Crimadella

To get right to it, are there any new maxis street textures in the NAM dats for connections with NAM road pecies? If so which dat files would they be located in? Reasoning: I have NAM 36 and I've been having trouble connecting SAM overrides to TLA5, TLA7 & 4 Lane Roads, when I connect override SAM Streets to them, the various networks I just mentioned convert back to single stripes of Road yet all the normal Maxis streets connect just fine BUT I don't like the color of them so I was going to just change the hue of all of the 100+ maxis street textures, change the hue of just the actual street, not the whole image. I just want to darken them and make them more black so the match my NAM networks better. And just out of curiosity, does NAM 37 address these SAM connections to various Road override netwoks? I still want to darken the maxis streets though, they look too off, too light gray, they stand out horribly but I have to use them so I don't have stop lights at every intersection in my cities. Edit: Hmmm, I don't see how to delete a topic I created. Tarkus pointed me towards his mod that did exactly what I was hoping to achieve. So if any moderator manages to see this, feel free to remove this topic, it's no longer needed. I would remove it but I don't have that option(that I can find anyway) ----> TRK-NAM Default Asphalt Street Mod

I did my best to search through the avaliable material on this site and elsewhere. I'm an asperger and have issues understanding some things, if they are not specific enough I do not know what to do (as a warning). I'm hoping that I do not have the unpatchable version, if so I am willing to buy the digital patched version, I'm not sure how to tell if mine is the unpatchable version. I'm on Windows 7 professional(64 bit it claims, yet I have no 64 bit display options anywhere I have found in the display settings), but it also says it's something like NT v6. I have the EP1 update, my current version is 1.1.638.0, I have the SC4Update4BAT, when I run it, it claims my SimCity 4 is already updated so it installs nothing. When I try to run (or put in my plugins folder) SC4Fix.dll, it sends an error claiming that my game is not patched thus fails to function. The only way I know how to check my version is to hover my mouse above my SimCity.exe, it says I have version 1.1.638.0. Yet when I run SC4Udate4BAT.exe, it claims my SimCity_1.Dat and all other relevant files have already been updated thus does nothing, read from the log it creates. My SC4 has been doing ok, until I noticed that there was no resolution checked in-game. Now, it randomly cuts to desktop often, not a full crash, not most of the time anyway, it mostly just goes to desktop, then I have to click my SC4 Icon to bring it back up, then the sound starts cutting out, even while the actual game is not choppy at all, only the sound is. Dealing with this issue, I ran into the other issue of not being able to use SC4Fix.dll, my version being 1.1.638.0 while the update to 1.1.640 or 41 claims that it's already been updated. Does that mean I have the unpatchable version? I have custom buildings, hundreds of them, MattB325's (most of them), PC, TCC. I'm mostly curious why I can't use SC4Fix, it claims I have an unpatched version while when I run the BAT patch it claims I have the patched version, surely both cannot be true. From what I've read, if my version truly is 1.1.638, then I shouldn't be able to have custom buildings yet I do but also if it is patched why won't SC4Fix function, claiming my game is not patched? Sorry it's come to asking for help, I can't seem to figure this one out. If I need to buy a new version I will, the version I have I bought a very long time ago, I think in 2014 from a store. It says EA Games, it's SimCity 4 Deluxe.

Is the HT-Fix something I have to run or something I just put into my plug in folder? If I have to run it then I need to find it or redownload it. My plug in folder is set up the same, I only renamed it then deleted the ".../my documents/SimCity 4" folder and replaced it with my old one, other than adding the SC4Fix.dll. I'll check that in-game, to make sure people are $$$ Sims are working at HT, of not I'll fix that and open up lot editor and check on the buildings as props. Thanks for the help.

Thank you T Wrecks. I played it till around 1 am last night, it completely stopped the random minimizing and didn't even crash once. I was playing on the city that I had to abandon, I had all the HD textures on and the custom resolution, think I played for about 2 hours? (I lose track of time), no minimizes, no sound issues and no crashes. When I initially installed it over a year ago, I either installed some kind of update I shouldn't had or installed the two updates in the wrong order. Back then I was running into the issue of the game not starting because of that windows update that prevented the CD from being read. On that city I played on, with the custom resolution and HD textures on, it would minimize about every 10 to 15 minutes then the sound would go out, then shotly after if i didn't restart the game a crash would follow shortly after . Last night I built a lot extra on that city, even added more custom buildings and had no issues at all, it's definitely 100% fixed. Now I should be able to make better cities, before I had all these custom buildings, over 200 of them, my cites would start getting very choppy and crash a lot once my population got up to around 25k, about a quarter of the 8x8 maps filled. I'm from the south, so I like building cities similar to the ones around me, no sky scrappers, plus I can see all my road networks that I spend a lot of time designing. So, it is 100% fixed, better than before that minimizing issue started occurring about 2 weeks ago.

