SC4Terraformer, a tool for regional handterraforming

[Rayden 7]

Originally posted by: Pixelrage I just tried the terraformer last night for the first time since a very early beta version, and WOW has it improved!!

My only question -- is there any chance that an undo (Ctrl+Z or Edit->Undo) feature can ever be added in? It helps when you've made a really bad mistake, and don't want to shut the program down and re-open the region all over again.quote>

 

It already has, but so far, it only undos the last action. Even so, it's better than nothing

[Pixelrage 34]

hmm, strange, it didn't work when I tried it. Would the undo apply to a click and drag, or just the first action of the click?

[prince_of_sims 0]

the Undo undos the last action performed by SC4TF. so if you click and drag, it only undos the last click.

[thatsarap 25]

Hi there...

I downloaded and installed the program, and I read the readme file (repeatedly!), yet I'm still having a problem.  The program fails to run when I start it, and it directs me to this txt file for more on the error:

I have a Pentium 4 2.5 GHz system with 768 MB of RAM.  I've tried uninstalling/reinstalling and got the same error.   Is this a memory problem? A graphics problem?  Please help - I wanna use this tool!!!

Thanx!!

[prince_of_sims 0]

what operating system do you have?

search through the last few pages of this thread as well as the SC4Terraformer support thread (link in my sig). this issue was covered before by wouanagaine.

[thatsarap 25]

Thanks prince_of_sims, I have moved my question over to the correct forum.  Just so you know, I have Windows XP Home Edition, and my problem still hasn't been resolved.

Thanx

[SC4BOY 21]

Originally posted by: Pixelrage hmm, strange, it didn't work when I tried it. Would the undo apply to a click and drag, or just the first action of the click?quote>

 

It undoes the last terrain action .. independent of how many "movements" you had as long as it was one action.. for example you use "flat" and without lifting or unclicking you wave over a large area.. the undo will undo the whole action.. It doesn't care about things like moving the camera or moving the mouse from pt A to pt B and it can't "undo" things like "save"

[embersofme 0]

Hi there, well, I downloaded the Terraformer and had to delete it, and re-download it. I still get a message when I try to run the terraformer and it says, 'See the logfile " C: Program Files\SC4Terraformer\SC4Terraformer.exe.log' for details

I have no clues as to what this is supposed to mean, Can anyone help?

[embersofme 0]

Hi there, well, I downloaded the Terraformer and had to delete it, and re-download it. I still get a message when I try to run the terraformer and it says, 'See the logfile " C: Program Files\SC4Terraformer\SC4Terraformer.exe.log' for details

I have no clues as to what this is supposed to mean, Can anyone help?

[embersofme 0]

Hi there, well, I downloaded the Terraformer and had to delete it, and re-download it. I still get a message when I try to run the terraformer and it says, 'See the logfile " C: Program Files\SC4Terraformer\SC4Terraformer.exe.log' for details

I have no clues as to what this is supposed to mean, Can anyone help?

[TheOneThird 1]

What's with the framerate? My system runs Half Life 2 faster than this.

[TheOneThird 1]

What's with the framerate? My system runs Half Life 2 faster than this.

[TheOneThird 1]

What's with the framerate? My system runs Half Life 2 faster than this.

[prince_of_sims 0]

embersofme

Post what the error says and the problem in the SC4TF Support Thread. There is a link in my signature.

TheOneThird

What graphics card and OS do you have? The ATI brands have some sort of trouble running 3D graphics in 2D mode, so you have to make sure that all other windows are minimized.

[prince_of_sims 0]

embersofme

Post what the error says and the problem in the SC4TF Support Thread. There is a link in my signature.

TheOneThird

What graphics card and OS do you have? The ATI brands have some sort of trouble running 3D graphics in 2D mode, so you have to make sure that all other windows are minimized.

[prince_of_sims 0]

embersofme

Post what the error says and the problem in the SC4TF Support Thread. There is a link in my signature.

TheOneThird

What graphics card and OS do you have? The ATI brands have some sort of trouble running 3D graphics in 2D mode, so you have to make sure that all other windows are minimized.

