Strange graphic glich when making maps with SC4TRF

[iskrem]

Hi All,
Seek some help with the following problem:
Just started playing SC4 after 2 years "break", never tried the fantastic SC4 Terraformer before.
I downloaded Wounagain's tool the SC4 Terraformer on my old computer with XP (as I can not make it work on my new PC with W7), made several different maps, all with the same problem.
After making the map i saved the file as a SC4M, then loaded it on my new PC with Vista and SC4 installed, used the SC4 Mapper (with the update installed) to instal the maps. Everything is working out smoothly.
BUT when opening the maps in-game, there is a graphic glitch between the regions which is very annoying - the glitch can be seen on the pictures attached - the first from the game, the second using the Region Census. It is very easy to see where the river is crossing from one region to another (marked in red).
I have tried about everything to fix this. I have tried the maps on my old computer with XP - still the same glitch.
I have tried setting the graphics to the lowest, I have making several different maps with several different configs with different sizes. I made several maps but all with the same problem.
I have emptied my Plugin folder, I have re-installed the game.
I have also downloaded some maps from the BSC exchange - strangely enough I do not experience the problem with these maps (??)..
I have also tried to search everywhere on this site, but I can not find anyone having the same problem.
Why this problem? What am I doing wrong?
Any suggestions are welcome.
Hope that some map Experts can please help me out






Best regards

Iskrem

[Lowkee33]

Not an expert, so no real answer...

The first thing I would try is to make a neighbor connection with a highway.  If the highway is seamless then you don't have a map making problem, just a rendering one.  It is possible you would want a no-erosion mod.

The red box in the second image that is not in the first:  Can you see that glitch with maps that you have not made?

I have tried the maps on my old computer with XP - still the same glitch.

Is this without using Vista/7 at all?  Rather than exporting a SC4M from terraformer, I would try saving it, and move the pre-rendered files over to your Vista/7.

[iskrem]

Thnx for your feedback Lowkee33!
You where right, when using the highway there are a seamless transitions between the regions on the map.
Also downloaded some more maps from the LEX and tried them, same glitch as my own maps!

You are mentioning a "no-erosion mod" can solve the problem, where can I find this?
Tried to search the LEX but could not find anything like this, also - what will the no-erosion mod do?

Regards

Iskrem

[Lowkee33]

No problem.  The only straight no-erosion mod that I know of is on the STEX, so good luck getting that at present.  However, I do know that they exist in This map pack on the LEX.

The main problem with erosion is that it is defined in the same file that defines where each terrain texture appears (terrain mods).  You don't really need to match up each no-erosion mod to the terrain that you are using, but this is generally advisable.  Erosion only occurs during rendering of the map, so you can put the mod in, render, and then take it out.  You would want to use the proper terrain mod, especially if you had high mountains, but for most cases, it saves time of not having to open each city up twice.  There is a Maxis Terrain no-erosion mod in there too. 

I could believe that your problem is caused by erosion, looks like the left side of the city is a little screwy.  One test to do is render the region over and over again, there many be slight variations in the way the map looks.

We were going to be able to make "fractally generated terrain" in SimCity4, which I suppose is a random map.  A map would be made, and then have various effects put on it.  One of these effects was erosion (and another smoothing).  Erosion is done by wind and moisture.  Although we can not make random maps, the erosion due to moisture still happens during rendering, and no-erosion mods simply turn it off.

Tangent warning: 

Let me go into the past (I've been thinking about games again...):   Well, my opinion is that Will Wright, who thought this up, made simulations, and to pay for them made them into games. (YouTube of SimLife, a borderline simulation/non-game).  The environment of SimCity4 was going to be very dynamic, but I think someone came along and said "what does that have to do with a city building game?".

So, the moisture simulation took a big hit.  Things that appear to have been removed are fresh-water rivers flowing into the sea, rain, and other environment factors (trees that plant themselves, temperature).  In fact, turning these things off was pretty late in development.  Next time you build a water tower, see that it has "Source: Aquifer" in the menu.  Well, water was supossed to either come from the sea or fresh water.  Towers were going to have performance problems if they were too far from their source.  Maxis basically turned this off by making the range of sea water cover a whole large tile.  This can be changed, but I think fresh water is gone for good.  Moisture still exists though (check out the terrain mod in my "garden" in my signature).   
 
  I think the biggest downfall of rivers was the edge of a city.  If the source of moisture is rain and slope, how do you make a river flow from one city to another?  One remnant of a solution is that the left side of a city is more moist than the right side.  Since Moisture causes erosion, the left side of your city is going to render wrong.  There doesn't seem to be any way to turn this "left side moisture" off.   
 
Terrain textures and tree controllers are also dependent on moisture, in most situations, it is generally advisable to to not look too close at a city's edge.   

EDIT by Andreas: Fixed link.

[iskrem]

Again thank you very much for your reply Lowkee33! Very much appriciated!
Intersting reading - a lot of news I have never heard of - this also explain my issue with the different cities not having a fluent transition between them.

I downloaded the map on you link and found the the "no erosion" files.
I have installed the mod in an own folder under the regions folder (as according to the readme attached in the map file).
One thing still confuses me tough, you are mentioning redenering of the map, when does the redendering happen?
As I use the SC4 mapper to install the map, not the "old" method of using CTRL, SHIFT, ALT + R for installing the map - which I assume is not possible when using a SC4M file(?). Is the actuall redendering happen when using the SC4 mapper to create a region or is it another way and better way to install the map I made with the Terraformer so that the "no erosion file" will ease the steps effects on my map?

Regards

Iskrem

[Lowkee33]

With SC4M files, the rendering happens the first time you open the city, going from the terraformer terrain colors to the actual terrain.  The no erosion files are just like any other plugin, however, if you are looking for a "better" way, then all other plugins should be removed to speed the rendering up (other than the terrain mod dependencies) .  If you open and save every tile, then you don't need the no erosion anymore.  You don't have to take it out either.  The only other effect is that the god-mode erosion tools wont work, and whatever the terrain the no-erosion is geared towards will be visible.