config-log

[Ronwe 3]

Recently I've been poking around the game files in the program folder of SC4, and I came across this rather interesting file: the config-log file, located in "C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps". (Click the Spoiler to view) One of the things that struck me were that despite having changed the configurations several times from within the game, this configuration log dates to the original installation date of my game, which indicates that it's not an active file used by the game, except during installation. However, I suspect that it is a decrypted mirror of the game's configuration settings, and may give some insight into how the game operates, and some possible solutions to help improve in-game stability.

Also, if it is possible to decrypt the game configuration setting somehow, we might be able to enable a few options we haven't been able to use before, and also use them to make the game run as efficiently as possible.

Log generated on 7/20/2011, 18:10

Flags

-----

hardwareDriver = true

DXT = true

fullscreen = true

MMX = true

FPU = true

backingStore = true

forcedFSAA = false

Strings

-------

userName = Matthew

appName = SimCity 4

version = 1.1.610.0

osVersion = Windows NT 6.1

computerName =

CPU = GenuineIntel

sglDriverName = DirectX

sglDriverVersion = 2.0

driverName = igdumdx32.dll

driverVersion = 8.15.10.1968, GUID: D7B78E66-4306-11CF-8C73-5816ADC2CD35

cardName = Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator HD

cardVersion = Vendor: 8086, Device: 0046, Board: 3658103c, Chipset: 0002

cardIdentity = Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator HD

soundDriverName =

soundCardName = Primary Sound Driver

buildType = Release

Numbers

-------

cpuSpeed = 2128

memory = 3896

freeMemory = 2912

screenWidth = 1024

screenHeight = 768

screenBPP = 16

videoMemory = 64

textureMemory = 64

textureStages = 4

bogoFPS = 0

bogoMPPS = 0

Rules

-----

applying Sound

applying high sound detail

applying City Detail and Day/Night Settings

applying low computer power>

applying high computer power

option 9 = 3

option 13 = 1

option 15 = 3

applying Texture Quality and Building Variety Settings

applying low memory>

applying high memory

option 3 = 3

option 14 = 3

applying Variable Speed Automata

applying default

option 10 = 1

applying Standard hardware

option 0 = 1

option 1 = 1

option 2 = 1

option 4 = 0

option 5 = 1

option 8 = 1

option 7 = 1

option 6 = 1

option 11 = 0

option 12 = 0

applying Standard hardware>

option 1 = 2

applying Standard hardware>>

option 0 = 2

applying Standard hardware>>>

option 2 = 2

applying Standard hardware>>>>

option 4 = 1

applying Standard hardware>>>>>

option 11 = 1

applying Two stages

applying Not Slow GeForce

Options

-------

Visual Effects current: 3 recommended: 2

Cars/Sims current: 3 recommended: 2

Shadows current: 3 recommended: 2

Atmospheric effects current: 1 recommended: 1

Water effects current: 1 recommended: 1

Software/Hardware current: 1 recommended: 1

Cursor current: 1 recommended: 1

VariableSpeedAutomata current: 1 recommended: 1

Translucent UI current: 1 recommended: 1

Graphic Detail current: 3 recommended: 3

Building Load Speed current: 3 recommended: 3

Texture Quality current: 3 recommended: 3

Properties

-------

forcesoftwaredriver = false

renderdynamicview = true

renderstaticview = true

renderwatereffects = true

rendercloudsandfog = true

forcepointsampling = false

forcebilinear = false

forcenoalphablend = false

forcenoalphatest = false

rendershadows = true

renderdecals = true

usesecondstage = true

forcedebugtexture = false

renderparticleeffects = true

renderflorashadows = true

renderterrain = true

showupdateregions = false

usecursoreffects = true

drawlottextures = true

drawlotfoundations = true

drawlotwalls = true

forcetexturerepeat = false

usescreenshake = true

renderui = true

useupdaterectclipping = true

usevertexbuffers = true

showboundingboxes = false

useoverlayculling = true

rendersnapshot = false

noaddsigned = false

nopartialbackingstorecopies = false

usescreenflash = true

renderautomata = true

preferopaque = false

displayalertborders = true

drawlotopaquetextures = true

useviewcleanup = false

doautozoomandrotationchanges = true

viewoffsety = 0

viewoffsetx = 0

texturebits = 32

lodoffset = 0

shadowdebug = 0

maxparticlestarget = 10000

particlelodoffset = 0

effectprioritylevel = 5

backingstoremaxzoomall = 5

backingstoremaxzoombuildingsprops = 5

backingstoremaxzoomterrain = 5

backingstoremaxzoomflora = 5

shadowquality = 2

minvehiclezoom = 3

minpedzoom = 4

cursortype = 1

depthoffset = 2

debugtexture = 0

dirtyrectmergeframes = 4

sounddetail = 2

buildingvariety = 2

buildingloaderspeed = 1

modellodoffset = 0

stringtexturecachesize = 1024

particleeffectslod = 5

splattexturescale = 50

texbindmaxfree = 4

particledensity = 1

particledamping = 0

particlescale = 1

lightingupdatedelta = 0.0001

shadowmodelthreshold = 12

demolishmodelthreshold = 12

rendermodelthreshold = 6

rendermodelthresholdscroll = 40

particlesizethreshold = 300

maxvehiclepct = 1

maxpedpct = 1

opaqueuialphavalue = 0.55

So, yeah, a lot of stuff in it. I would love to be able to change these variables in the game, if anyone has any ideas about how that might be possible, I'd love to hear them!

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

For comparison purposes, here is mine.