[rusty_777 0]

I just downloaded the SC4 TerraFormer and when I tried to launch the file an error message said:

See the logfile 'C:\Program Files\SC4Terraformer\SC4Terraformer.exe.log' for details

Now when I went to that logfile it displayed:

Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "SC4Terraformer.py", line 1, in ?

  File "zipextimporter.pyo", line 78, in load_module

  File "SC4TerraformerApp.pyo", line 3, in ?

  File "zipextimporter.pyo", line 91, in load_module

ImportError: MemoryLoadLibrary failed loading tools3D.pyd

Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "SC4Terraformer.py", line 1, in ?

  File "zipextimporter.pyo", line 78, in load_module

  File "SC4TerraformerApp.pyo", line 3, in ?

  File "zipextimporter.pyo", line 91, in load_module

ImportError: MemoryLoadLibrary failed loading tools3D.pyd

I just don't understand that at all.  If anyone could help me I would appreciate it!

By the way I have the newest version of Direct X.

[rusty_777 0]

I just downloaded the SC4 TerraFormer and when I tried to launch the file an error message said:

See the logfile 'C:\Program Files\SC4Terraformer\SC4Terraformer.exe.log' for details

Now when I went to that logfile it displayed:

Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "SC4Terraformer.py", line 1, in ?

  File "zipextimporter.pyo", line 78, in load_module

  File "SC4TerraformerApp.pyo", line 3, in ?

  File "zipextimporter.pyo", line 91, in load_module

ImportError: MemoryLoadLibrary failed loading tools3D.pyd

Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "SC4Terraformer.py", line 1, in ?

  File "zipextimporter.pyo", line 78, in load_module

  File "SC4TerraformerApp.pyo", line 3, in ?

  File "zipextimporter.pyo", line 91, in load_module

ImportError: MemoryLoadLibrary failed loading tools3D.pyd

I just don't understand that at all.  If anyone could help me I would appreciate it!

By the way I have the newest version of Direct X.

[rusty_777 0]

I just downloaded the SC4 TerraFormer and when I tried to launch the file an error message said:

See the logfile 'C:\Program Files\SC4Terraformer\SC4Terraformer.exe.log' for details

Now when I went to that logfile it displayed:

Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "SC4Terraformer.py", line 1, in ?

  File "zipextimporter.pyo", line 78, in load_module

  File "SC4TerraformerApp.pyo", line 3, in ?

  File "zipextimporter.pyo", line 91, in load_module

ImportError: MemoryLoadLibrary failed loading tools3D.pyd

Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "SC4Terraformer.py", line 1, in ?

  File "zipextimporter.pyo", line 78, in load_module

  File "SC4TerraformerApp.pyo", line 3, in ?

  File "zipextimporter.pyo", line 91, in load_module

ImportError: MemoryLoadLibrary failed loading tools3D.pyd

I just don't understand that at all.  If anyone could help me I would appreciate it!

By the way I have the newest version of Direct X.

[prince_of_sims 0]

the tools3D.pyd error has been pinpointed to the user not reading the readme. please read it and if you can't understand what's been put in layman's terms in it, then come for help.

EDIT:

Note to all who may think i'm being harsh. wouanagaine and i had a huge long discussion about the incessant popup readme. he thought it was best to leave it like that so users would read it. since he has gone to all that trouble just to make sure the readme will be read, i expect all users to read the readme. if you reserve the right to not read the readme, i reserve the right to be an ass and treat you like a little child.

[prince_of_sims 0]

the tools3D.pyd error has been pinpointed to the user not reading the readme. please read it and if you can't understand what's been put in layman's terms in it, then come for help.

EDIT:

Note to all who may think i'm being harsh. wouanagaine and i had a huge long discussion about the incessant popup readme. he thought it was best to leave it like that so users would read it. since he has gone to all that trouble just to make sure the readme will be read, i expect all users to read the readme. if you reserve the right to not read the readme, i reserve the right to be an ass and treat you like a little child.

[prince_of_sims 0]

the tools3D.pyd error has been pinpointed to the user not reading the readme. please read it and if you can't understand what's been put in layman's terms in it, then come for help.

