How to determine region map max height?

[Turjan 1,048]

So I wanted to start a new region and rendered Izidor's Coos Bay map here from the STEX, and I want to use it with Lowkey's Appalachian Terrain Mod. Now the Coos Bay map is definitely not flat - quite the opposite - but it doesn't go to high elevations. Is there a quick way to determine the max height value of the region map so I can adjust the tree controller to use the whole range of elevation-specific data? Or do you just use trial and error?

I hope that's not too specific.

[cogeo 960]

If the region's tallest point is easy to determine visually, you can just install the Extra Cheats DLL, then press Ctrl+X and select the Terrain Query cheat. The query now displays (among others) the elevation of the terrain you are hovering (shown as "Y"). Then go to that tallest point; and you will see the elevation.

Another way is load the region in SC4 Mapper or Terraformer and export it as a 16-bit PNG. Then you need am image-processing program capable of reading 16-bit images. Alternatively, you can export it as RGB (with the new SC4 Mapper), but then you need to decode the elevation data (encoded as colours). As a last resort, you can export it as a normal 8-bit grayscale. Grayscale values here represent elevations, with the default settings (ImageImportScaleFactor=3.0) capable of representing elevations of up to 255x3.0=765m; the sea level is set to 250m, so with the default settings you can get a max elevation of up to 765-250=515m above sea level (which is very low, of course). Use any of the above image file formats to find the tallest point in your map.

[Turjan 1,048]

@cogeo: Thank you very much for the extensive explanation. That's very good to know. I had tried the Terrain Query cheat, but I assume you have to use it in mayor mode. as it didn't work in god mode (or my syntax was off). I will look whether any of my image processing programs can read that 16-bit png file.

In the meanwhile, I have randomly played around with different elevation data, and funny enough, I have the feeling the default of the terrain mod seems to be almost perfect. I can maybe shave off 10% to get some snow patches on the highest points, but that's about it.

Edit: So I have looked at my options, and Photo-Paint opens the png as 8-bit grayscale. It offers to convert it to 16-bit (ha ha). Anyway, 8-bit gives only 29 of 255 steps for that image, which seems off. So I exported it to RGB, and there the histogram gives 169 of 255 as highest value, which would be 341m? That could be right, but of course I don't know the scale factor.

Edit2: I looked at a topographic map, and the highest point on the map should be 1600 ft (488 m). I guess I did something wrong.

Edit3: Probably a different scaling factor. If I add 250 to both, 341 and 488, I get an exact factor of 0.8.

[cogeo 960]

Did take a look at Coos Bay map (just saw the images), and apparently the highest elevations are in the city at the right-bottom corner. Isn't it? Then you can easily check this city tile ingame (with the Terrain Query cheat - syntax shouldn't be an issue, as you can select the cheat from the drop-down menu). And not being in Mayor mode isn't a problem either. Just open the city tile, establish a new city, enable the cheat, and then check the mountain peaks; finally exit to region without saving (the city will revert to God mode).

The default scaling ImageImportScaleFactor is 3.0, so 255x3=765m, or 515m above sea level (this is the max elevation you can get with the default factor). Please also note that the elevations you get in simcity may not necessarily be equal to those in the DEM data because mapmakers often scale them down (to 70% or so), to make the maps more playable (otherwise they are too steep). It seems that SC4 makes them steeper, and mapmakers scale them down to counter this effect. So do not expect much accuracy. And keep in mind that the elevations Terrain Query report, do include the 250m (sea level) difference.

I can't figure out what you mean with the elevations and grayscale steps, the values make no sense to me. Maybe there something

wrong with the conversions.

[Turjan 1,048]

Sorry for the late answer. I finally figured out how to use TerrainQuery correctly (I guess I was a bit dense in this regard), and the answer is that the map seems to fit the topographic map pretty much spot on (the points I checked were less than 4 m off, so I probably just didn't hit the right spot).

Regarding elevation and grayscale steps, I must have made some logical error. What I did was export the map file as RGB file and then look at the color histogram. The last populated bin was 169 (of 255). Needless to say that it doesn't seem to work that way.