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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 18th Jan 2010 at 2:57 PM
Default Simcity 4 greyscale to CAW
I found out that I can convert some simcity 4 greyscale region maps to CAW.
Unfortunately, the size and bit# is off. I know how to fix the size(Crop ), but I don't know how to edit the bit#. Could someone help me with this? It would be gladly appreciated!

Always ready to download.... always
[smilie supposed to go here]
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Lab Assistant
#2 Old 18th Jan 2010 at 5:09 PM
Hi superlegoboy13,

I'm right trying to do the same - I mean converting SimCity 4 regions to CAW - unfortunately - I can't getting the SC4 region working fine in CAW... Can u tell us how to do this ?

Thanks.
Eminence Grise
#3 Old 19th Jan 2010 at 1:27 AM
What graphics application are you using to modify the maps? The procedure for changing size and bit depth depends on the app.

If you use "crop" to change size, btw, you'll lose part of the image. I would have thought you'd want "image size" or something similar.

and Zano, what happens when you try to use your maps in CAW?
Lab Assistant
#4 Old 19th Jan 2010 at 4:37 PM
Hi Srikandi,

1 ) - I downloaded 2 Sim City 4 heightmaps : Chambery and Paris from the net.
You can see them here :

http://www.4shared.com/file/2013684...4-Chambery.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/2013536.../SC4-Paris.html

These 2 maps work naturelly fine in Sim City 4 but as you can see it on the follwings 2 bilds,
after importing these heightmaps in CAW, I can't say that the result is really satisfying lol.

http://www.4shared.com/file/2013547...ery_in_CAW.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/2013572...ris_in_CAW.html

Next, I tryed to do my own Great Britain heightmap using :

A ) - Google Earth,
B ) - MicroDEM and strm41 plugin,
C ) - Gimp 2.6

The results are the same : disastrous !

Here are the steps I follow :

A part of GB in MicroDEM (from Google Earth imported)

http://www.4shared.com/file/2013605...ritain_RVB.html

Then the same map converted in gray scale :

http://www.4shared.com/file/2013637...ritain_Gre.html

After a new gray scale conversion in Gimp and a bild resizing (512x512) :

http://www.4shared.com/file/2013653...ritain_Gra.html

And here is the result after import in CAW :

http://www.4shared.com/file/2013663...ain_in_CAW.html


So it seems that CAW don't really understand that gray scale means or I don't understand
that heightmaps are lol...

So long.
Top Secret Researcher
#5 Old 19th Jan 2010 at 6:47 PM
I think I know what the problem is. I have worked with height maps for my 'day job' and have had the same experience you just had.

The map of Britain is on a much larger scale then the largest CAW map. So when you try to translate it to CAW, you are squishing the horizontal scale while leaving the vertical scale alone..or at least limiting it to whatever number you input in CAW. If you are not putting in the lowest value which I think is 100, you should try that. However, I suspect that Britain will never be the size of a CAW map so it will always affect the horizontal scale when you try to make it that way.

If you want to import height maps, you need to use a very small horizontal scale..probably a few miles at most.

As for the Sim City maps, the height maps are very bad and not detailed at all. Either they become 'smoothed' in exporting or the game uses textures to make it look like varied elevations. That bright white area is going to be read as one height so it will be a flat blob like you have on the CAW map you created. You could maybe go in with an art program and draw lines on the map to make gradations of color...some do it using various tools but I don't know how to do that so can't help you.

There are a variety of programs that can make height maps but they are usually random maps and many of the cost a lot of money...and take time to learn.

I just noticed your last comment...Greyscale height maps are maps where every grey color represents a different height. White is the highest elevation and black is the lowest. The variations in the grey color make the bumps and lumps in the landscape. So if you have all white, it will be a high plateau and if you have all black, you will have a flat land. Hope that helps.
Lab Assistant
#6 Old 19th Jan 2010 at 7:03 PM
Ok rian90,

Your reply is very interesting... I should try to follow all your advices and explanations and give u feedback as soon as possible.

Thanks a lot.
Top Secret Researcher
#7 Old 19th Jan 2010 at 7:30 PM
No problem. Hope you can make it work.
Lab Assistant
#8 Old 19th Jan 2010 at 8:58 PM
Ok rian90,

I really think you're RIGHT lol...