Log generated on 9/15/2011, 16:17

Flags

-----

hardwareDriver = true

DXT = true

fullscreen = true

MMX = true

FPU = true

backingStore = true

forcedFSAA = false

Strings

-------

userName = john

appName = SimCity 4

version = 1.1.640.0

osVersion = Windows NT 6.1

computerName = john-GA-MA78LM-

CPU = AuthenticAMD

sglDriverName = DirectX

sglDriverVersion = 2.0

driverName = display

driverVersion = 1.1.1.1, GUID: A8373C10-7AC4-4DEB-849A-009844D08B2D

cardName = DirectDraw HAL

cardVersion = Vendor: 0000, Device: 0000, Board: 0000, Chipset: 0000

cardIdentity = DirectDraw HAL

soundDriverName = winealsa.drv

soundCardName = default

buildType = Release

Numbers

-------

cpuSpeed = 2912

memory = 2048

freeMemory = 2048

screenWidth = 1280

screenHeight = 1024

screenBPP = 32

videoMemory = 128

textureMemory = 128

textureStages = 8

bogoFPS = 0

bogoMPPS = 0

Rules

-----

applying Sound

applying high sound detail

applying City Detail and Day/Night Settings

applying low computer power>

applying high computer power

option 9 = 3

option 13 = 1

option 15 = 3

applying Texture Quality and Building Variety Settings

applying low memory>

applying high memory

option 3 = 3

option 14 = 3

applying Variable Speed Automata

applying default

option 10 = 1

applying Standard hardware

option 0 = 1

option 1 = 1

option 2 = 1

option 4 = 0

option 5 = 1

option 8 = 1

option 7 = 1

option 6 = 1

option 11 = 0

option 12 = 0

applying Standard hardware>

option 1 = 2

applying Standard hardware>>

option 0 = 2

applying Standard hardware>>>

option 2 = 2

applying Standard hardware>>>>

option 4 = 1

applying Standard hardware>>>>>

option 11 = 1

applying Two stages

applying Lotsa vidmem

applying Not Slow GeForce

Options

-------

Visual Effects current: 3 recommended: 2

Cars/Sims current: 3 recommended: 2

Shadows current: 3 recommended: 2

Atmospheric effects current: 0 recommended: 1

Water effects current: 0 recommended: 1

Software/Hardware current: 1 recommended: 1

Cursor current: 1 recommended: 1

VariableSpeedAutomata current: 1 recommended: 1

Translucent UI current: 1 recommended: 1

Graphic Detail current: 3 recommended: 3

Building Load Speed current: 3 recommended: 3

Texture Quality current: 3 recommended: 3

Properties

-------

forcesoftwaredriver = false

renderdynamicview = true

renderstaticview = true

renderwatereffects = true

rendercloudsandfog = true

forcepointsampling = false

forcebilinear = false

forcenoalphablend = false

forcenoalphatest = false

rendershadows = true

renderdecals = true

usesecondstage = true

forcedebugtexture = false

renderparticleeffects = true

renderflorashadows = true

renderterrain = true

showupdateregions = false

usecursoreffects = true

drawlottextures = true

drawlotfoundations = true

drawlotwalls = true

forcetexturerepeat = false

usescreenshake = true

renderui = true

useupdaterectclipping = true

usevertexbuffers = true

showboundingboxes = false

useoverlayculling = true

rendersnapshot = false

noaddsigned = false

nopartialbackingstorecopies = false

usescreenflash = true

renderautomata = true

preferopaque = false

displayalertborders = true

drawlotopaquetextures = true

useviewcleanup = false

doautozoomandrotationchanges = true

viewoffsety = 0

viewoffsetx = 0

texturebits = 32

lodoffset = 0

shadowdebug = 0

maxparticlestarget = 10000

particlelodoffset = 0

effectprioritylevel = 5

backingstoremaxzoomall = 5

backingstoremaxzoombuildingsprops = 5

backingstoremaxzoomterrain = 5

backingstoremaxzoomflora = 5

shadowquality = 2

minvehiclezoom = 3

minpedzoom = 4

cursortype = 1

depthoffset = 2

debugtexture = 0

dirtyrectmergeframes = 4

sounddetail = 2

buildingvariety = 2