EDIT:

Note to all who may think i'm being harsh. wouanagaine and i had a huge long discussion about the incessant popup readme. he thought it was best to leave it like that so users would read it. since he has gone to all that trouble just to make sure the readme will be read, i expect all users to read the readme. if you reserve the right to not read the readme, i reserve the right to be an ass and treat you like a little child.

[Romaq 18]

File Exception reporting request:

I'm using CVS (www.wincvs.org) both as a means to 'undo' discrete region edits and as a way to share a region with my wife. Because of synchronization issues, I have CVS set by default to only allow edits on file 'on request'. This is to prevent "Bad Things" from happening as her city updates would tend to want to revert my updates on border areas. Neither here nor there, CVS is doing what it is supposed to do: lock the files as readonly to prevent changes unless one uses CVS to explicitly 'claim' editing rights to it.

Where does SC4TF come into this? "Bad Things" happen when SC4TF attempts to write to a readonly flagged file. SC4TF locks up until I kill the process, lossing everything. When wouanagaine happens to be back mucking about in the source, could he please add file exception handling? Specifically, please check if a file is set 'readonly', and if it is please offer a 'retry' and 'skip this city' option. This would give me a chance to decide that I should have requested edit privilages for a given city, or perhaps SC4TF has no business writing to that particular city in the first place.

While I happen to be thinking of it, it would be very useful if SC4TF would avoid rewriting a city that 1) already exists and 2) has not changed since it was last read. This will allow me to more easily use CVS as an 'infinite undo' option.

Oh, and my last wish, while I happen to be thinking of it. ;-) I would really like the means to rename cities within the 'city unlock' dialog box, and have those names preserved at least until SC4 changes them to 'New City'. I'm also using SC4TF as a Survey Tool for deciding what to name things before I get around to building a city in a given spot, and the ability to 'point & click' name an uncreated city would be very helpful.

Thank you!

[wouanagaine 86]

Hi all

I'm back from RL vacations

I'm planning to make a new pass of coding for SC4TF ( much shorter than the previous one, maybe one or two weeks max ) so please post your suggestions, I'll prioritize them if there are too much

side note for some dlls problems:

here are the dlls needed for SC4TF that I can't distribute due to licensing terms

OLEAUT32.dll - C:\WINDOWS\system32\OLEAUT32.dll

USER32.dll - C:\WINDOWS\system32\USER32.dll

SHELL32.dll - C:\WINDOWS\system32\SHELL32.dll

ole32.dll - C:\WINDOWS\system32\ole32.dll

WINMM.dll - C:\WINDOWS\system32\WINMM.dll

WSOCK32.dll - C:\WINDOWS\system32\WSOCK32.dll

COMCTL32.dll - C:\WINDOWS\system32\COMCTL32.dll

ADVAPI32.dll - C:\WINDOWS\system32\ADVAPI32.dll

msvcrt.dll - C:\WINDOWS\system32\msvcrt.dll

WS2_32.dll - C:\WINDOWS\system32\WS2_32.dll

GDI32.dll - C:\WINDOWS\system32\GDI32.dll

KERNEL32.dll - C:\WINDOWS\system32\KERNEL32.dll

MSVCP71.dll - C:\Python24\MSVCP71.dll

comdlg32.dll - C:\WINDOWS\system32\comdlg32.dll

RPCRT4.dll - C:\WINDOWS\system32\RPCRT4.dll

Take care

[Romaq 18]

Yay, suggestion time! My list:

1) A boolean for 'changed since last saved?' that parallels the 'City locked?' array. This will benefit save times, since only those changed are saved, and this will also help CVS users a great deal, since CVS tracks changes by when the file was last written.

2) Swapping the <--Maximum----> <--Minimum---> Slider bars, and if possible having them share the same slider bar. Since <--- is lower than -->, I keep confusing Min and Max unless I look closely.

3) Adding Terragen Terrain File import/ export (http://www.planetside.co.uk/terragen/dev/tgterrain.html), a format supported by 3DEM (http://www.visualizationsoftware.com/3dem.html), World machine, and of course TerraGen. This would save some pain involved with 16 bpc PNG files, since reliable image conversions of PNG consist of Adobe Photo Shop and CinePaint.

