Map rendering Instructions

[Aronion 9]

Here's the instructions for rendering a map into SC4. These used to be, and soon will be added back, on the MEX.

Installation Instructions

1- Create a new folder in your My Documents\Sim City 4\Regions and name it after the region you wish to download and install; e.g. \Seattle.

2- Download the associated .jpeg file by clicking the icon provided. Save this in the new folder.

3- If there is a .bmp configuration file for your new region, download and save it to your new folder and rename it config.bmp.

4- Start Sim City 4.

5- On the Region Screen, click the Open Region icon. Select your new region folder. The screen will change to a large flat area - this is normal.

6- Hold Shift+Alt+Ctrl+R and navigate to the jpeg file you just saved. Select this and hit okay

7- Sim City 4 now converts this .jpeg file to a new region; it takes approximately 5 to 15 minutes depending on the size of the region and the speed of your computer.

8- You're done! Don't forget to add trees and wildlife to suit your preferences.

Footnotes: Default location for all Sim City Regions is in the My Documents\Sim City 4\Regions folder (C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\My Documents\Sim City 4\Regions) Sim City 4 Regions are made up from multiple city zones, each zone represented by an individual file. The size and placement of these regions is controlled through a config.bmp

Sim City 4 can create new regions from grey scale jpeg files. It does so by converting the different shades into high and low regions.

Upload Yours: You can also Submit a Region to us. It must include a preview image, the terrain file in JPEG format and, if necessary, a Config.bmp. Use the online form to uplaod directly to our server and follow our guidelines for your submissions.

[joebob 0]

whta if theres an error

[sim1234 62]

Welcome to Simtropolis joebob! I hope you enjoy yourself here!

I think the error you're talking about is a region size error, try reading this thread and following the instructions:

https://www.simtropolis.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=120&threadid=72067&enterthread=y

[joebob 0]

i just wanted to know how come everytime i add a region like california, or new york there is no water

[sim1234 62]

Sometimes a map requires a "height mod" for the features to appear correctly. Always read the description of the map you are downloading and see if it requires anything for it to work. If the map doesn't require a height mod, you might already have one in your plugins folder which you need to delete.

[joebob 0]

the maps that only needed the height map worked

[joebob 0]

hieght mod

[greyveil 37]

you only need the height mod to render the maps that need it, you need to remove it afterwards to render normal maps

[joebob 0]

so if i remove it and load it again there will be water

[Tolomar 5]

yep...

in the future...delete the height mod right after rendering a map..as there a billion height mods and you only need it to render the map...after that...it's useless and will affect other maps you try and render later on...

[walker04 1]

i created a new folder for London ON and put the jpeg and the bmp files in, but when i go into the game my region is not in the "load region" option.

[sim1234 62]

walker04: Make sure you put the jepg and bmp in the My Documents/SimCity4/Regions folder and NOT the Program Files/Maxis/SimCity4/Regions folder or the region won't show up in your list.

[sim_jake 1]

I have followed the instructions above put the jepg in the right spot with the bmp I hit shift,alt,ctrl+r and nothing happens what am i doing wrong what can I do to get it to work thanx im a newbie so be kind pls

[sim_jake 1]

When i hit shift +ALT+Ctrl+R nothing happens I just have the flat green region how do i get to click on the jpeg can any help me out pls I really apreciate it thanx

[tankmank 853]

Originally posted by: sim_jake When i hit shift +ALT+Ctrl+R nothing happens I just have the flat green region how do i get to click on the jpeg can any help me out pls I really apreciate it thanxquote>

so do i but im uploading poole harbour

[aewilly 1]

so i've uploaded a bunch of regions in the past without much problems but lately when i tried it it wouldn't work, the bitmap would work but when i clicked on the jpeg nothing would happen, so i tried the above mentioned way and got the same results, the bitmap works, the jpeg didn't, any sugestions?

[xboxizdope 0]

I uploaded a region but did it a little differently and now have a problem. I had the .bmp file in the regions folder, but not in its own folder for a region name. I had the Timbuktu region open when I loaded the bmp file, stopped about halfway through because I had to leave my house, and now the region is only half loaded, which isn't my problem, but my problem is that I can't get back to Timbuktu. It looks like this map overwrote the Timbuktu region where I already had a nice little city built.

