Questions on building good houses.

[USNCaseySmith]

I really would like to get a few tips on how to build really good looking houses and mansions. I mean the ones I build work, but just look plain ugly in terms of size and I end up having sometimes unused rooms.

Generally what I do, is map out the whole house with walls and designate what each section will be then go from there, but then I realize I have to resize the room to fit what I want inside sometimes. So is it better to create a house on a room by room basis? Or do I just need to be more intricate with the way I lay it out and maybe slow down a bit??

Any other tips would be appreciated for mansions, modern houses, and house building in general too! I only have Base Game.

PS: I also saw something about split-L stairs, how do I do those? I remember doing basements and such back when TS3 didn't have a basement feature (Using Testingcheats or moveobjects, not sure which) would I be using the same set of cheats / glitches to achieve this??

Casey

[BenC0722]

Keep in mind that this isn't the only way to build houses. It's just a method that I find works for me.

If I can't think of any house ideas, I use Google to find house plans. Then I find one that I think I might be able to duplicate in TS3, and looks good. I tend to avoid houses with walls with angles that are anything but 45 degrees, since it's not yet possible to build such walls.

House plans tend to label the different rooms by their intended use, though of course you can choose to use a room for something else (like in real life). Like, you can place cribs into a bedroom instead of a regular bed, or you can choose to use a bedroom as a study/office/art studio/private gym/whatever.

Unfortunately, TS3 has limitations which can require you to improvise at times. So usually the best you can hope for is to just get it as close as you can.

I also tend to start from the ground floor, and build up and down from there, basing the basement and upper floors off of the ground floor.

I don't usually bother with landscaping or outside stuff until I've built the entire house, or at least not until I'm pretty sure I've built at least the exterior walls of the ground floor.

As far as L-shaped or even split level stairs, they are possible but require creative use of CFE (constrainfloorelevation false). CFE is a powerful command that lets you build structures that are otherwise not possible, but if used improperly can mess things up. So just be careful with it, and turn it off (constrainfloorelevation true) when you don't need it anymore, since it can cause strange stair placement if left on.

If you have never used CFE before, I'd recommend trying to build an attached garage to a house with a foundation. It's a pretty easy thing to do that requires CFE, and helps you get familiar with it. There are many tutorials, and even Youtube videos that show you how to do this (search for something like "Sims 3 attached garage with foundation").

[jrpthepixie]

basements are actually easy now use the modular stairs and place it 3 times in front of one another then delete the stairs and use level lot and drag how big the basement you want to go thats if your house is not on a foundation, if on a foundation put it as you like and then delete the middle leaving an outside foundation all the way around in the area that has been delete just repeat like you would for a on ground house. for a better description of this try looking at the top left hand side should mention home news help create go under create to sims3, tutorials they have a lot to read and some awesome advice for making walk out basements, fancy stairs and almost everything in between.
the fancy stairs that your asking about ive tried a million times to master and have even followed some tutorials but just cant seem to get it right.
for laying your house out what about just laying the flooring using different colours for different rooms and then try laying all the furniture youd like to use in the room if it wont fit go bigger and build walls around it?
lol just noticed BenCo mentioned this next bit lol high 5
you might want to try some of these cheats while in game hold down control, shift and c at the top of your screen a dialogue box should appear then type in constrainfloorelevation false (needs to be a space between elevation and false) i would play with that on a house you dont care for first or make sure to save incase it gets to screwed up to turn this cheat off type in constrainfloorelevation true
ive had some pretty cool house end up being beyond words when screwing around with this but even during using it you can use the level tool to make everything go to the right hieght again (just might want to go up a floor to make sure nothing screwed up there as well)

i also use the google thing but the best site ive found so far is coolhouseplans.com
happy simming :)
http://www.modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Tutorials:TS3_Stairs_Tutorials

link to the building of cool stairs

[tomomi1922]

I really would like to get a few tips on how to build really good looking houses and mansions. I mean the ones I build work, but just look plain ugly in terms of size and I end up having sometimes unused rooms.

Generally what I do, is map out the whole house with walls and designate what each section will be then go from there, but then I realize I have to resize the room to fit what I want inside sometimes. So is it better to create a house on a room by room basis? Or do I just need to be more intricate with the way I lay it out and maybe slow down a bit??

Any other tips would be appreciated for mansions, modern houses, and house building in general too! I only have Base Game.

PS: I also saw something about split-L stairs, how do I do those? I remember doing basements and such back when TS3 didn't have a basement feature (Using Testingcheats or moveobjects, not sure which) would I be using the same set of cheats / glitches to achieve this??

Casey
I run into this dilemma a lot as well. It helps a lot to somewhat plan ahead. You can build using existing floor plans (1 tile in TS3 = 1 meter IRL). Or you can build off what you have on your head.

I am personally not good with building those lovely looking houses with all the EFC tricks put in. But I love to build weird things that come to my mind, such as an underwater bar (bar in basement, surrounded by swimming pool). To prevent disappointment, don't start working on the actual building yet. Just find an empty lot about your intended size, you do your "sketches".

Sketches are crude wall placements to get the idea of how the house will actually look like. More than often, when I have an ideal placement of ... say, a garage, then a bedroom just perfectly look like this, and another bedroom in the back ... ooops, I am left with only 3 tiles, what can I do with 3 tiles? So building sketches will iron out the mis-measurements in your head.

