Steam Engine Smoke?

[rivit 3,391]

Having returned to SC4 after a hiatus of about 6 months,  two Windows 10 upgrades (1024 and 1511), and a transition to a GOG 1.641 Simcity4, I notice that my steam engines no longer show the smoke they used to. Also in a completely vanilla SC4 the MAXIS steam engine no longer shows Smoke. As far as I can see so far all other rail effects as also truck effects are working. Has anyone else seen this behaviour?

[rsc204 21,804]

Sure haven't, despite installing an override for the Steam Engine, every now and again puffing billy comes rolling down the tracks, smoking as she goes.

Are the smoke effects working for industry/power plants? Have you checked all the relevant graphics settings are set in-game for such effects to appear?

Moving on from there, is your game running under DirectX rendering? Check the COMPUTERNAME-Config-Log.txt file in the Apps directory, it should show if your GPU is correctly detected and the render in-use. Windows 10 brings a lot of changes for DX/WDDM drivers, oddly these seem to benefit many SC4 users. Especially those with Intel iGPUs, who previously had to use software rending to due incompatibilities with the drivers.

[A Nonny Moose 8,261]

<side issue>  I've been having a problem with NAM features, and this discussion triggered me to change my wine decor to Windows 10.  Didn't solve my issue, but the automata seem to be running faster.  </side issue>

Ron, I agree that you may be having settings problems between the game panel and your GPU.  Careful checking and perhaps an experiment or two might solve this.

[rivit 3,391]

Yes to all of the above. The game runs superbly - slightly smoother than Win8.1. I knew it was none of those problems because other oddities would also have occurred.

After a bit of (sole) searching and backtracking I noticed that with the GOG install I had not reinstalled the MAXIS Plugin packs (i.e. the SKU_Data) that I had before. Particularly the AirForce Base (Plugin 007) which actually has that steam train exemplar and model in it  - Instance 0x11260000. Forthwith the steam smoke was back. Go figure...sorry for the false alarm.

[rsc204 21,804]

I'd never have thought of that, odd that it requires a dependency. If you've not been paying attention, don't miss the fix of the decade, here.

I'm glad you figured it out though, for the opposite reason. It might be the way to remove the darn thing. It's a nice toy, but doesn't suit my regions at all.

[NCGAIO 562]

Maxis disable reference  fx smoke effect to Steam Engine in Deluxe as a killer for performance of dirty_rect  technique at low zooms.

 ... today dirty_rect technique employed is a killer  game performance in current systems.

 

for smoke problems. ..

https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2596.msg473001#msg473001

note : despite what  Karybids said in the text it is possible to edit REGP block in Reader as you can see here ....

https://www.sc4devotion.com/forums/index.php?topic=2596.msg473675#msg473675

So it is very simple correct the string .