ColdFever has updated his Graphics Scaling Tool to work with Civilization IV v1.61. You can download it from the BlueMarble homepage. This program allows you to change the scaling of graphics & texts in Civ4 easily, such as the size of units, flags, city buildings, etc. Some players have used the utility to get rid of the cloud in the globe view and found this improves game performance.

DOWNLOAD LINK: http://forums.civfanatics.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=7

Where can I find the mod or the instructions about removing the cloud? It is really annoying me :)

To download, go to http://www.civfanatics.net/~bluemarble/content/index.php and look for "Graphics Scaling Tool"

For inquiries (I just had one :p) - try http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=140246

The thread is about the Blue Marble mod, but since it's paired with the scaling mod, you'll see stuff about it.

I am playing Civ 4 at a high resolution on an HDTV (1440x960) so the default font ends up being very tiny. CivScale does increase the font size somewhat when I crank it up to the max setting of 5, however the text is still too small.

Anyone know how I can make the text even larger? Would it be possible by manually editing the theme files?

Thanks
J

Very! usefull indeed- I noticed that mounted units and severla others (war chariot) are too small in comparisson to the infantry...

I am playing Civ 4 at a high resolution on an HDTV (1440x960) so the default font ends up being very tiny. CivScale does increase the font size somewhat when I crank it up to the max setting of 5, however the text is still too small.
Indeed in theory you can enter even bigger font values in the file Resource\Themes\Civ4\Civ4Theme_Common.thm at the SF_CtrlTheme_Civ4_Control_Font label. But unfortunately the text screens won't grow with bigger fonts, so at some point you will get overlapping texts or cut texts. Because of this I limited the text scaling to values that still generate a somewhat pleasing result. But feel free to experiment with the values yourself.

If I just want remore the clouds, nothing more, what must I do?!?

If I just want remore the clouds, nothing more, what must I do?!?
To remove the clouds entirely from visibility,
set cloud strength to zero.

Can the cloud strength be adjusted and have an effect mid-game, or does it have to be zerod-out prior to starting a new game?

Can the cloud strength be adjusted and have an effect mid-game, or does it have to be zerod-out prior to starting a new game?
All values modified by CivScale can be changed at anytime without affecting the gameplay. CivScale and BlueMarble only affect the visual appearance, not the gameplay.

Hello,

I can select both "Original Graphic Scalings", and "Blue Marble Suggestions" and press activate, and they both work, but when i select "Custom Graphic Scalings" and press activate, i get an error stating;

error : error number 2509:
cannot read file C:\Program Files\GaMes\Civ4\Assets\XML\Misc\CIV4DetailManager .xml

The file is there, and when i check the affected files of the other two, they both list this file. Can anyone help me?

Does this happen to anyone else when trying to use custom settings?

Sorry, you are the only one reporting this error and I am not able to recreate it. Especially error number 2509 is irritating to me, as this error comes from the basic file "open for read access" routine that also is used by the "original" and "blue marble" setting. If all settings would fail, I could make some sense of it, but just one failing setting is a mystery to me, sorry again.

Any idea if it can shrink the leaders? Perhaps down to the size you see when you're starting up a new game and picking who you'll play as? Normally it's a little laggy on my computer, but the smaller animations play much smoother.

Since no one else has mentioned it, I'll just bring to attention the fact that the 1.61 patch has rendered the current version of CivScale inoperable.

I found you can still use this tool if you modify the "GlobalDefines.xml" file, in the first line change 161 to 152 and save. You can then run Civscale. You should probably change the version number back when you are done.

I found you can still use this tool if you modify the "GlobalDefines.xml" file, in the first line change 161 to 152 and save. You can then run Civscale. You should probably change the version number back when you are done.

A new version of CivScale has been released so this is not needed any longer.

This tool would be really useful if you could modify modfiles with it.

I know I am doing something wrong...

I am trying to remove clouds...

yet everytime I do it (the program says it is "completed")

I see no difference :sad:

I tried this with saved games/new games... yet I still see clouds :mad:

Do I need to put this program in the CIV4 directory?

my directory is named CIV4 (as opposed to the default directory) could this be the problem? :confused:

or can someone tell me what XML files and taglines I need to edit to manually remove the clouds...

I cant seem to find the files I need to edit... :(


any help would be greatly appreciated :goodjob:


EDIT: Well I found the files but I cant see the difference in clouds...?

Thunderfall / ColdFever, I am currently trying to get the CivScale mod approved over at Realms Beyond but it has the ability to show resources in the fog. Details of what I am trying to do are here (colour and font - no spoilers) (http://realmsbeyond.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1146) and here (scaling - spoilers) (http://realmsbeyond.net/forums/showthread.php?t=1145).

I haven't tracked down the particular item that generates the spoiler but I will post back here when I do. The general question I have is ... is it possible to get a version of this with the spoiler-enabled component removed?

