How to create custom icons with Sim City 4 Tool

[Jazzmaster 716]

I know, you're probably reading this and thinking: "there's a tutorial in the Omnibus about how to make lot icons, why not just look there?"  Well, I've never been the best with ILive's reader; got the basic lot modding down, problem is the more complex stuff (changing IID's, making rewards, stuff like that).  

  At any rate, I was hoping someone could help me with this one problem.  Since I'm technically modding a lot (well, several, actually), I thought I'd post here.  Okay, when I tried to use the SC4 Tool found on Simszone.de to change the lot icon, an error message popped up saying  "image must be 176x44 pixels!", so I went to my photo editing software (VCWVicman's Photo Editor) and resized it to 176x44 and also made it PNG format.  So when I go back to try and apply it again, once again it says "image must be 176x44 pixels!", and I know for a fact that it's that size.  Sorry for the long post, but does anybody have a solution? Thanks!

-Yoshiisland

[Andreas Roth 604]

I haven't used SC4Tool that often for changing an icon, but it should work as desired. Did you try adding your icon with another program, such as LEProp? I think it's the easiest program to do such a task, and for the basic modding, I recommend it because of its simplicity.

[star.torturer 0]

try it with a slightly smaller image

[Sam 163]

Originally posted by: star.torturer try it with a slightly smaller imagequote>

Do not resize the image from 176x44, it must absolutely be that size. It must be in png format. However check the png options your graphics editor may be using, there may be something funny in there that is causing a problem.

Here is the easy way to do it:

Make in your image editor an image 176x44 (ie 176 is length, not height). The image should be in four parts, each of which is 44x44 pixels (44x4 =176). The first is the image for the unavailable icon state (usually in grey). The second is the image when it is available. The third is the icon when it is selected, the fourth is the last used image state. Save your new image in png format.

For example, this is one of the ones I used for my mediterranean lots:

See the four states?

Then use LEProp to import the new icon to your lot file.

1. Click the Open Dat button, and load your dat file that contains the building exemplar.
2. You'll see the current icon at the bottom of the screen.
3. Click the Import Icon button, browse to your new icon and import it.
4. Then click Apply, then click Save DAT.

If it still doesn't work, try using a different image editor. I use paintshop pro. I keep my icon templates as psp files which allows multiple layers. This way I can change different parts easily, eg the background, the borders, the image etc. When it looks the way I want,  I just save it in png fomat.

[Jazzmaster 716]

Thank you, everyone!