It's no longer having the issue of the game randomly minimizing, there is slight lag but the draw speed is working way faster and I have all of my HD mods on for the terrain, water, rock and beach and over 40 custom buildings plopped, on this particular city, with all that on it would had started messing up by now, problem solved! Thanks a million to all. The SC4Fix is functioning properly also, it's in my plugins folder, when I tried that previously it would send me an error message telling me my game was not patched thus it could not work. I did a lot during my test run and I have seen no issues. Thanks a lot! To you and all others who helped!

YES!!! VICTORY!!! I haven't tried it out yet, I'm about to though but after I ran the two updates, my SimCity.exe actually says I have the right version, 1.1.640! I ran them from desktop like you said and in the right order and they actually worked! With the SC4Fix.dll, do I run that like a program or do I just put it in my plugins folder(Not in a sub-folder within my plugins folder)? Do I have to install the Maxis package, all the new buildings, or is that just completely optional? All they do is clutter up my menu, I don't use them. Is there anything important that comes with them, like the Bldg prop pack vol 1 & 2, should I make sure I have those? I use all my custom buildings from several Simtropolis content creators. Now my command line will actually give highpriority to SimCity. I'm going to add my card back to Video Cards.sgr and Graphic Rules.sgr. I have a Intel(R) HD Graphics 2000 integrated graphics card and it's not in the list in the sgr files. After I do that I'm going to test it out, it should run much smoother now and I should be able to use the SC4Fix.dll. Thank you to you and all who helped, I feel confident that the issue will have been resolved, we will see. THANKS!

Thanks for the reply, I decided to go ahead with an Uninstall and a fresh install. I changed the folder name of my ".../My Documents/SimCity 4" folder just to be safe, it had an option to not remove my cities so they probably would had been safe anyway. I remembered that when I first installed it, about a year ago, that I installed more files than 2 update patches, maybe I did something wrong then and installed something I shouldn't had? Maybe that's why it wouldn't update to 1.1.640? I found the Maxis files here on Simtropolis and went ahead and downloaded them and put them in a safe, easy to find place for future reference, I probably had them somewhere, the question would be where. But anyway, I downloaded the two patches, EP1 and the SC4Update4BAT, I had already got the NAM 36 installer but I should just be able to delete the new SimCity folder in "My Documents" & rename my folder back to SimCity 4, the one that has all my plugins. I also copied my command line from my shortcut, then I noticed the error, the missing hyphen for CPUCount, maybe that's why I was having issues? Who knows why, but I will have a fresh install then make sure I do the two updates, starting with EP1(Sku) then the other BAT update, to see if maybe I can actually get it updated this time. I wasn't used to messing with these files when I first installed it, so there is no telling what I did and I can't remember. But I know this time, after the EP1 update and after the BAT update, when I hover my mouse over my ".../Apps/SimCity.exe" file, it should say "version 1.1.640". Last time I installed, I had a hard time finding the CD key, so thankfully I wrote it on the little install book in the case so it was easy to find. It should be done installing now, I just put disc 2 in a few minutes ago. Hopefully this will work and I'll be able to use the SC4Fix.dll, I have it and NAM 36 installer in the same folder with the two updates, labeled good and I put me a dedicated folder on my D: drive so they will be easy to find if I have anymore issues in the future. This time I'll get the commands rightson the shortcut also. So, you think it will be best to run the SC4Update4BAT from my desktop? Should I do the EP1 from there too? I was going to try putting them in my Program Files SimCity folder but I'll do the desktop route if you think that will be better. I'll report back in a little, I'm about to try the updates in a minute, it should be done installing now. I found something called a SimCity Launcher, I'm not sure what that's for, I Uninstaller it thinking it was the Uninstall program for SimCity, it was in the SimCity folder with PIM, LOT Editor and the SimCity_x.dat's.