I don't really care that the map is half loaded, I just want to be able to get my old Timbuktu map back along with the citys I had built on it. Is that possible or did I just overwrite everything with this new region?

[greyveil 37]

aewilly;

If you get the browse screen but it does nothing when you select the jpg in most cases this is caused by the jpg not being saved as a true grayscale, open the jpg file in a graphics program and convert the colors to true 8bit grayscale and save it, it should work then.

xboxizdope;

if the timbuktu region was the one you had open when you pressed ctrl-alt-del-r , then yea you overwrote the region, but the good news is the timbuktu region folder still contains the city files save with there new name, because when a region renders it sets default names for the files, so what you need to do is this, first copy all the city files you have modified from the existing region folder into your my documents/simcity4/regions/downloads folder, now browse to program files/maxis//regions folder, you will see a timbuktu region here, this is a fresh backup of the region when you installed, copy this folder into your my docs region folder and overwrite what is there, now all you need to do is go into the region in the game and import the cities you put in downloads into each of the city squares, this should put you back where you were.

[vespasiano 1]

I've problem with the combo alt+ctrl+shift+r, when I press it nothing happen, what's wrong?

[xboxizdope 0]

^^It was doing that to me too, I had to restart a couple times before it did it, I guess it's kind of picky.

Thanks for the help on getting my cities back, I'm doin it right now but have one question.....how do I know which city goes to which square?  When I go to the "Downloads" folder within the game to import the cities they don't have the numbers at the end, so I have no idea how to get the right cities in the right squares

[shawnie 0]

alright...ill load the region...the flatness comeup...do the key combo...and i goto the SimCity 4 thingy...but nothing is there...i've redone it about 15 times...anyone?!

[StylinLancer 0]

Can you explain to me how to delete a height mod? I have the same problem with no water showing up. I've rendered 3 maps last night and nothing.

If you can, let me know where and what to look for to fix this problem. Also, none of the maps I downloaded and rendered mentioned nothing about a height mod.

Thanks.

Originally posted by: sim1234

Sometimes a map requires a "height mod" for the features to appear correctly. Always read the description of the map you are downloading and see if it requires anything for it to work. If the map doesn't require a height mod, you might already have one in your plugins folder which you need to delete.

quote>

[sim1234 62]

StylinLancer: If you go to the Search feature which should be in your computer's start menu, you should be able to search specific folders. Try searching your plugins folders for anything with "height" in the name and if the name suggests it is a height mod, delete it and re-render the maps and the map should work.

[StylinLancer 0]

Well I finally got a map to render somewhat correctly. All the tiles didn't render correctly so I had to open them and save them again which fixed the problem. I did a search on the plugins and didn't find anything with height in them. But it must've been something, cause it worked without any plugins installed.

Anyways, thanks for your input on my issue.

[pedronc 0]

well im doing everything well..

press the combination shfit ALt Ctrl R, choose my jpg image but Nothing happens!

what is wrong?

i already have done diz before... but i dont remember how :S

EDIT:

idont know how, but i have done it

but  i got a problem...

i was trying to put this map;

http://stex.simtropolis.com/maps/marcs90210/marcs90210_portugal%20with%20western%20spain/portugal2%2EJPG

but  got a error.. where should be WATER, i got  the inverse or something like that :

http://img302.imageshack.us/img302/2594/portugal4lf.jpg

:S

tks

[sim1234 62]

Originally posted by: pedronc well im doing everything well..

press the combination shfit ALt Ctrl R, choose my jpg image but Nothing happens!

what is wrong?

i already have done diz before... but i dont remember how :Squote>

If your region is the first alphabetically in your Regions folder, it won't render. If it is the first alphabetically, mabye this thread here will help you.

[pedronc 0]

sim1234 tks

can u read my post again lol i ' ve edited it

and sorry my english errors

EDIT: i think i need the height mod right?

i 'll search about it

damn.. i search for ''heightmod' and i only got stuff about bridge height mod .

so, what i need to have the map good? with sea

[pedronc 0]

nobody?

[Mayor Dylan 0]

Hey, I have a problem. Aftere I followed the steps my terrain is still empty (on one region there are a ocuple squares of water)

But when I go into a city, the terrain is how it's supposed to be.

Please help

[teckwei83 0]

i had clicked on the jpeg file but nothing happen.... can someone help me??? what should i do??? thanks