Map rendering Instructions

[jonnyrocks 0]

I'm having some trouble getting the region to render properly, once I select the .jpg, it goes to the laoding screen, and then crashes after 20 or so seconds. The config file is showing the city tiles properly, and I've tried mroe than one different region (I've downloaded a few). Any ideas? Cheers!

[Mithrik 562]

I can't get to work the map I downloaded, after I select the jpg. nothing happens.

[Jeffmaster223 24]

my region doesn't come up. it only shows the original ones.

[CaptCity 4,756]

Originally posted by: Animaniacs

my region doesn't come up. it only shows the original ones. quote>

Do you mean when you run the game and try to open a region or when you are trying to render a new region?

[Jeffmaster223 24]

when i do the ctrl-alt-shift-r thing, the region file doesn't appear.

[Xyloxadoria 1,099]

You have to create a new region first THEN do do the ctrl-alt-shift-r thing.

There are instructiosn here

Installing a Region Downloaded from the STEX

[Cliff794 0]

I'm trying to resize a map of Saint John New Brunswick so only the main peninsular area is a green block config wise. I'd like more room to develop the area. I'm new to the custom mapping world outside of using grey scales on terraformer. Any hints, or words of direction to start?

[Cheezy the Wiz 3]

What if the map does not come with a bmp file?

[Vandy 110]

Hi, Cliff794.

This is relatively simple to do.  Check out the below article in the OmniMaps section of the Omnibus:

Confg.bmp: How to Make it Yours

The most important thing to remember is to keep the dimentions of the confg.bmp the same.  If the original file is 6 x 4 pixels then your modified config.bmp file must be 6 x 5 pixels.  How you "make up" the file -- that is, the make up of the city tiles -- is up to you.

Good luck!

---

Hi, Cheezy the Wiz

If you have a map that does not have a config.bmp file then you'll have to create your own.  Refer to the same article above for more information.

Remember that your config.bmp file is a direct correlation to the size of the grayscale image.  For example,  if your grayscale image is 513 x 513 pixels, then your config.bmp file MUST BE 8 x 8 pixels as shown in the below formula:

((grayscale image width in pixels) - 1) / 64 = config.bmp width in pixels

((grascale image height in pixels) - 1) / 64 = config.bmp height in pixels

or,

(513-2) / 64 = 8

(513 -1) / 64 = 8

Good luck.

Regards,

Vandy

[sirdanilot 8]

Okay I have done all the steps but I have the following problem and I just cannot figure it out:

When I hit Ctrl shift alt r, I do get the browsing screen, but it automatically opens the C: folder, and my simcity regions folder is located somewhere else (*MyComputerName*/Documents/SimCity4/Region). Clicking on the Documents and Settings folder doesn't work: it won't open. If I double click on it, or if I click on it and press OK, it won't work, while the other folders within C: do. Very strange...

Obvious thing to do was to just move my regions folder to C:, and I did manage to open it and clicked OK to open the jpeg file (and yes the config file was in the same folder) but simply NOTHING HAPPENED! How can I get it to work?

EDIT: Alright, I got it to work. I started reading the various replies in this thread and decided to try to see if the image is really grayscale or not. And guess what? It wasn't! Because I didn't manage to make it grayscale in any program my last resort was to open it in Photoshop (which I already had, but hardly ever use) and I made it grayscale. Now everything's working like a charm.

I didn't delete this message in order to allow everyone to see how my problem was solved and perhaps help themselves. And I would also like to urge every map uploader to ensure their images are already grayscale.

[Pasta-power 7]

Aronion what do you mean in step two by clicking the icon provided? O_o

[tungston 19]

Originally posted by: J-man-42

Aronion what do you mean in step two by clicking the icon provided? O_oquote>

I believe he is referring to the download button.  Right click on it, and save-as a jpg image.

[ozzy88 0]

I also have problems I did exactly what you said. It renders but never changes to what we expect. A very different map accurs on the screen. Why ? ((

[CaptCity 4,756]

Originally posted by: ozzy88

I also have problems. I did exactly what you said. It renders but never changes to what we expect. A very different map accurs on the screen. Why?quote>

Is it happening on a certain map or all maps - maybe post a picture? If the map appears to be at an increased or decreased elevation, you might have a height mod in your plugins. You could try rendering without anything in the Plugins folder (if you're not).

[ozzy88 0]

It happened with every map. For example I downloaded the Lyon map, followed the instructions, rendered the map. Boom!! All map was water My plugins folder is empty. 2 things that I think of. 1) I am using SC4 deluxe, maps r not working with it ( all of it? :S) 2) I do something wrong with grayscale. ( I open it with photoshop, choose image/mode= grayscale-8bit) I am confused =((

What I do in photoshop.

In red, the original map, but u can see the difference between mine.