4) I've been thinking of the SC4M file format, and what *IT* could do that 16 bpc PNG and *.TER could not as an SC4 dedicated file format.

a) SC4M could contain the config.bmp in use at the time the file was exported, so if I send you the .SC4M, I need not send you the config.bmp separately.

b) SC4M could hold comments, such as 'If you like this region, you can get more from http://-insert-url-here-' or 'Created by Romaq.'

c) At some future point, it may be possible to sort out how to 'paint' using PEG water tiles, at least plotting level tiles. I'm not saying, "DO THIS NOW", I'm simply suggesting holding that door open in the SC4M format so if it *can* be worked out, *THAT* is one really cool reason to support using SC4M over simply posting 16 bpc PNGs on the STEX.

5) I think it would be a really good idea to organize a section of tutorials explicitly in connection with SC4TF. This is really more a question of making a tutorial support area for SC4TF than any improvement with SC4TF directly:

a) What's the difference between using 8-bit images and 16 bit images? Why should I care? When I convert my 8-bit image to 16-bit, why is everything under water? What can I use to edit my 16 bit image? Why does my 16 bit image keep working like an 8-bit image (16 bit converted to 8-bit without the user being aware)?

b) Explain to me how to make a 'Really-Really Accurate Region Of Where I live'. I'm still working with someone on this, there are problems associated with UTM distortions, confusion over converting 1:24k (or 1:50k) scale maps to 15.625 meters per pixel, and ensuring elevation from DEM to image is 16 bit accurate. We are also trying to get data for below sea level accuracy to 250 meters below sea level, and some idea of how best to do above sea level lakes and water. I'm looking forward to comparing a region with those 1km grey lines that SC4M makes against a screen capture of Google Earth with as close as possible the same as the region view. But... moving on...

c) Explain to me how to make a realistic looking Fantasy Region using World Machine or other similar product (I've got this one nailed down!)

d) I've read Peg's 'Getting Started with the CDK' tutorial (http://www.jphayden.com/pegprod/forums/cms_view_article.php?aid=13&sid=be4ba6e3d7855d686373a1a0fcf3e0f4), how can SC4TF make it easier?

e) How do I make a realistic river with SC4TF?

6) A 'remember size/ position of window' feature, if possible. Since I am using dual monitors, I have SC4TF's tools windows in my main viewing screen, and the 'radar view' in the other screen. It works out really well for me this way, I just wish I could restart SC4TF without having to put the windows back where it works best for my setup.

I hope the list helps. SC4TF, as it is with nothing further done, works well for its intended purpose and I'm really greatful for it. As I use it for more and different terrain editing, I learn new things and I get better at it.

[jplumbley 5]

Wow Romaq!!! Thats alot to read...

About the tutorials... It is easy to make tutorials but they take time. POS and I were at one point talking about making a tutorial HTML file to send with SC4Terraformer when you download it, but it never panned out since RL got in the way. It would have included many of the things you had suggested minus some that we hadn't known about. I still am very busy. I may make some tutorials on fantasy region building with my next 2 maps that I am creating simultaneously. But those will be put in my map thread while I do updates.

About making a realistic river? That seems simple enough(to me)... Set your draw tool to somewhere below sea level, then rotate your view so your are looking straight down on your map and then draw a curvy line.... Go over a few spots with a smaller brush and make some parts wider then others... Then go over with a smoothing brush and your good!! Hope that helps. I will give you a nice tutorial when I start my new maps. I have some RL at the moment to tend with.

JPlumbley

[wouanagaine 86]

Romaq

Great list. I appreciate how you are involved in this

1) ok, quick and easy to be done

2) swapping ok; having the same slider for both will require too much dev, too bad because it will have save space

3) R16 from worldmachine ok, I'll look deeper in terragen to see how it would be easy to do it

4) a & b ok, a will require a bit of coding but should be ok,

c I wish I can do that but still don't know where in the savegame those kind of info can be found&stored

I'm actually playing with my new region, a mountainaous one, and I also wish I can plop water within SC4TF ( or at least get a tool to generate a good looking river bed )

Anyway the SC4M file format is versionned so there is no problem to add new kind of information into it providing I change the version number.

