Is it possible to scale up (or stretch) a region map?

[CheshireKate 7]

I'd like to take a region and make a new region that has the same overall topology but is 4 times the size (twice as long in each direction). Is there any easy way to do this?

[CorinaMarie 29,894]

Look into SC4 Mapper and/or SC4 Terraformer. They might have an option for that. I do know one or the other allows you to save a grayscale image which you could then double in size in an imaging program and re-render that in the game. But, there might be a much better option available in one of those programs. Make a backup copy of your region someplace safe cause if that is an option I'm guessing you'd lose anything already built. I do my own method for making maps so I've not actually used any of the 3 main mapping programs. (The other is Landscape Designer, btw.)

[matias93 7,535]

Yes, there is, but the results could be not of the best quality.

The first thing to keep in mind is that this kind of modification is incompatible with keeping the current built city tiles: you'll modify all the terrain, so everything on it must change. Given that, we'll do a brand new region.

You'll need the SC4 Mapper to get a grayscale image of the current region, so download and install it (and it's important DLL dependencies) first.

Done? Then open your region and Export it as a 16 bit PNG file. This formatte will allow us to use any image editor to do the desired changes. Save it on an easy place to find it later, as your desktop.

With any image editor, go and resize the image to the desired proportions (in this case, 200% on each dimension). If your image editor allows you, test several different interpolation algorythms: as the editor will be basically inserting pixels in between the existing ones, different methods can produce better or worst results for your use. Based on my experience, the smoother the resulting image, the better for this purpose, unless you are trying to preserve detailed earthworks (as trenches or seawalls). If your image editor has the needed tool, use something to smoothen the image, particularly the tiles' borders: this is much more precise and effective than harmonising borders in-game.

On this step, you can also alter the third dimension of your region: as is a grayscale image, the whiter the higher, and the more contrasted, the stronger the slopes will be interpretated by the game. Keeping this stats the same will result on all your topography to be significatively flatter than on the original region, so keep that in mind. I'm not suggesting an specifical measure of change on this, because frankly I don't know how to keep the proportionality, so my better recommendation is to try saving different versions of the image and testing all of them.

When all the changes are done, return to the SC4 Mapper and Create a new region, using the 16 bit PNG as a base. Choose your file, and check that the size is the desired one (it is calculated automatically in base to the image dimensions, but it can be changed). When imported, the Mapper will propose a default distribution of tiles, but you can (and should) change it with the Edit Config.BMP button. Once done, Save the region to the game, giving it an unique name and try it on the game, preferably checking a hilly tile for the proportionality between the length, width and height of the topography.

 

Hope this helps!!

[CheshireKate 7]

Thank you very much for your help! I am aware that I will not be able to carry over anything I have already built, but I think it will be worth it anyway

[rsc204 21,866]

I think the main possible drawback comes from upscaling the image causing loss of detail with the new image. This in turn leads to potential issues when you render the new region. The only way to really know is to try it, but I suspect you'll need to make further manipulation to the image in both your image editing application and something like SC4 Terraformer to get good results.

[jeffryfisher 2,176]

Depending on what region you're working with, there may already be a high-res version available for download (we have 14+ years of accumulated files here). Have you looked?