I just downloaded game from EA a few days ago to start playing again so I assume Im fully updated.
I downloaded and played 2 custom maps from the stex - Rio and Boston. Both rendered fine using both the config and jpeg downloads from this site. I really liked the Rio map but I wanted it bigger so I redid the config in ms paint, I also redid the jpeg in paint and tried to render the map bigger. I realized paint didnt actually enlarge the image, it just made blank spaces on the sides so rendering didn't work in game, after seeing that I went and resized the jpeg using a different program.
The jpeg is 1537x1025, the config is 24x16.
I create a new region > exit > move config into new region replacing config > open to region, region view shows the correct size and placement of cities > ctr alt shft R and navigate to desktop where the jpeg is > click on jpeg and get returned immediately to region view instead of the game rendering the file.
I figured I must have done something to mess up the jpeg file so I came back to stex and downloaded another map, went thru the same steps and still cant get any map to render anymore.
I now have a region in my mydocs/simcity 4/regions called "downloads" that appears even after I delete it (there is no region in-game called downloads)
If it helps I also emptied my plugin folder and tried with it empty
Everything seems correct on your part. I think I have had troubles with Jpegs being on the desktop, but I could be wrong (maybe it was just much faster to put them in MyDocs). After clicking on the Jpeg, make sure that SC4 has displayed it in the file area, I know that sometimes just clicking on the Jpeg is not enough (though it should be).
The downloads folder appeared on me at some point too. It doesn't go away, and it doesn't do anything...
Is the map of Boston to scale?
First off, how did you "redo" the jpeg in MS-Paint, did you simply resize it? This can cause problems, like jaggies and pixels "extended" to the neighbouring ones (as a result of up-sizing), or the program may fill-in the "gaps" with intermediate (between two neighbouring pixels) values, or utilise any dubious algorithm for this; please note that these programs are for processing images and photos, and are thus optimised for making photos looking better, however these map files (despite that they are encoded in an image format) are not really photos, they are essentially "data". So an image-processing program can do the most strange things.
Another problem you may face is less steep (than normal) grades: you have enlarged the map, but did you do the same with elevations? If not, grades will be more gentle (just consider a mountain with a wider base but the same elevation). Such changes are impossible to make in MS-Paint. The (default) sea level in SC4 is 250m, and the scale factor 3.0m/GrayScaleUnit, so the sea level corresponds to 83.33. That is a value of 83 is below sea level, while 84 is above sea level. So values above 84 should be scaled-up, and values below 83 down. Such features (Histogram Adjustment?) are not supported by MS-Paint. It would be easier to make a custom Height Mod instead (increase scale factor by the same proportion as the map, and then adjust sea level so that 83 is again below sea level and 84 above).
Furthermore, the .jpeg format is not very good (it's "lossy", causing inaccuracies and artifacts), so I would suggest that you convert (the original one) to .png before processing it further. I have used grayscale .bmp in my maps, which is not lossy.
So my suggestion would be to simply... request a larger map in the mapping forums. Of course it will have to include a larger area, if you want it to be accurately scaled.
As for not being able to render you map, I suspect something... really stupid: for the maps to be rendered, the region folder must contain only the config.bmp and region.ini (this last one is not necessary at all, the game will create it by itself); however, Windows creates a file named thumbs.db in every folder containing images (this is used for fast preview/thumbnail-view). This is a hidden system file, not visible with the explorer (unless you turn some options on). So I would suggest the following:
- Create the region folder yourself.
- Go to that folder, and select View->Tiles (or List, Details or Icons, ie any view type other than Thumbnails or Filmstrip). Do so BEFORE putting the config.bmp there.
- Copy your config.bmp in the folder (and don't change the View type).
- Try loading the region and rendering.
Or turn the necessary options on and delete thumbs.db yourself.
Not sure if this is what causes you the troubles, but give it a try.
Thanks for the replys, tried various things last night including uninstalling sc4 nothing worked. Tried out sc4 mapper and it worked.
Is there a quick way to know if a map is 16bit png? Opening an image in Terrformer has all of the terrain below sea-level, but raising all of the terrain has the hills at the correct height. The landscape is somewhat steppy, though I believe I have a no-erosion mod.
Edit: NVM, got it now so I never open the .png. DEM is fun, though my target island isn't very interesting...