Thunderfall / ColdFever, I am currently trying to get the CivScale mod approved over at Realms Beyond but it has the ability to show resources in the fog... is it possible to get a version of this with the spoiler-enabled component removed?
Sorry, I have no intention to split the mod, and I also can't change the scaling functionality, because I am just using the general parameters Firaxis supplies. So perhaps you rather should write a bug report for Firaxis.

For your "approval processing" I would suggest to approve just the "Text" scale part of CivScale, because this absolutely has no impact on the game itself, as it only modifies the external "style theme component" Civ4Theme_Common.thm

In contrast the "Graphics" scale component modifies some core XML files of Civ4, and these manipulations are detected as a "cheat" anyway if this gaming option is enabled (GlobalDefines.xml and CIV4DetailManager.xml). Hope this info helps.

Is this compatable with Warlords?

Is this compatable with Warlords?
Yes, please find more info here:
http://www.civfanatics.net/~bluemarble

Sweet, thanx. :)

Thanks ColdFever for posting this scaling tool. It even works with Warlords but with one exception.

Has anyone noticed that you can no longer do scaling with civ running as Warlords? CivIV used to dynamically update unit scale when you return the focus to the game after making changes, but with Warlords you have to shut it down and restart. This contradicts the documentation within the GlobalDefines XML which says it should still be dynamic.

I don't think it is anything to do with your utility though Coldfever. I wonder what it is?

CivIV used to dynamically update unit scale when you return the focus to the game after making changes, but with Warlords you have to shut it down and restart...I don't think it is anything to do with your utility though Coldfever. I wonder what it is?
You are correct, CivScale just manipulates the XML files and can't be the reason for any new XML reading algorithm, so your question only can be answered by the Civ4 developers. I would recommend setting Civ4 vanilla via the comfortable comparison possibility to the values you like, CivScale then gives Warlords the same settings too.

The exceptions are some Warlords scenarios, where Firaxis did decide to apply custom scalings, like the ChineseUnification scenario. Here CivScale does not work, because Firaxis' custom scenario settings have higher priority than the basic game settings CivScale is able to modify.

civscale doesnt work for me :( it seems to modify the files, but the changes are not visible ? any suggestions ? im playing Total realism 2.0..

Sorry, if a mod decides to have its own graphic values, CivScales' graphic changes to the vanilla core files have no effect anymore. In contrast CivScales' font changes affect all games, as there is only one central font directory.

1st off would like to thank the creator for this mod, its been gr8ly needed. Performance wise I run Civ4 fine, but Im running on a Nvidea 6800XT to a HDTV thru DVI. Im running at HDTV mode 1080i at 1712x928 resolution & the game looks simply incredible graphics & performance wise but the text has been damn near blinding me & unreadable sometimes & I have to get up & closely examine important text most of the time & that has hampered some enjoyment of the game for me.

I do havea question maybe some1 here would know. Im running Warlords now but even in Vanilla Civ4, i was never able to run the game in 720p format. I read somewhere on this forum that a few ppl said its simply impossible for w/e reason but Jman posted back in December that he runs to an HDTV at 1440x960, which disputes that as I think thats 720p HDTV default resolution if Im not mistaken. It is for ES4 Oblivion. Newayz, thanks again & the rest of the features have been helpful as well, gr8 work.

...Im running on a Nvidea 6800XT to a HDTV thru DVI. Im running at HDTV mode 1080i at 1712x928 resolution... i was never able to run the game in 720p format. I read somewhere on this forum that a few ppl said its simply impossible for w/e reason but Jman posted back in December that he runs to an HDTV at 1440x960, which disputes that as I think thats 720p HDTV default resolution if Im not mistaken.

720p means 1280x720. This is impossible for Civ4, because the minimum display resolution is 1024x768. So you need a display with a vertical minimum of 768 pixels, 720 pixels is not enough. But there is no problem with most low and midrange HDTV Widescreen LCD TVs, as these have 1366x768 pixels and - connected to a Windows computer - should be working fine at 1360x768 pixels, giving a great Civ4 widescreen experience - unless the manufacturer made a mistake and applied too much overscan (what sometimes happens over DVI/HDMI, in this case using analog VGA can help).

This tool is very useful for me. though the improvement one doesnt appear to work. 0-10 exactly the same thing.... whats the deal?

...the improvement one doesnt appear to work. 0-10 exactly the same thing.... whats the deal?
I only use the scaling possibilities Firaxis supplies in the XML files - and it looks like some improvements are not affected by the general improvement scaling XML parameter. Sorry, I can't help here, this issue could be called a Civ4 bug and only Firaxis could help here. But I doubt that is issue is important enough for them, because it does not show up with regular settings.