Well, that didn't last long. It just cut back to desktop again (minimize, not crash), and when I clicked on the icon to bring the focus back to the game the sound issue started again. Crazy thing is, my 4x4 city I switched to, it was still doing the same thing and all I had done on that city was run the main highway straight through with 6 intersections, 2x 6ave and seperated RHW S8, with 3 normal Avenue's tunneling under the ground ramp to transfer to elevated, level 1, RHW. So basically, all I had was a few road pieces ran, I had only made the intersetions, a few road pieces. The graphic end was running great, no lag at all, yet it kept minimizing then started with the severe sound lag then a crash eventually., with basically nothing on the map, I didn't even have hills or anything, other than the 3 sections for the

Ah yes, and thanks for trying to help, everybody 👍

Hmmm, I've been playing for about 30 minutes, so far so good, it does work sometimes for longer though, before it starts messing up. Normally it would had randomly minimized by now, so far it hasn't. I removed my terrain stuff, my see-through water mod, HD rock, HD terrain and HD beach sand. I play it tonight and see how it does. I have a fear about uninstalling it, with my luck it will be worse if I try that. I'm back on my 8x8 too, the project I had to abandon because it was just getting too buggy, minimizing the game about every 15 minutes. I'm pretty sure the last time I installed it, I had a hard time finding the maxis update to get it to 1.1.638. If anyone knows whether the new digital copy comes completely updated to 1.1.641, I will buy a new copy from whatever site you recommend rather than trying to problem solve the issue with my game claiming it is 1.1.638.0 while the SC4Update4BAT claims it's already updated, then the SC4Fix.dll says it hasn't been updated so I can't use it, and from what I've read it does prevent some crashes. I need to track those update files down anyway, incase something happens and I end up needing a new computer. That's possible being I got a notification a few months ago about windows claiming they will no longer make updates, support or something like that, for Windows 7. If I can get a copy working good on this computer, I would be willing to just unplug it from the Internet and use that machine as my SimCity 4 station. I would like to be able to run it with everything jacked up, currently I have to have the shadows down to the lowest setting. I miss my terrain stuff, I had my game looking great, plus my new see through water, if it runs good tonight, I'll try to slowly add some of that back and see if it still runs good.

I have two plugin folders, one in "Program Files (x86)\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Plugins" and one in "My Documents\SimCity 4\Plugins". The one in Program Files is empty other than the 5 files for the grid background. I'll try to copy my plugins to D: but it didn't work when I tried to copy it to C:/. It wouldn't even let me put them in a zip, unless I go to the actual files deep into my MatB325 folder, then I can only do one building at a time and I have over 100 of them. Guess I may start renaming them so the names aren't too long, it's maxing out the 255 standard length for file path name, I tried to look into that but I don't know how to use the command prompts to move files. They have alternate programs that will do it but I don't know enough to safely go off and start downloading programs off the internet. I'll probably do it the long way and just start renaming the files to shorter names, a lot of them have names over 40 characters long on the Model files and Desc files. I saw, on GOG that the game isn't but 20 bucks, I can't get my version to update, is there digital version already patched and updated all the way? If so, I may just buy their version anyway. If I where to buy a digital copy from GOG.com, would I need any further updates? I would it be ready to go minus SC4Fix.dll? If it comes all ready to go and all I have to do is a fresh install and put SC4Fix.dll in my plugins folder, I may just go that route. My game is acting funky, as you can see from the exeptions report, my game version is 1.1.638.0, and the SC4Update4BAT will not update it, claims it has been, that I don't understand, so if the game from GOG comes updated to 1.1.641 I may just go ahead and buy it. So, if I get it from GOG.com, what further updating will I have to do to have it as updated as possible?

jeffryfisher, It randomly minimizes, still running, just like if you were to 'press control + escape' during gameplay, only mine is just doing it for no reason, then when I bring the game back into focus the sound may start acting up, then that may lead to an actual crash.

Well, that sucks. I guess I'll just check it out, maybe buy another copy. It worked, mostly fine up until 2 weeks ago, other than the issue with it remaining 1.1.638.0 even after the update. I guess I'll try to order a copy from GOG.com, it will come already patched? Will I need any further updates or will it be all ready to go? The normal game is dead, I only got back into it because of all the new features. When I first installed it, it would not run at all, until I uninstalled windows update KB3086255 . So it's just no longer supported is the issue? If there is nothing I can do, I'll just buy a new copy.

