Windowed Mode at High Resolution

[EgonTowst 3]

I'm wanting to play SimCity 4 Deluxe Edition in windowed mode in order to be able to keep up easily with other things I'm doing online while playing. I have a large screen resolution (1920x1080 on 23" monitor), and I still want the window to be able to take up at least most of the screen. I have edited the "Target:" in the SimCity 4 shortcut on my desktop to tell it to load in windowed mode, however, my problem is that when I do this, it automatically loads the window at 1024x768 resolution, which looks pretty small on my screen. When I try to edit the shortcut target to tell it to load a custom resolution larger than 1024x768 (or, even if I load the game and select the 1280x1024 or 1600x1200 resolution in the options panel), it forces the game to load fullscreen. I can play in windowed mode fine at 1024x768 resolution, but anything larger than that, it ignores the command to load in a window, and forces fullscreen.

My question is, is it possible to play in windowed mode at a larger resolution? If so, how? I'm running Windows 7, 64bit. These are the different "Target:" edits I have tried in the shortcut:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe" -intro:off -w

(Loads in windowed mode, at 1024x768 resolution)

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe" -intro:off -w -r1280x1024

(Loads fullscreen, at 1280x1024 resolution)

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe" -intro:off -w -r1600x1200

(Loads fullscreen, at 1600x1200 resolution)

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe" -intro:off -w -r1920x1080

(Loads fullscreen, at (I assume) 1920x1080 resolution)

[tungston 19]

For the 1920x1080 resolution, you may need to add the tag -customresolution:enabled.

[EgonTowst 3]

Right, I tried that as well, but it still forces the game to load fullscreen :\

[Sniper296 83]

These are the arguments I use and it runs windowed fine

-w -intro:off -CustomResolution:enabled -r1440x900

[Yuu Caa Sim 55]

Maybe you need to add the color density to the end as well? For example, instead of -r1600x1200, use -r1600x1200x32.

My shortcut (when I want to run in windowed mode) is -w -CustomResolution:enabled -r1440x900x32.

[EgonTowst 3]

Yep, I've tried the custom resolution argument as well as adding the color density to the end, but it still forces anything larger than 1024x768 to load fullscreen. Weird. I guess my computer just doesn't like me. :\

[Vern 29]

Just for kicks try this. Load up Startup Manager and go to Configuration>SimCity 4 Options> Check "window mode." Right underneath you will see a box that is titled "SimCity 4 shortcut." It will take you to the properties of your SC4 Shortcut. This is what Startup Manager will use when it starts. Add "CustomResolution:enabled" and "-r1920x1080" to the end of the "Target" field.

While this isn't a direct fix it may be a workaround until you can find the answer to the behavior you are experiencing.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Just for kicks try this. Load up Startup Manager and go to Configuration>SimCity 4 Options> Check "window mode." Right underneath you will see a box that is titled "SimCity 4 shortcut." It will take you to the properties of your SC4 Shortcut. This is what Startup Manager will use when it starts. Add "CustomResolution:enabled" and "-r1920x1080" to the end of the "Target" field.

While this isn't a direct fix it may be a workaround until you can find the answer to the behavior you are experiencing.

-CustomResolution:enabled

Under no circumstances spell your options incorrectly.

The format is <space><hyphen><keyword><colon><values>

  Edited April 30, 2011 by A Nonny Moose  

[EgonTowst 3]

I think I've figured out the problem. If the Y dimension of the window is too close, or larger, than the Y dimension of the screen resolution, it forces the game to start in fullscreen regardless. I failed to mention in my original post that I have a dual monitor setup (since I'm trying to load the game in a window, and I can drag windows from one screen to the other, I didn't think it would make any difference). The 1920x1080 is my secondary display. The primary display is a 1366x768 laptop. Since the game always loads up on my primary (even though, if it is a window, I can drag it right over to the secondary), anything larger than the 1024x768 resolution forces fullscreen on the laptop. So I thought I'd see what would happen if I made the 1920x1080 screen my primary display, so that the game would load up on it rather than the laptop, and found that I can load in windowed mode either the 1024x768 or 1200x1024 resolution (which still isn't quite what I was looking for, but it will do fine). But anything larger forces fullscreen again. So apparently it won't load in windowed mode unless the dimensions of your primary display are larger than that of the window (which might sound like common sense, but I've never had that problem with other games or programs!).

I still haven't quite gotten the custom resolution thing to work properly for me though. It seems that anything other than the game's default resolution options forces it to load in fullscreen as well. 1920x1080, 1440x1080, and even 1680x1050 still won't load in a window, not even with the larger monitor set as my primary.

Anyway, I'm happy enough with where it is now. Thank you all for your help.

  Edited April 30, 2011 by EgonTowst  

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Pretty sure you have hit on it. Is there any way for you to start the game in your secondary monitor? In my system, I am forced to leave room for the window title bar or things go awry. I have a much smaller single monitor, but running with wine's virtual desktop to prevent a problem with my video chipset my command line is:

env WINEPREFIX="/home/john/.wine" wine C:\\PROG\~FBU\\Maxis\\SIMC\~ZMW\\Apps\\SimCity\ 4.exe -intro:off -CustomResolution:enabled -r1280x960 -f &>~/sc4.log

As you can see if you know Linux, I start from the console. Maybe you could do that on your other monitor by opening a console on it.

And one of the advantages of running on Linux is that you can have multiple desktops (I have four) and switch between them without the applications being aware of it.

  Edited April 30, 2011 by A Nonny Moose