5) tutorials, well I know tutorials need to be done but as jplumbley pointed it is quite time consumming, and more for me as English is not my primary langage, anyway I'll be glad to get and include any tutorial anyone can make. Btw do tutorials need to be shipped within the installer or hosted here on ST ? I raise this question because they will require quite an amount of pictures and this will make the installer bigger

6) can be done easily

What about a save to 8bit grayscale ? this will just require user to enter the scale/min height as in import and possibly some clamping if the range can't be stored within the 256 values ?

Take care

[Romaq 18]

JPlumbley: The concern I have for tutorials is the ease of updating, clarifying and extending them. You have to 'freeze' HTML you ship, where a WIKI or a thread here on ST could expand as needed.

Concerning rivers, they tend to be above sea level with rare exception. It wouldn't look right to have a mountain river going through a valley at sea level. I really wish Maxis had been able to resolve the 'rain/ lakes' God Mode tool, but they didn't. So the tutorials I'm thinking of are along the line of using SC4TF + Peg Ponds & Streams tiles (or Edmonton Ploppable water in a separate tutorial). World Machine is kind enough to provide the flow maps erosion took, giving me an image I can use to chart rivers and streams above sea level. I just have to work out the best way to translate the 'River Image' data I have into tiles above sea level. The task will not be an easy one, but I believe it will be well worth the investment effort.

But I'm very willing to document what I am doing in hopes of spuring the sort of collaboration that will make it better, under the theory 'many hands make light work'.

Wouanagaine: Thank you and bless you concerning the 'Changed since last saved' boolean. One of my tutorials will concern effective use of CVS to create 'friends and family WAN regions,' where the person sets up a CVS server and may then collaborate with friends and family on an SC4 region over the 'Net.

Concerning .R16 format, I'm not sure how beneficial it may be simply for the fact that 'headerless raw data' has so many implications as to what that data may actually have in it. If the region isn't square, you have to input values. And the file could, in fact, be 16 bit data in 3D, or it could be in color. I would think one would use it because they have to, not because they would want to. At the time, I didn't realise I could make the *.TER --> *.TIF --> *.PNG translation to make it all work.

Concerning the SC4M, I was mainly considering the question, "Since we exchange 8bpc .BMP and .JPG images, why not just use 16 bpc .PNG? So I started considering the useful info .SC4M could hold that is outside the scope of a .PNG image.

Concerning the tutorials, I highly recommend we have a tutorial section related to SC4M in ST. The resources are already there, along with policies and other tutorials in place. This will encourage a collaborative effort, and you won't be shipping so much data with SC4TF's installer.

Concerning the 8 bit grayscale issue, this is not a problem with SC4TF, but rather a fundamental understanding of the difference between 8-bit import (which always implies scaling, usually implies smoothing and erosion) and 16-bit images, which explicitly do not get scaled, and require no erosion or smoothing. It's a 'wetware' issue of people's thinking and not a software problem. But we need a good reference to visually show people what is going on, and why they should stick to 16 bpc if at all possible.

Time to head to work, cheers!

[SC4BOY 21]

Just reviewing an old question I asked now that wou is back!! (welcome again) Is there any way to control the "time" feature of saves or .SC4M files? Ie, set or reset time and make "clock paused" or "clock running".. I'd think everyone would want "clock paused" but *shrugs*

Also, has any further progress been made in UPLOADING to ST the .SC4M file format?

[wouanagaine 86]

Romaq

I've read and fully understand the ter format, seems pretty ok to be integrated

SC4boy

This can be done by you

under the datas folder there are 3 sc4 files

City - Small.sc4

City - Medium.sc4

City - Large.sc4

those files are the one I used as template when SC4TF create new savegame

So what you have to do is to generate a new region in SC4 with the 3 size cities ( preferably without any connections to other cities ), enter each city, pause, then save.

Once this is done, you just have to override the template by those new ones. Just be sure you have a flat terran, and you override the good size file

For SC4M on STEX, there are already some good map made with SC4TF, under props -> map of fantasy . You just have to zip the SC4M and the config.bmp and upload it as a prop. I don't know if it is the official way to do it, and I think Dirk has some work to do the City section before takling with this

Take care