For there to be two installs, would there have to be two directories for it? All I have is the one Maxis folder in ".../Program Files(x86)/Maxis/SimCity 4 Deluxe" I may try to do an Uninstall and reinstall, I have all I need except I remember it being hard to find that EP1 update(My version is really old). Can I do a "complete uninstall" and it will save my plugins? I can't back them up because in some of the folders the "file path" is too long to copy them or even compress them, especially in the MattB325 buildings, I have almost every building he made, over 100 of them. Maybe I'l just rename that whole folder just to be safe, it would take many days to reinstall all my plugins. First I have to see if I can find all the correct updates, are they easy to locate? I know i have the SC4Fix.dll, the SC4Update4BAT. Can I just copy the EP1 update? There is some SKU update i cound't quite figure out if I needed or if I already did it? My "Sku_Data" folder has another folder in it, "Sku1_US" and in it, one file, "Plugin_002_TheLivingMall". It may have had more of those buildings at one time yet I moved them, I'm OK with not having them, I don't really like them.

I'm running it in administrator mode, so far, 10-15 minutes in with all my terrain MODs removed(Terrain, Water, Beach & Rock) and it's already done it once, randomly minimize. The sound hasn't went out, but this is how it has typically been going for the last two weeks, one of the times it minimizes, the sound is going to start messing up. Up until about 2 weeks ago, the only time it would cut to desktop is if the game actually crashed thus requiring me to restart the game. In the last two weeks though, about every 10 to 30 minutes the game just automatically minimizes, like it would if I pressed "control + escape". Could having too many custom buildings cause an issue like that? I haven't counted them but I saw so many that I wanted, I have over 200 of them in my plugins folder, along with many MMP's like pond kits and a long list of plopable trees. Having too much stuff I would imagine would just make the game lag, not randomly minimize.

I found this last night also, if this helps any. It's a folder in ".../Documents/SimCity 4" named "Exception Reports" I assume from when the game actually crashes, here is the upper portion of the last crash... " Exception time: 05/01/2020, at 11:48:57. Exception code: 0xC0000005 (-1073741819) ACCESS_VIOLATION. Current thread ID: 3412 (0x00000d54). Version information: Application/module path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe Application/module version name: SimCity 4 Application/module version: 1.1.638.0 System version: Windows NT 6.1 System memory: 4096 Megabytes total, 4096 Megabytes free. Exception module: C:\Program Files (x86)\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe. Exception address: 0x0075ac37. Section:Offset: 0x01:0x00353c37."

Ahh, I found it. Under SimCity 4 Deluxe Properties, in the Compatibility tab, in the "Privilege Level" I just clicked the checkbox to "Run as an administrator", I don't think I've tried running it since I did that, I was trying other things to do to try to solve the issue before I ran it again. As a note though, I've been playing it on this CPU for over a year now, a lot in the recent months and this issue just started happening like 2 weeks ago. Though, when I first installed it, about a year and a half ago, I never could get the SC4Fix to work, I had the same issue as now, it telling me that my game isn't patched, yet the actual update tells me my game has already been updated. I'm about to run the game to see if this "run as administrator" solves the issue. I wonder if I should maybe give SC4 special permissions? Its in the advanced settings, I see that option but I have no idea what I'm doing in there and I've learned my lesson a long time ago about changing settings I'm clueless about.