By the way, I guess the problem is "height mod". I tried it with 1000m with lyon and it was good. I will try for others and give feedback soon.  =))

BUT !!!   I didn't get the logic, excuse me. When I load Paris map with an empty Plugins folder, my result is Paris with a lot of water. When I only use 250m plugin it s all under water :S  when I use 500m same with the 1st one, when with the 1000m too much elevated Paris. How do we need to use these plugins :S There is also an "import". What does it serve for? 

EDIT: very interesting that after saving the jpeg as a grayscale with"irfanview" program and rendering, it went perfect for all maps without a height mod. Problem solved.  lol

[slash_hudson 0]

Ok I get region generating error...I have just jpeg image where to find that ''config.bmp''?

[slash_hudson 0]

Originally posted by: Vandy

Hi, Cliff794.

This is relatively simple to do.  Check out the below article in the OmniMaps section of the Omnibus:

Confg.bmp: How to Make it Yours

The most important thing to remember is to keep the dimentions of the confg.bmp the same.  If the original file is 6 x 4 pixels then your modified config.bmp file must be 6 x 5 pixels.  How you "make up" the file -- that is, the make up of the city tiles -- is up to you.

Good luck!

---

Hi, Cheezy the Wiz

If you have a map that does not have a config.bmp file then you'll have to create your own.  Refer to the same article above for more information.

Remember that your config.bmp file is a direct correlation to the size of the grayscale image.  For example,  if your grayscale image is 513 x 513 pixels, then your config.bmp file MUST BE 8 x 8 pixels as shown in the below formula:

((grayscale image width in pixels) - 1) / 64 = config.bmp width in pixels

((grascale image height in pixels) - 1) / 64 = config.bmp height in pixels

or,

(513-2) / 64 = 8

(513 -1) / 64 = 8

Good luck.

Regards,

Vandy

quote>

I did this but i got message incorect.. 1025*1025 should be 1x1.I resize my config.bmp but its not working...yet

[slash_hudson 0]

Originally posted by: Fallon144

It wont work for me as well, it sais: Region generation error it is 2049 x 2049 while it should be 1 x 1 :S

I have no idea what to doquote>

I got the same error-what to do???

[matheuspaulo 62]

i downloaded a map but i didnt find the grayscale image, just the bmp and sc4 file, what i do ? put it all on the new folder ?

[gmlaster 21]

I just got the new AppStore SimCity 4 for Mac. I love everything about it except the fact that when I try to render a region, all I get is an empty Windows-style dialog box that doesn't navigate anywhere or do anything. Is there any other way to render a region besides Shift+Alt+Ctrl+R? Is there a program I can use in VMWare or Wine that can render regions? I can get SC4Mapper files to show up in SimCity 4 but while they are properly sectioned up into cities, they're totally flat, like the program doesn't see the config file. When I use the region, it's blocky, like it isn't anti-aliased and I can't smooth it, no matter what I try. It's also got a grid covering it that I can't get rid of, and I don't mean the grid that SimCity generates when you get close. It's there, no matter what the magnification, like it's baked into the region.

 

Don't get me wrong…I absolutely LOVE having one of my all-time favorite programs back, and it's smoking hot! I've got gigabytes of custom content loaded that I collected over the years and for the first time ever, I haven't experienced any kind of performance hit. None whatsoever. No matter how much content I load, the performance is always the same…fast. The program loads instantly and it runs lightning fast. It never did that years ago back when I ran it on Windows. I don't know what Aspyr did to deal with the god-awful load times I used to experience in the past, but I like it! I can't run mods that utilize .dll's but otherwise, most of them still work. I'm in SimCity heaven…except for the fact that I can only play the regions that came with the program. I'm so BORED with them!!! The program would be absolute perfection if it rendered regions. Surely I'm not the only one who's noticed that the Mac version can't render regions anymore because of the dead dialog box. Hopefully Aspyr will release a patch soon, but who knows how long that could take and I'm dying to start downloading some new regions.

 

Anybody know of a workaround????

[kschmidt 6,164]

Finaly I succesfully rendered a few map squad maps !

Description;

1, create under My Document SimCity 4 Regions a folder with the city name.

2. place config.bmp without any furthur name additions to it into this folder. place the city.jpg else in a easy to find folder.

     place only one height mod in he plugins folder. Mallow the cloud and maybe 2000 or 2500

3 open region in main SimCity 4 instalation click Ctrl Schift Alt R search for the city.jpg file and start render process

Height maybe to heigh or low all you have to experiment with is all to do so two or three go´s maybe necesary to get the desired result. 5oo was to low for the St Peterburg map so 2000 was right, Sydney map I took 2500 wich gave it the extra meters to make that hilly harbour feel !

Hope you all will succeed working with these created Map Squad maps !

Sincerely yours,

Kschmidt