B-Blabb

So I'll try it by hand. It'll take a while. Wish I was a better programmer - alas I stopped back on '07 and have no desire to get into it again.

No problem! I like playing SC4 as a "game". Are there any "real" city simulators out there?

I see what you are saying. But I respectfully submit that I am unconvinced. Here's why: Today, I: 1. Used SC Terraformer to create a topo map. 2. I saved it as a SimCity 4-compatible file. 3. I started SimCity, and it read the file no problems. This tells me that a software application can create files for SC4 to use. 4. I go into SC4 and play - adding roads, buildings, etc. 5. I save the file (obviously in a SC4-compatible file). 6. I play SimCity4 again the next day, my additions are still there. Conclusion: If an external piece of software can make a topo map that SC4 can use, then another external app. can put roads on it that SC4 can use. It's all about creating an SC4 compatible file. This is nothing more can conversion from GEarth to SC4. It's like converting from .bmp to .jpg., or from Excel to OpenOffice Calc. It probably is a technical challenge to write such a thing. I'd love to see someone do this. It would open up a whole new frontier for SC4 players. We could grab the info from GEarth and then play any city in SC4. The roads and buildings are, in fact, written to a file(s) on the hard drive. Any application that "speaks the language" of SC4 could modify that file as much as we want. Sigh...and I still don't have the skills to do it. Well, maybe someday. In the meantime, think about it. Pass the word. Some enterprising young programmer could crack this one in short order. Thanks! -Johntodd

Forgive me for asking, since I am a newb. But, how can it not be possible? When I go go Google Earth, I can see where the software has traced out the roads for me. GEarth simply overlays "lines" on top of the sat images. IOW, Google Earth already "knows" where the roads are. That information already exists and therefore the mapping is already done. It would seem that it's just a matter of converting from GEarth format to Simcity format. If we can make topo maps from real-world data, then we can make city maps from real word data, at least as far as the roads are concerned. But, alas, I lack the software skills to make such a program. Perhaps someone here can engineer such a feat for us? There seems to be a lot of talent on this board. Thanks! -Johntodd

My interests are "funny", I think. I'm interested in improving my hometown because of it's economic slump. I have no degree in City Planning, but, darn it, I'm going to try. So I want the city already laid out so I can make changes to it. Simcity isn't just a game, its also a simulation. I know this is a hokey idea, but I really want to try some of my ideas in a simulator and then, with more research, present them to my connections here in local politics. But, yes, I do have the rendered bare topo landscape. I geuss I got that part right. But I'll throw it all out if I need to to get the layout. Thanks! -Johntodd

I'm willing to start all over. I just dont want to do it by hand 'cause Im not that good.

Hi. I'd like to make a map of my hometown. I am so in the dark about this that I can't make sense of anything. I figure there should be a way to take Google Earth images and make them maps. I have already generated a topo map using the tutorial I found here. But it doesnt have the existing city roads, etc. I don't even know where to begin to ask, so I'm asking here. Please help a total and clueless newb. How can I get the city into SimCity4 without having to do it "by hand"? Thanks! -Johntodd