Thank you for replying. 1) The game says it is "fully patched", but in fact the EXE says its version is 1.1.638.0 and NOT 1.1.640.0 or 1.1.641.0 Yes, the actual application says it's version 1.1.638.0, yet when I run the SC4UpdateBAT.exe, it claims that my SimCity has already been updated thus it does nothing, yet when I run the SC4Fix.dll or place it in my ".../my documents/SimCity 4/Plugins" folder it claims that it cannot function because I have an unpatched version. 2 & 3) The game crashes to desktop after playing for a while (mostly 15-45 min) It will crash to desktop but before that actually happens it will actually just focus on the desktop randomly, the game is still running, not crashed, when I click the SC4 Icon on my start menu, it comes right back up without reloading, about the same as if i where to press 'ctrl + esc' during gameplay, the game minimizes randomly. When I click it to bring the game back into focus, then the game sounds start messing up, like laying a road but no sound, or a long lag in the sound, or laying a road then quickly zooming out and it only plays a 1 second portion of the sound. This is even occurring on a 4x4 city(I switched from the 8x8's to hopefully fix the issue but no dice). I don't think that would be considered a crash, or would it? The game didn't stop running and i just have to click it to pick up where I was. But, the sound will start messing up and it seems to have more potential to actually crash to where I have to restart the game. Once I restart the game, there is no sound issue, until it starts randomly minimizing the game. I can have the game open for hours and it will still be running but when I come back to my CPU, I will see the desktop rather than the game, then I have to click the icon to bring the focus back to the game. When it does that, it triggers some kind of issue with the sound, which then gives much more potential to completely crash to where I have to restart the game. I can't remember where I bought the game, it was a long time ago, maybe at Walmart or something? It was around 2012 to 2014, I have the physical copy and it's right infront of me with everything except the book that came with it. Huh, so I should be good with a physical copy then, I bought this way before they started doing digital copies. It's nice to know I don't need a new CPU or game, I'm not sure what's going on. I was about to try to remove my plugins to see if maybe I had too many? But that would be just cause lag, right? Not random minimizing of the game. I had just checked that, "Run as administrator" in the shortcut options, or maybe I just saw it? I see the option, i'll try that but I am the administrator and have full access to do anything under this user(only 1). I'm not that great with computers, my knowledge is very gaped up. I'll try to run as administrator from now own, but this issue just started happening, the randomly minimizing the game. I read something in the SC4 directory that suggested turning off my anti-virus while running the game also.

Sorry, just want to include as much info as I can and my memory isn't that great. I have a lot of plugins, hundreds of files but I had them all and played with them before this problem started occurring, except for maybe about 30 to 4 buildings from PClark and a few from TCC. Recent Programs I installed about the time the issues started occurring, the only one I can think of is GIMP 2.10. The problem only started after I changed the resolution in game. It normally crashes sometimes so I'm in the habit of saving my game very frequently, that's normal being I can'tget the SC4Fix.dll to function, what's new is just randomly focusing on the desktop then when I click the SC4 icon on my start menu to bring the game back up, the sound starts going haywire even though there is no other lag present.

I forgot to add this. I got this refurbished computer 2 years ago, it has a Intel(R) HD Graphics 2000 integrated video card. I'm using the command codes "-CustomResolution:Enabled -r1920x1080x32 -Intro:Off - d:DirectX CPUPriority:high -CPUCount:1" System information: OS Name: MS Windows 7 Professional Version: 6.1.7601 Service pack 1 Build 7601 System Model: OptiPlex 390 System Type: x64-based PC Processor: Intel(R) Core (TM) i5-2400 CPU @ 3.10GHz, 3101 Mhz, 4 Core(s), 4Logical Processors BIOS Version/date: Dell Inc. A06, 3/27/2012 SMBIOS Version: 2.6 Installed Physical Memory (RAM): 8.00 GB Total Physical Memory: 7.90 GB Avaliable Physical Memory: 5.18 GB Total Virtual Memory: 15.8 GB Available Virtual Memory: 13.1 GB Page File Space 7.90 GB I included all things that seem like they could be relevant because I don't know what any of it truly means. I did a disc clean and DeFrag yesterday. I have about a 1/4th avaliable memory on my C Drive. All the information I've read about the game randomly going to desktop was all crash related, the issue I'm have is the game runs fine then just randomly goes to destop, it didn't do that before I accidentally changed the resolution. I tried removing all of my HD textures, that also seemed to do nothing. SC4 is the only game I like to play, pretty much the only thing I like to do, so I'm willing to buy a new copy if someone thinks that will resolve the issue. I'll even buy a new CPU if that may fix the issue, I'm nervous about getting a new CPU though, from what I've read it doesn't seem too easy to get SimCity 4 to run on a new computer with windows 10. If I need to include anymore information I will. I also altered the Video Cards.sgr, under Intel I put, "card 0x0102 "HD Graphics 2000", in Graphics Rules.sgr I put "Intel*HD Graphics 2000*". I was already running in hardware mode before this new issue started, doing that didn't seem to help. For 2 weeks now, it randomly cuts to desktop, within 15 to 45 minutes of playing, when I bring the window back up, the sound acts funky, choppy or not playing any sound until I zoom out, then it may only play a portion of the sound (like plopping a road or road construction). Oddly, the game itself is not choppy at all, not on the graphics end, only on the sound. Though I may get a full crash if I continue playing while the sound is messing up.