buildingloaderspeed = 1

modellodoffset = 0

stringtexturecachesize = 1024

particleeffectslod = 5

splattexturescale = 50

texbindmaxfree = 8

particledensity = 1

particledamping = 0

particlescale = 1

lightingupdatedelta = 0.0001

shadowmodelthreshold = 12

demolishmodelthreshold = 12

rendermodelthreshold = 6

rendermodelthresholdscroll = 40

particlesizethreshold = 300

maxvehiclepct = 1

maxpedpct = 1

opaqueuialphavalue = 0.55

I actually have two of these because I run two different versions of my O/S but the Maxis catalog is shared between them on an external HDD, but the only difference is the system name.

You are welcome to analyze these in parallel and perhaps report anything you find interesting.

[Ronwe 3]

Hmmmm... Very interesting.

Well, aside from a few various game option settings, there aren't very many differences between our files here.

There are two things that caught my eye though. One is, take a look at my game's version number. It's 1.610!! (My file was created before I patched the game)

The second is your file's date. As you said that you have two parallel O/S's with SC4 on a shard HDD, it makes me wonder what causes the game to update the file. I'm making a leap in assuming that you didn't just install SC4 again 5 days ago, yet I wonder if by switching between your O/S's, your computer, or the game itself thinks that you did, and so put out a new log.

There are also a few things in the file that caught my eye. stringtexturecachesize = 1024 for instance, is a bit of an enigma but it makes me wonder if that might be related to issues with game slowness and some CTD's... If that is a variable controlling the maximum amount of memory dedicated to keeping track of the textures assigned to the various buildings in the game, then that might be a huge factor in why having a lot of additional addons causes the game to run exponentially slower and with greater chances of a crash. If the game can only keep so many textures active in memory at any one time, then if you're library of textures exceeds that ammount, the game will have to start cycling through them, basically juggling through them, sorting through the ones that need to be active for a given view and searching through the remainder of excess texture "tags" to find new ones as they are called. If you have so many that it can't sort through them all before the next sort cycle begins, or if it can't find one fast enough when it is called, it creates an exception and crashes the game.

Now, I don't know if this is the actual variable that controls that. It could for instance, only control how long a directory path name could be, which might explain why some textures don't load when placed in directorys with really long paths.

Still, looking at these files the way they are isn't quite what I really want. I really want to decrypt the game's actual configuration file and possibly edit these variables in there... I know the game has a cypher module in it's loading hierarchy which I'm sure would do it, or it may even do it for me if I used and unencrypted .cfg file made from these logs in place of the encrypted one that's currently active. ... I just don't know if I want to risk damaging my game by screwing around with things that I don't know enough about yet!

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Well, I just installed a new (beta) version of my O/S and the one I gave was probably from there. When you start the game and no user structure exists, I think it creates the file. I am running a lot of beta software, and have a new version that I haven't played on. My install consists of setting up the shortcuts and registry entries manually since my install disks are pork.