self flattening land

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.the-sims (More info?)

I used to flatten lots before building. But lately I've been trying to
work around the natural contours. And I've found some strange things.
Windows don't work to let in light on some houses--noteably the ones
where the land dips below street level. Sometimes, the land self
flattens when you are busy decorating the house (and NOT using any land
altering tools). Sometimes, you can only build three stories instead
of four (plus the non-foundation level) and get a roof tool to work on
the top. The terraine tools are close to useless for sculpting
landscape (everything looks bumpy, not smooth).

Sigh. I guess I'll go back to flattening the lot before building.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.the-sims (More info?)

Floors are a land altering tool too, as are modular stairs.
If you are decorating and lay a floor on the bottom level, it will flatten
the land. Modular stairs can be used to get down to a level you want to
start your house at. They are actually better to use rather than the digger
tool, as it is easier to get to the depth needed that is equal to the height
of a wall.
If you have made a basement, then, depending on your computer and video
card, you can make 3 stories and a roof. If you do not have a basement, you
can do 4 stories and a roof.
If you want a hill to come very close to the side of your house, do not use
a foundation.
As far as windows not letting in sunlight when they are underneath the
ground level, that makes sense as you would not get much light in a
real-life situation like that


"DeAnn" <diwan@mitre.org> wrote in message
news:1114470174.678118.319730@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>I used to flatten lots before building. But lately I've been trying to
> work around the natural contours. And I've found some strange things.
> Windows don't work to let in light on some houses--noteably the ones
> where the land dips below street level. Sometimes, the land self
> flattens when you are busy decorating the house (and NOT using any land
> altering tools). Sometimes, you can only build three stories instead
> of four (plus the non-foundation level) and get a roof tool to work on
> the top. The terraine tools are close to useless for sculpting
> landscape (everything looks bumpy, not smooth).
>
> Sigh. I guess I'll go back to flattening the lot before building.
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.the-sims (More info?)

The house without any light from the windows did not have a basement.
It was built on a foundation on top of the existing ground. However,
the existing ground sloped down away from the street. The house was
back away from the street, and so started at a low level relative to
the street, but at the normal "high" level above regular existing
ground terraine. But the windows still did not let in light. That is,
the house was in a valley, and apparently the game counts valleys the
same as basements.

I was not using any flooring tools at all when the ground self leveled
on another house. I was inside the house adding cabinets, walls (and
possibly changing some floor tiles--but inside the existing house).
When I next surveyed the terraine, it was all flat, as if I'd used the
ground leveling tool to level the lot.

The house that would only build three stories did NOT have a basement.
But the ground sloped away from the house downward. The house was sort
of at the crest of a hill, and I mostly left the ground in tact. Was I
surprised when I could not build a fourth story. Rather, I could build
the forth story, but could not get above it to roof it.

the game seems to count levels from the lowest terrain to the rooftop,
but to autoshade everything below street level (whether it is above
ground level or not and whether it is above the starting ground level
or not). The game also apparently auto-self-levels lots on a whim.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.the-sims (More info?)

You could try the auto roof tool - that will sometimes put a roof on even
when you can't reach the actual level of the roof. I managed to build a
roof on a building that already had five floors with the auto roof tool.
And that was without the cheat that allows you to build more than five
levels.

As far as the dark windows goes when the house is below street level, I also
thought at first it must be to do with the level relative to the pavement.
However, it doesn't seem to make sense in programming terms since the ground
is simply a 2D surface. What I mean is, when you dig down into the ground,
the digging tool doesn't actually break the surface and go into a lower
layer, the ground simply changes shape with some squares apparently lower
than others when modelled as a 3D shape. I was trying to think how that
might be programmed and it seems to me that it would be much simpler to
programme anything above the surface as 'above' ground (which it is anyway)
than doing calculations relative to a base line from the level of the
pavement, especially as pavements can slope themselves. Mmmm - I'm thinking
now about whether pavements at the front of houses can slope - maybe not.
They certainly can at the sides. Anyway, I didn't get that far with it.
BUT, other people have complained about this and the answer they often get
is that it's more to do with the graphics settings than with the level of
the ground per se. I've seen suggestions that the user go into the graphics
options and alter them. I have to say that since I bought a new graphics
card, I've not seen the dark and murky interiors that I used to and I'm a
bit of a specialist now at building houses on slopes, with and without
basements (which are dark, BTW), plus basements with an external wall.