Hello, I figured out how to make transparent water...after many days of trying all kinds of tedious stuff and reading these forums. I'm new to mod ding but I'm a quick learner. It was actually a pretty simple thing once I figured it out. What I mean by transparent is you can see the entire bottom, I have a black sand plopable prop that can go under water, I can dig a hole all the way to the lowest point, the very bottom, and plop a line of the black beach sand from above sea level, down to the deepest portion then beck up above the land and see it all. It doesn't work for the sides though but you can control the color and how see-thru it is. The trick is to add an alpha channel. The original maxis water textures are lacking the alpha channel. It only works for the 300s (09187300-09187304). If you shade it a different color, like green, you have to adjust the 13's (00000013, 113, 213, 313 & 413) to a darker shade. It's a little tricky getting the shade right because when you combine the Alpha channel with the shade of your 300s it lightens the shade. I just prenamed the bmps with the TGI as if GoFsh extracted them, (7ab50e44-891b0e1a-09187300-C0) & a separate bmp for the alpha channel (-A0), then load it up, open the color bmp with GoFsh, the alpha file will load itself if named properly with the "A0" extension, then GoFsh will merge the two and show what shade of your color it will produce(the color lightens once merged with the alpha). Then Adjust the sides, c9efb727 & 69efb6f8, to match the shade of the alpha and colored picture merged (I just used solid colors because if you use a pattern it just doesn't look as good to me, I tried that but didn't like it). After seeing the shade (I just kept it open in GoFsh), make the 13's much darker, make the two sides, top(6f8) and bottom(727), the same shade as the merging of the 300 with its alpha. Then, you can try to adjust you 14's however you like (for the base of the shallow water). As far as I know, all the alpha channel is, is gray, how dark or how light it is will effect how transparent the water is(lighter gray alpha = more opacity, etc). Even at 90% opacity I could still see the black sand run across the deepest part of the sea, as low as its possible to make it, with a dark color as a test (dark green with 90% opacity), while 50% opacity was very easy to see the entire floor of the sea, so much that I had to go ahead and smooth it out with the smoothen god mode tool. Pictures attached, I think they'll show? It doesn't seem to work for anything but the 300s, the sides do not become transparent when adding alpha images (as far as I know). To get the original alpha, I opened my solid or textured image in GIMP 2.10, adjusted the opacity to the desired level of transparency, duplicated the alpha channel, copied it and pasted as a new image. For some reason, when I tried to save the two images seperately (an alpha bmp and a colored bmp, GIMP would make both of them the alpha photo (I'm new to even knowing what an alpha is). I also have Paint.net, so I just made my color photo in that one and used the alpha I saved from GIMP, when I color picked the alpha in Paint.net, it was simply one solid shade of gray, so for the other apha channels, the 16x128's, I just resized the photo but never achieved transparency for the sides, so I just matched the colors with my color bmp(after merged with the alpha in GoFsh). I tried to go all out with multiple shades, hoping I could fade the sides down from blue to dark green but as far as I can tell it had no effect(other than making the sold sides not match the tent of the see-thru water). Merging the 16x128 alpha with the side colors still gave the lightening effect so I simply removed those alpha channels. In the end it seems that only the 300s can handle the additional alpha channel to add full transparency. More than likely, all you have to do is make a gray bmp to merge with your 300-304 main water textures (or solid colors) in GoFsh, put the 'A0' on the end with the proper TGI's and it will build the missing alpha channel for the main water textures and apply full shaded transparency in-game. Maybe that's how pipe mode works? Without the tint? Anyway, that's about it. I would upload them but it's a fairly simple process to make, the end result is nice though. I may try 95% opacity tomorrow, I still like to use GIMP for the creation of the alpha channel, just so you have a measurement to go off of, like specifically setting the opacity to 90% to get the right shade of gray rather than guessing, you can tell a difference, a rather significant, from 50% opacity to 90% opacity. It was much harder to see the full shape of my sea floor at 90% opacity while the photos attached are at 50%, while it has color, that just seems a little overboard, too unrealistic . I'm going to see what 95%+ looks like tomorrow, it should look more realistic.(also making more realistic shades, these basic colors were for testing, you lose patients when packing hundreds of dats with fsh files in 4 days, so these colors were just slapped in for testing purposes, now that I know how to get the desired effect, I will spend more time making a few shades that look more realistic, perhaps a blended color so it's not like stained glass)