I get a part of Scotland North-West... I zoomed the map in Microdem to x 12 and 'snapshoted' a 512x512 square.

Then in Gimp, I apply a 'posterization' to the grayed picture and get this result :

http://www.4shared.com/file/2015914...cotland_NW.html

Then in CAW :

http://www.4shared.com/file/2015918...-NW_in_CAW.html

...OK...I agree that the world needs some optimizations, but the result is better as before... I am looking further to get something really working without a lot of modifications in CAW...

Once Thanks a lot.

http://www.4shared.com/file/2015828...-NW_in_CAW.html
Top Secret Researcher
#9 Old 19th Jan 2010 at 10:18 PM
That looks wonderful! Great job! I never thought of using google maps but I might try that in the future.

You will probably always need to modify it a bit. Lots and roads require a certain degree of 'flatness' that you probably won't find in a real landscape.
Test Subject
Original Poster
#10 Old 20th Jan 2010 at 12:01 AM
Thanks for the replys! I guess I shouldn't have got a map the size of Vancouver. I still can't get it to 16-bit though... Oh well, back to using lousy terrain tools!

Always ready to download.... always
[smilie supposed to go here]
Eminence Grise
#11 Old 20th Jan 2010 at 12:08 AM
Quote: Originally posted by superlegoboy13
Thanks for the replys! I guess I shouldn't have got a map the size of Vancouver. I still can't get it to 16-bit though... Oh well, back to using lousy terrain tools!


You get it to 16 bit using a graphics program, as explained above The precise procedure depends on what graphics app you use, but most relatively comprehensive graphics apps should allow you to export to 16 bit grayscale. Including free apps like GIMP and Irfanview.
Top Secret Researcher
#12 Old 20th Jan 2010 at 1:45 AM
You need to remember that the Sims maps that come out of CAW are not that large. Vancouver might be a wee bit big.
Forum Resident
#13 Old 20th Jan 2010 at 3:16 AM
Is the terrain of England really that rugged? I mean, I'm Britian-born and I always experience either flat or rolling hills. Never such harsh land.

I think one of the problems is that the height map has too much contrast, as in there's too much white. I would pull down the contrast a little to make it more gray. That way, when imported, it looks more like Great Britain.

"Don't be a Hater
Be a Lover"
- A wise man
--------------------------
Call me Simalicious, ImSim, or Chris!
Top Secret Researcher
#14 Old 20th Jan 2010 at 4:31 AM
I think that is the coast of Scotland. While I don't live there and have never been there, isn't it a bit more rugged than England? I actually love that map and would really like to sit down and play with it.
Lab Assistant
#15 Old 20th Jan 2010 at 8:43 AM
Hi I'mSimalicious!,

You're right...GB or Scotland are not so rugged. I think we're all right looking for acceptables solutions. So all goods ideas about imaging tools, imaging tips & tricks, etc. are welcome.

Have a good day.
Theorist
#16 Old 21st Jan 2010 at 6:28 AM
Raw Therapee is a small application that will convert 8-bit PNG files to 16-bit. Just keep in mind it does tend to munch the surface a bit, so you'll most likely want to do some smoothing after bringing the 16-bit image into C-A-W.
Lab Assistant
#17 Old 22nd Jan 2010 at 8:03 AM
Default Another way to create Height maps
Hi all,

There is an another way to create real height maps for the CAW. I founded an free, simple and friendly height maps editor on the net.

I try it and I think that the generated height maps are not so ugly.

Then in CAW, you need only to make some minors modifications to get the 'world' working.

Here is the hme link to download:

http://www.softpedia.com/progDownlo...load-76327.html

a look at the editor :

http://www.4shared.com/file/2038827...5/hmEditor.html

and here 1 generated random word with this editor :

http://www.4shared.com/file/2038835..._hme_World.html

After some modifications in CAW :

http://www.4shared.com/file/2038839...h-HMEditor.html

Nice day to all.
Top Secret Researcher
#18 Old 22nd Jan 2010 at 9:01 PM
Ooo, this looks nice! I am going to try it out. I have one that I use but it is so complex that it makes me want to toss it out the window every time I use it.

It does save in grayscale, silly me! But you have to change it to a png, not a huge deal.
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