________________________
Reverse-engineering the SC4M Format
Manual conversion of SC4M Mapper image to 256 grayscale-indexed bitmap image.
(Note: In the image above I've misspelled palette as pallete. Palate, pallet and palette are often pronounced the same as pal-ut and my misspelling would be pronounced pal-eet, but in my mind it seems to pronounce as pal-et and distinguishes from the other two words.)
Convert the image to 8-bit 256 grayscale Indexed .bmp
Reverse the image so the rivers are now in the dark range and the land is in the lighter range. This is to make the map according to how SC4 renders water and land. Water is below 84 in the palette index (This is the 'light' parameter) and land is 84 and above. To make the transition from water and land good for placing ferry terminals I've set the water to 70 (#464646 html or 70 red green blue RGB, hue 0, saturation 0, light 70)
The image here is 769 x 769 which is a map sized for a 3 x 3 large tile region. 769/256 is 3 + 1. The added 1 is required to make the map readable and render-able by SC4. The 'config.bmp' is 12 x 12. 12/4 is 3. Each large city is 4x 4.
The process is a bit tedious as it requires manually re-setting 256 grayscale palette entries to get the height-map the way you want it. Another tedious task is erasing the grid lines that SC4 mapper creates. Once the image is reversed, you have to think in reverse contrast, not simply reverse illumination, meaning that land is higher (lighter) as it approaches the water and lower (darker) as it approaches its peak.
The process is worth the time as you can adjust all the palette entries to fine-tune the terrain to maximize the map's use for city-building with both water and land.
control+alt+shift+r
Create a region folder and include a config.bmp and region.ini file with the name of the region and then use [control+alt+shift+r] to render the bitmap
The new region is different from the original SC4M. The map is tailored according to manual fine-detailing of the height-map by re-setting the illumination of each palette entry individually.
Note: There is a difference between a 256 color palette which may display only shades of gray and a 256 grayscale-indexed bitmap. Depending on the graphics program, it may be necessary to convert to a color palette to edit the gray shades, and then convert back to the 256 grayscale-indexed format.
What's New 2.1.0 View Changelog
Released
Created, rendered,, and included a 256 grayscale bitmap from the SC4M formatted map image. SC4M does not make bitmaps but will render a bitmap.
2.1
Revised the ReadMe.html file.
-
6