Wow, My pictures that I uploaded look way worse on my computer than my phone, i didn't know the pattern was so visible. Anyway, its going to be a while for me to create a good texture for it, no matter what i try it just looks similar to the previous pictures, which were actually solid colors but I used the alpha from the water texture i had made, that's how the pattern ended up on those pictures, it wasn't visible in-game. Perhaps to give it a fade between shades I could just alter the alpha to make some portions more light and visible than others. That may take a while for me to get to though. All I've been doing for the last 5-6 days is messing with these water files, it took a lot of work to get the sides to match up with the shade I used in these new photos, seems like they kinda made it more difficult than it should be. With the side gradients, both the shade an hue is offset, so you can't actually just use the same color or it will not match up. The side gradients also appear to be blending with something else, I had to make them almost completely black to match up with my main water color, in-game they are much lighter than the actual image file. The shallow water appears a little more patchy with transparent water, i'm not really sure how to resolve that one, probably just a matter of getting the shade right for the 14's. In these photos, the only ones i'm lacking are the 13's which color the top of the water meeting a shore that is pointed in the opposite direction of your viewpoint, that's where the blue glow is coming from in these photos. In one of the pics, I ran a line of black sand through to show that the water is transparent, in another I put a mountain slightly rising out. This one looks a lot better to me, it's transparent but is difficult to see all the way through. I adjusted the shading of the alpha in another program so the opacity is somewhere between 90% to 95%. I'm going to go back to building for a little while and take a break on this water project. Anyway, here are the photos... Huh, its showing a pattern on these photos also, not sure where that's coming from, that pattern isn't visible other than in these pictures. The main water color is solid and so is it's alpha, so in-game, it looks way better than these photos. The two pictures in the same position, one has the black sand ran across, the other has the mountain brought up in the middle. See the blue glow on some of the edges, the banks pointed away from your perspective? Those are the 13's, the last ones i have to do.

Thanks. I'll upload a couple more pictures today after I get something better made. Increasing the opacity makes it harder to see through (more realistic), at 90% (with a dark solid color (green)) you can't see the entire bottom, I didn't even think it was still transparent at that level, the only thing I could see at that level was the black sand running across the floor of the sea, so while I could still see the black sand plop at any depth, it was the only thing I could see. I have to have my real plugins folder in to plop the black sand, so just to share the basic principle and show that you can make it as transparent as you desire, I set it at 50% to show here. Once I get a more realistic texture put in, likely today, I will show what it looks like with a decent color and higher opacity, with my real plugins folder in so I can run the black sand across(I have too many plugins to sift through to find the plopable sand in a decent amount of time and the loading takes too long for testing with all plugins loading). I'll try to take some basic depth measurements to show at what depth from maximum sea level it becomes every difficult to see the bottom. With that test, I couldn't see all the hills on the ocean floor, so basically you can use this method to go full transparency or increase the depth of transparency. The maxis water textures without an alpha are only transparent for a depth of about 25m, once you run black sand down those banks without an alpha, you can't even see the black sand past 25m deep. I had almost given up, I has been trying everything for like 4 days, adjusting properties in the terrain properties, trying multicolored water fades, they all turned out not that great though. No matter what I tried, I could not increase the transparency of the water at all, tested with the TerrainQuery cheat. My tests with multicolored water also didn't work out well, I shot for a Blu surface fade down to a green bottom, while it does work for the sides, the 6f8 just blends in with the 300s thus causing the 727's top end of the gradient to not match the overall color of the water. I'm going to alter the color of the maxis 300s to see how it looks with more opacity with an alpha channel, it will propably look a little better with a blended color (like the original maxis 300s) rather than just a solid color or a water texture with well defined aspects (like waves). I tried it with a custom water texture, but it just painted the texture all over the sea floor, just looked too repetative for my taste. So it will likely look much better with just a faded texture(like maxis textures (300s)), to add a little variance to the water color, I will try to make my own, I'm not that great with making textures though I did watch a few GIMP tutorials yesterday and they have a very powerful tool for making custom textures (make seamless). I'm very creative, just not fimilar with using the tools to make custom textures. My water texture turned out alright, it just doesn't look good in-game, I don't like seeing fixed patterns on my water.