Thanks for the reply. I understand. all though that makes me :(

Will this work with BtS and if I've added some of my own units? Also, could I just use it to remove clouds?
Thanks :)

Will this work with BtS and if I've added some of my own units? Also, could I just use it to remove clouds?
Sorry for the late answer, I didn't notice the question. CivScale 3.0 is compatible with BtS, and as CivScale uses a kind of master scale parameter Firaxis designed for units, so it should affect all custom units as well. And yes, you can use this tool to achieve invisible clouds.

Couple of quick questions:

I downloaded CivScale but was disappointed to see that it was an EXE file. I always prefer to install these things manually so that I can see exactly what's being changed.

1.) What does this file install, and where does it install it?
2.) Once installed, will it alter any of the XML files (i.e., if I play multiplayer, will everyone get a warning that I'm using a modified game)?
3.) Any reports of instability/crashes after installation?
4.) How do I uninstall it?

Thanks.

@jkp: just run the program.
It will answer all your questions and will only make changes with your approval.

@jkp: just run the program.
It will answer all your questions and will only make changes with your approval.

It would be nice to have a Mac OS X compatible version of this. Or failing that, just know what files you're modifying and how.

Where's the cloud stuff?

-K

Sorry, I do not have a Mac. Most graphics changes are made via the files
Assets\XML\Misc\CIV4DetailManager.xml (Vanilla and Warlords)
and
Beyond the Sword\Assets\XML\Misc\CIV4DetailManager.xml (BtS).
The "cloud stuff" is in DF_SKY where you can adjust the cloud bottom (5000), cloud top (6400) and cloud strength (1.0).

this is nice.... like it and all but seeing firaxis forces me to use 1080 cause of no 720 it make this game useless to me... i mean yeah your program make text a little bigger but who sits one foot away from a 50 inch hdtv? im 10 feet away and cant read crap! maybe i need to sell my tv and get a million dollar monitor lol maybe in few years when every one has a hdtv firaxis will be force to make there games 720 compatible
i had issues with text size in world of warcraft but found a text scaler for that but at least i can play in 720 ... cause even with the scaler in 1080 its to small to read!

anywho the world isnt ready for hdtv i guess :(
just wondering if them game consoles that are hdtv compatible can read the text? cause i dont want to shell out big bucks to find im screwed like i am now:)

Note that CivScale is incompatible with the HOF mod.

I can not get mines, fishing boats, and other improvements to change scale in BtS (have not tried vanilla or Warlords). Up or down on the improvements scale does not change their size. Improvements is modifying the size of resources such as cattle pigs iron etc... Bonuses does not change the size of anything. I am updating the civscale settings with the game closed then start it to see the changes. Am I doing something wrong?

I click the link to download it and it apparently doesnt work. Can somebody please update the link.

I click the link to download it and it apparently doesnt work. Can somebody please update the link.

Yea, noticed that too. I was able to find a link for 2.0, but it won't remove the clouds for me.

Sorry guys, but I do not support the CivScale tool anymore, because the XML changes it allowed caused severe problems for some people:

First, the changes were not multiplayer compatible. This at least could be handled by reverting the changes before doing multiplayer.

But what really brought users into trouble: When CivScale modified XML files with new scale values the XML file dates where updated. It showed that this confused the official Civ patches from Firaxis, because these patches would *not* update the affected XML files anymore, sinde the file dates of the modified files could be newer than the dates of official files part of official patches.

This has been esspecially fatal in case of GlobalDefines.xml where patching could lead to defected installations. I needed a good while to realize this and many people had to reinstall their programs. Of course this is rather a problem with the official patch installer than with the CivScale tool, but I decided to drop the CivScale tool anyway because I have no influence on the faulty official Civ4 patch installer.

Who really knows what he does and wants to take the risk anyway can send an email to kai@civilized.de and I will send him the last version of the CivScale tool. But there will be no public link anymore for this file to avoid bringing more people into trouble.

Sorry again and best regards
Kai - civilized.de

@Coldfever
Thanks for the explanation and the generosity sharing the concept. It was a very good idea. I would not have thought of this problem either.

The saviour for this concept would be a tool that modifies only selected mods in a mod folder but not the game files itself. If the mod does not contain the appropriate XML file needed for scaling, this tool would include it in the mod's assets.

Thanks again.
Cheers.

Could CivScale be updated to copy the files to CustomAssets (or even an alternate user-specified location) and then modify them there? I actually thought that was how it worked and was surprised to find out it modified files in the Assets folder itself.

EDIT: I guess that's because of modifying theme files. Still, it'd be useful to be able to make the changes in another location while developing a mod UI without worrying about accidentally overwriting the main game...

Why take the file offline and ruin things for everyone, rather than just providing a warning about possible reinstallation? Reinstalling the game is trivial, and I can't stand the cloud layer. Things like this make me glad I'm a packrat.

I have used CivScale forever, love it, but only to change the menu colors.

Any thoughts on releasing a pared down version to only change menu colors? Would probably want to rename it of course - it's a VERY handy feature!