Windowed Mode, No Intro and all the other such choices

[RippleJet]

Thanks a million, Joe and Andreas!

I was looking for that list on the official site quite a while ago (following one of your posts at ST where you mentioned it, Andreas), but I was never able to find it.
So maybe it isn't available anymore... except here!

[schm0]

That is a list

'UserDir' looks quite interesting to investigate 

Isn't this basically what the SC4 Startup manager uses? This could be very powerful for testing...

[j-dub]

I prefer fullscreen, but wouldn't it be simpler to remove the sound.dat and intro.dat files all together? I pulled my intro.dat file out, no problems. It just got irritaiting after a while, and it seemed it was something extra it didn't need to load if I was going to skip it anyway. I do still use sound though, so that file stays. The reason why I did it that way is because I didn't know this method before hand. If I knew the command option before hand, I would've done it that way. What I would like to know is the command or configuration for UDI. I mean the missions can be turned off so you don't see them in build mode, but when you click any vehicle icon in the menu, the missions pop up even though you just started a different mission, and the programming in that is really dumb, you can get started facing the wrongway, or out of no where another vehicle pops out under yours, and yours explodes! Especially  the stupid cement mixers. Maybe thats why they never made another first person simcity driving game. Any programing options for UDI?

[xxdita]

I keep two shortcuts in my Quick Launch Menu, one for Window mode, and one for full screen.
But if you copy the shortcut that you've edited, you have to then edit it again, to force it back to full screen. Deleting the parameters you've set doesn't change it back.

"C:\Program Files\Maxis\SimCity 4 Deluxe\Apps\SimCity 4.exe" -f

[JoeST]

Code Select Expand

-UserDir:path does pretty much what it says on the tin, changes the directory location of the users simcity4 folder. if it cant find one of the original subdirectories it creates it. needs a "/" at the end of the path.

[Diggis]

That is a list

'UserDir' looks quite interesting to investigate 

Does it only point to the plugins folder or the regions etc too?

[JoeST]

It relocates where the default mydocs folders are. So yes it does want the regions and the HTTP folder in their too

Look at this tutorial 

Joe

[Diggis]

Bugger,  but no worries.  Would be nice to have it only looking for the plugins.

[JoeST]

you can always just move your maps....

[Diggis]

Yess, but I have to move them if I want a different plugins for the same region. 

[Shadow Assassin]

Im guessing its probably 32 bit that is scaled down rather than 16 that's improved/faked. Though, tbh, I have no real idea

It's like a GIF, really. 16bit removes colours, it doesn't look as nice and there's really little difference in how it looks and performs. It's really meant for the old, old graphics cards that don't support/won't run 32-bit.

[JoeST]

Thanks for clarification. 

Joe

[Shadow Assassin]

I wonder if some of those settings could be experimented with to provide better performance to ATI users?

I think OpenGL would probably provide better performance: but I don't know if you need anything special for the game to use OpenGL, besides the command line? [I tried running SC4 in OpenGL, it wouldn't start up]

[JoeST]

have you tried running it in software rendering mode?

and to my knowledge you shouldnt need anything for openGL to work except the graphics card driver (as both ATI and nVidia have OpenGL included).

maybe updating the drivers will work?

tbh I am also having problems with OpenGL ... LOL, having just tried it on my GeForce 8, it fuzzes out for a second on startup and renders all the terrain in pure white... Infact it just doesnt render very much...:



Duno about anything else

Joe

[Jonathan]

Yess, but I have to move them if I want a different plugins for the same region. 

You could put your regions in the program files directory?
And any plugins you want all the different "games" to have could go there.

[SC4BOY]

LOL.. just for grins I tried to run my game in OpenGL.. even though I started with the -f arguement, it ran in a tiny window about 400x300.. otherwise worked fine.. that was grins.. obviously I didn't do something I should have.. haha.. (all I did was specify -d:OpenGL -f). I didn't persue this further, but got a chuckle out of it..

You could put your regions in the program files directory?
And any plugins you want all the different "games" to have could go there.

Plus you could move the default one's out.. unless you just are in love with them (or are actually playing them) .. they are on the CD.

[Pat]

Joe for years I've been trying to get these codes to work maybe it was me being dumb, but today alas I got it to work and I did it by your tut so a biiiiiiiiiig kudo's to.... Im soo happy I got rid of that dang cursed intro/no more clicking on it to stop it playing and also now I have a window to play in......

[JoeST]

well tbh I wouldnt have explored it without Andreas and Wou talking about it. so Kudos to them too

Joe

[Pat]

agreed Joe a biiiiiig kudo's to them as well!! I'd give a karma point to you all Joe, Andreas and Wou....

[Diggis]

You could put your regions in the program files directory?
And any plugins you want all the different "games" to have could go there.

Cunning.  I might have to look into that.  Good Call.