SimCity 4 in Wide Screen Mode

[The_sanderson 6]

1920x1080 give some bugs in the BATs (sry, no pics)..I dont know why.

But its really cool, because the image is more colourful.

[Nuclear550 3]

I have a problem. My laptop keeps on saying that the target box is invalid. I have no idea why.

Here's Specs:

intel i3- 2.13ghz

Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

ATI Mobility Raedeon 4380

4gb DDR3 RAM

[randolpj 0]

Originally posted by: Nuclear550

I have a problem. My laptop keeps on saying that the target box is invalid. I have no idea why.

Here's Specs:

intel i3- 2.13ghz

Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

ATI Mobility Raedeon 4380

4gb DDR3 RAM

quote>

If I'm reading your post correctly, I'm pretty sure it's the same problem I had when I first tried it. I looked to see if someone else hasn't mentioned this already so I could credit them and I didn't see it, but either way..

If you're running Windows 7 64 and I guess maybe Vista 64, you need to use this modified line instead:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe" -l:english -Introff -CustomResolution:enabled -r1440x900x32

Only difference is the (x86) in the program files folder name.

[tungston 19]

Be sure to add a space before the tag, after the quotations marks for the path.

[City Planner 121]

Is "-CustomResolution:enabled" really necessary?

I've been running simply with: ""C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxis\SimCity 4\Apps\SimCity 4.exe" -introff -r1920x1200"

And as far as I've noticed it seems to work fine.

The only issue that there is for me is those purple/navyblue bars that appear at the bottom of every city when viewing the region. I asked in tech support forum and they told me to simply lower my resolution. But to what I don't know if I go by the game, then 1600x1200 will produce the same blue banding stripe at the bottom of every city in region view and if I go down to 1280x1024 on my 24" monitor it looks horrid, sort of squished and squashed and overly enlarged.

Edit: Oh, and here's some entertainment for  ya... and no, Im not crazy...  After adding the -CustomResolution:enabled to the shortcut, and running the game, I exited a city to the region, and the game crashed.

I went to inspect the shortcut on my desktop again and it took a long time to open, when I saved it again it told me that the path was no longer valid so I opened the file location and low and behold, the SimCity 4.exe file is gone.  Somehow the game crashing actually removed the simcity4.exe file.  Hmmm go figure.  I've never seen it do that before.

And no, it didn't get sent to the recycle bin either, it just basically self imploded and is no longer around.  Fortunately, I have duplicates (with different command line options on each) so it's easy to put one back in place, just a bit weird.

Double Edit: Okay I got rid of the purple/navy blue stripe on the bottom of each city in the Region view by opening the game in 1280x1024 resolution, and opening a couple of the cities and saving them.  Then I exited the game, restarted it with the command line additions so that it starts in 1920x1200 and opened a city and saved it and there are no more purble band lines at the bottom of any of the cities while in region view.  I can't explain why this works, it just does (for me), give it a shot if you hate the purple stripe at the bottom of each city in region view, perhaps it will work for you as it did for me.

[bhafc25 0]

DOes anyone have a dummies guide to change the resolution? I know where the .exe file is, but where do I type in the -introff -r1680x1050" ? I have no idea, help would be appreciated.

[City Planner 121]

Make a shortcut to the exe file place it on the desktop if you like (I prefer using shortcuts instead of altering the actual files target line so that I can make multiple shortcuts with each one having different command line options).

Right click the shortcut that you just made and choose properties out of the right click menu that just popped up, and enter the command line information in the "target" entry box.

Making sure to leave a blank space between the .exe" and the command line entry  you are going to add.  If you get a message telling you invalid target, then make sure again that there is a blank space between the .exe" and your first command line entry.

[bhafc25 0]

Thanks, City Planner

[Neonsim 43]

Ok.. i dont know how to do this correctly, i get to the short cut/properties menu, And i type it in, it works, But then when i fire up SC4...My screen is still stretched and i still have an intro.. Infact i think i just need a basic break down of this process, Because i am just not getting it, I do not Have my SC4 installed on my C: drive, it is installed on my G: drive(Which is for games..) I am at a loss, i do not know what i am doing, Can some one please help?

System specs..

Dell 18.5" Flat panel Wide screen monitor.

Os Windows Vista Home basic(6.0,Build 6000)

Processor Intel® Celeron® D CPU 3.33GHz, ~3.3GHz

Memory: 1022MB RAM

DirectX Version: DirectX 10

Name: Card NVIDIA GeForce GT 220

Chip type: GeForce GT 220

Appox total Memory 1265 MB

Current Display mode: 1366 x 768(32 bit) (60Hz)

[tungston 19]

In the target box, use a space after the quotation marks of the path, and a space after each tag.

"C:\Program Files\Maxis\Simcity 4\Apps\SimCity 4.exe" -CustomResolution:enabled -r1440x900x32 -f -intro:off

Be sure to use a resolution your monitor is capable of producing.

[Neonsim 43]

Its not working, instead of the shortcut starting the game, it take me to my G Drive, then when i get to apps, and click simcity4 The game is still stretched.

[tungston 19]

Originally posted by: Neonsim
 

Its not working, instead of the shortcut starting the game, it take me to my G Drive, then when i get to apps, and click simcity4 The game is still stretched.quote>

Then the target path is not pointing to the SimCity 4.exe.

 

[toni68210 4]

Thanks for the tips guys. That intro does annoying to me, almost every early games from EA have that lousy piece of crap...

[Adnan88 0]

the way I have it set up is:

-Introff -CustomResolution:enabled -r1920x1080x32 -f

But the intro still plays at the beginning? WTF ? everything else works great tho....thanks for this thread...I really hated when I installed the game and it was full screen....now I can enjoy it again

[tungston 19]

Originally posted by: Adnan88

the way I have it set up is:

-Introff -CustomResolution:enabled -r1920x1080x32 -f

But the intro still plays at the beginning? WTF ? everything else works great tho....thanks for this thread...I really hated when I installed the game and it was full screen....now I can enjoy it again

quote>

.