Best wishes
Maxon

"DeAnn" <diwan@mitre.org> wrote in message
news:1114512472.636901.191660@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>> The house that would only build three stories did NOT have a basement.
> But the ground sloped away from the house downward. The house was sort
> of at the crest of a hill, and I mostly left the ground in tact. Was I
> surprised when I could not build a fourth story. Rather, I could build
> the forth story, but could not get above it to roof it.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.the-sims (More info?)

"Maxon" <jen.magson@NOSPAMntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:qbrbe.6205$WW5.5861@newsfe2-win.ntli.net...
> You could try the auto roof tool - that will sometimes put a roof on even
> when you can't reach the actual level of the roof. I managed to build a
> roof on a building that already had five floors with the auto roof tool.
> And that was without the cheat that allows you to build more than five
> levels.
>
> As far as the dark windows goes when the house is below street level, I
> also
> thought at first it must be to do with the level relative to the pavement.
> However, it doesn't seem to make sense in programming terms since the
> ground
> is simply a 2D surface. What I mean is, when you dig down into the
> ground,
> the digging tool doesn't actually break the surface and go into a lower
> layer, the ground simply changes shape with some squares apparently lower
> than others when modelled as a 3D shape. I was trying to think how that
> might be programmed and it seems to me that it would be much simpler to
> programme anything above the surface as 'above' ground (which it is
> anyway)
> than doing calculations relative to a base line from the level of the
> pavement, especially as pavements can slope themselves. Mmmm - I'm
> thinking
> now about whether pavements at the front of houses can slope - maybe not.
> They certainly can at the sides. Anyway, I didn't get that far with it.
> BUT, other people have complained about this and the answer they often get
> is that it's more to do with the graphics settings than with the level of
> the ground per se. I've seen suggestions that the user go into the
> graphics
> options and alter them. I have to say that since I bought a new graphics
> card, I've not seen the dark and murky interiors that I used to and I'm a
> bit of a specialist now at building houses on slopes, with and without
> basements (which are dark, BTW), plus basements with an external wall.
>
> Best wishes
> Maxon

But when you got your new video card did you check the graphics options in
the game. I did and noticed that everything was on high. I don't like my
shadows on high, so I changed them back to low or none.
Did you all change types of windows too? And even if you change floor tiles
in an existing house it can flatten the floor.
I lived in a house once where I had bedroom windows that faced a hillside.
They did not get much light. We did not use curtains on that window either
since no one could see in. But at night we could not see the hillside and
it felt like people could see in, lol.

>
> "DeAnn" <diwan@mitre.org> wrote in message
> news:1114512472.636901.191660@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>>> The house that would only build three stories did NOT have a basement.
>> But the ground sloped away from the house downward. The house was sort
>> of at the crest of a hill, and I mostly left the ground in tact. Was I
>> surprised when I could not build a fourth story. Rather, I could build
>> the forth story, but could not get above it to roof it.
>
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.the-sims (More info?)

Yes, that's right, when the new card installed, the graphics settings
changed which kind of supports my original point that the murky rooms can be
combated by changing the graphics settings. I prefer it bright personally -
when I buy a house, I always want one that faces east-west - bright sun in
the morning on one side, bright sun in the afternoon on the other and
generally full of light. Our present house faces ESE-WNW which is fine in
England in the summer with our long days.

Best wishes
Maxon

"Bluegenie2" <me@fuil.com> wrote in message
news:MOCdnaTGV_YGOfPfRVn-oQ@comcast.com...
> But when you got your new video card did you check the graphics options in
> the game. I did and noticed that everything was on high. I don't like my
> shadows on high, so I changed them back to low or none.
> Did you all change types of windows too? And even if you change floor
tiles
> in an existing house it can flatten the floor.
> I lived in a house once where I had bedroom windows that faced a hillside.
> They did not get much light. We did not use curtains on that window
either
> since no one could see in. But at night we could not see the hillside and
> it felt like people could see in, lol.
>
> >
> > "DeAnn" <diwan@mitre.org> wrote in message
> > news:1114512472.636901.191660@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> >>> The house that would only build three stories did NOT have a basement.
> >> But the ground sloped away from the house downward. The house was sort
> >> of at the crest of a hill, and I mostly left the ground in tact. Was I
> >> surprised when I could not build a fourth story. Rather, I could build
> >> the forth story, but could not get above it to roof it.
> >
> >
>
>