The error is the absence of the colon between the intro, and the off.  -intro:off

[tungston 19]

Originally posted by: Neonsim

Its not working, instead of the shortcut starting the game, it take me to my G Drive, then when i get to apps, and click simcity4 The game is still stretched.quote>

Have you started the game with the shortcut at least once?

 

[owen20 0]

Thanks very much! Just got new dell studio 17 looks good!!

[ed_diaz 10]

Originally posted by: Askee

I run with the following shortcut path: C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe /c START "high  priority sc4" /high "C:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe" -Introff -CustomResolution:enabled -r1440x900x32 -f

So that's 1440x900 With no intro and it starts in high priority.

My .exe is also modified so SC4 only uses the first CPU core, which seems to have mostly fixed the random CTD's, yay!quote>

how did you modify the .exe file to have it only use one CPU core everytime it starts up? the only way i thought this can be done is after starting up simcity 4 then going into the tast manager etc...  and i also dont understand the "high priority" part..

[Twentyone 0]

Thanks Took me ages finding the right command!

[Mr. Random 3]

 I am assuming that CPUPriority:High makes it so it takes up all CPU right?

[kingdiz_55 12]

I just go myself a new 18" widescreen LCD. It's native resolution is about 1360x768. SimCity 4 won't run on any resolutions not supported by the monitor. I tried going 1024x600 and x567 (if i'm not mistaken) but it didn't work. For people with the same problem, (for Windows 7 users only) on the desktop, right-click and then select screen resolution, there you'll have a choice of resolutions that will make SC4 run. For my LCD, I run it at 1088x612 in windowed mode. The only problem you'll have with this is that The top-most item in all menus will seem cut off and that you'll have a small space for building. Hope it helps for all.

[RogerStenning 0]

Hiya folks - excellent thread, very VERY helpful, but I guess I'm a tad slow or thick, as while using the command line switches, the screen still looks distorted (circles resembling ovals, etc), esp the buttons at the top of the screen in full screen mode.

Here're the system specs:

Operating System: Windows XP Service Pack 3 5.1.2600

CPU Type: 2061 MHz AuthenticAMD AMD Family 6 Model 8 Step 1

Video Card: NVIDIA RIVA TNT2 Model 64/Model 64 Pro (Microsoft Corporation)

Video Driver: nv4_disp.dll

Driver Version: 6.14.10.5673

DirectX: DirectX 9

Monitor Description: LG W2243(Analog)

Monitor Manufacturer: LG

Monitor Max. Resolution: 1920x1080

Current Mode: 1280x720x32

Resolution | 16 | 256 | 16 bits | 24 bits | 32 bits

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

640 x 480.... | * | * | * | - | *

800 x 600.... | * | * | * | - | *

1024x 768... | - | * | * | - | *

1152x 864... | - | * | * | - | *

1280x1024.. | - | * | * | - | *

1600x1200.. | - | - | - | - |

This is the command line that I'm using:

"C:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe" -l:english -Introff -CustomResolution:enabled -r1280x720x32

If you can give me hints as to getting the circles to resemble circles rather than ovals, it'd be well appreciated

Also, I tried using the -w switch, but it still went full screen - presumably this is also a function of the resolution used?

Cheers in advance,

Roger

[Panda_Power 1]

Hi Roger,

I'm just curious as to why you'd want to play at a res of 1280x720 when your monitor is capable of 1920x1080? SC4 is so much better at higher resolutions!

[RogerStenning 0]

Eyesight. I wear glasses, and the old peepers ain't what they used to be Plus I'm a little set in my ways, as those of us in our 40+ years tend to be

I forgot to mention before that I've uploaded and successfully installed the patches recommended elsewhere on this forum, in case anyone thinks that might improve things!

I've attached a couple of screen shots, to give an example of what I mean re screen size/resolution... first is the splash screen, second the basic game screen.

You see what I mean about the oval shape of the circles at the top - if this is normal, then ok, I read the manual wrong!

[SC4BOY 21]

Those "circles" ARE oval.. .. so it's not your eyes (or your screen)

[RogerStenning 0]

Aha. So, it IS my brain at fault, then

In other words, situation normal, all fouled up

Cheers for that

[Panda_Power 1]

Originally posted by: RogerStenning

Eyesight. I wear glasses, and the old peepers ain't what they used to be Plus I'm a little set in my ways, as those of us in our 40+ years tend to be

quote>

I know what you mean...high res is great...but some of the fine details can be hard to read!

Glad you've got everything sorted out and enjoy the "game"!

[RogerStenning 0]

No thanks to EA, of course. They STILL can't figure out how to get my copy registered, but that's for another thread

Anyhow, thanks for all the help, folks, it's appreciated

Roger

[urmomology72 0]

Having a bit of trouble, whenever I change the string the program refuses to load. It opens up the starting screen with the picture of the bridge, and then exits. I have no idea why, the string is typed in correctly, because if it weren't, Vista wouldn't let me apply it. 

[SC4BOY 21]

Originally posted by: urmomology72

... the program refuses to load. It opens up the starting screen with the picture of the bridge, and then exits. I have no idea why, the string is typed in correctly, because if it weren't, Vista wouldn't let me apply it. quote>

Vista is perfectly happy for you to type in a "wrong" string.. I expect you either have an error or are trying to use variables which won't map to your system (for example incorrect screen sizing that your GPU can't handle)

right-click your shortcut, hit "properties", immediately hit "cntrl-v" and then past that string here in a message