You can even bring out a bed, some tables, etc... just to place objects around and get a little feel of the actual house. Guess what, due to TS3 limitation, there are rules you have to obey: certain objects will take up certain amount of space, and there is no way around it if you hope your sims can walk freely. Some empty room may look very big, but when you place objects in there, it will look smaller. You can even move a single sim into the lot so you can make the sim tests your setup. I wanted a 1x1 table next to the bed: OK. But when I put a chair there into the table, which would make sense IRL, but there is no way the sim can get into bed in TS3.

When you decide to wipe everything on sketch board, just bulldoze the lot. With enough imagination, this method can at least help you iron out the measurements of the house and let you get an idea if your house will likely to work, or too far fetched. I can't remember how many times I sketch like this and end up just giving up because my ideas won't come out looking good on sketch board.

[BenC0722]

I run into this dilemma a lot as well. It helps a lot to somewhat plan ahead. You can build using existing floor plans (1 tile in TS3 = 1 meter IRL). Or you can build off what you have on your head.

I am personally not good with building those lovely looking houses with all the EFC tricks put in. But I love to build weird things that come to my mind, such as an underwater bar (bar in basement, surrounded by swimming pool). To prevent disappointment, don't start working on the actual building yet. Just find an empty lot about your intended size, you do your "sketches".

Really? I usually went with 1 tile = 2 feet, which is 2/3 of a yard, and just under 2/3 of a meter. Though 1 tile = 1 yard/meter isn't way out of line either. As I said in my previous post, improvising is almost always necessary.

Also, don't you mean CFE? I don't know what EFC is.


Another tip I should probably share is that if I want to center a house, I use guidelines. To make them, I will temporary build a fence along the edge that covers half the depth or width of the lot. Then at the midpoint, I build the fence one tile in. Then from that point, I'll place another fence that's half the width or depth of the house I'd want to build. Then I place another similar fence, but in the opposite direction.

After building the first floor, I usually delete these guidelines.

[Volvenom]

Just a few things.
1. It's not as easy to make a 3D house from just tiles on the ground. I would rather do it from a drawing.
2. You need to have some idea what to put in those rooms you build, so you know how much place they need.
3. To make things look interesting you have to look at your house from many views. From an angle, each room separately, furniture view, from a distance or close, and so on.
4. Another thing to keep in mind is the size. The smaller your house it the more difficult it will be.

[USNCaseySmith]

Really? I usually went with 1 tile = 2 feet, which is 2/3 of a yard, and just under 2/3 of a meter. Though 1 tile = 1 yard/meter isn't way out of line either. As I said in my previous post, improvising is almost always necessary.

Also, don't you mean CFE? I don't know what EFC is.


Another tip I should probably share is that if I want to center a house, I use guidelines. To make them, I will temporary build a fence along the edge that covers half the depth or width of the lot. Then at the midpoint, I build the fence one tile in. Then from that point, I'll place another fence that's half the width or depth of the house I'd want to build. Then I place another similar fence, but in the opposite direction.

After building the first floor, I usually delete these guidelines.

Well back to what you've told me, I had built basements (Walkouts, multi level, and even basement garages as well as attached garages) using the CFE cheat, so Im aware of what it does and how to use it. I just forgot the name thats all. I think what I'd really like to do when I get the money is get the many different EP's and Packs as this seems to add quite a lot of stuff to what is already there to build.

But back to the house building, Im aware of the 3ft to one tile in Sims 3 and I've used that before (Tried using floor plans) and got some really odd houses. But thanks for the tips, I will definately try some out later today when I make a mansion or house.

Id say it happens more that I screw up when I make a mansion though, because Im focussed on the house being so grand that I end up having very large rooms (Like an unnescesarily large kitchen) for example. I did finish one yesterday and It came out half way decent so I guess Im going to try again today. Ive noticed though, housebuilding can just be a downright long process sometimes taking me a few hours just to get the walls up.

What are some other ideas you guys would use?? Like for me, instead of having "90 Degree Corners" on the outside walls of the house, I usually cut those all off at 45 degrees. To me it just adds a more asthetic appeal then just a bunch of boxes put together. Plus I like making central courtyards that connect to everything too.

[BenC0722]

Well back to what you've told me, I had built basements (Walkouts, multi level, and even basement garages as well as attached garages) using the CFE cheat, so Im aware of what it does and how to use it. I just forgot the name thats all. I think what I'd really like to do when I get the money is get the many different EP's and Packs as this seems to add quite a lot of stuff to what is already there to build.


The EP that adds the most in regard to additional build mode objects is LN, since it adds elevators and half-walls (basically like fences, but needs wall textures). And you can use CASt to change the colors of the stuff on top of the half-walls, in case you don't like the default colors.

All EPs add buy mode objects though. SPs just add buy mode objects, and just different versions of base game objects, so if money can be an issue you can safely skip SPs without missing out on game play options.


Id say it happens more that I screw up when I make a mansion though, because Im focussed on the house being so grand that I end up having very large rooms (Like an unnescesarily large kitchen) for example. I did finish one yesterday and It came out half way decent so I guess Im going to try again today. Ive noticed though, housebuilding can just be a downright long process sometimes taking me a few hours just to get the walls up.

It can be tricky to choose room sizes that make sense. It helps to keep in mind how large different objects are. Like twin size beds are always 3x1, queen/king size beds are always 3x2, counters are all 1x1, and so on. Desks are all 2x1, but really require 2x2 because of the chair.

As far as how long it can take, it can take quite some time if you're building from the ground up, and want to build something that looks very nice. I find that it can take anywhere from a couple hours to even 12 hours in more extreme cases (usually affected by lot size, number of floors, and whether I furnish the lot). Parks are usually easier to make, since two story structures on such lots are rare.


What are some other ideas you guys would use?? Like for me, instead of having "90 Degree Corners" on the outside walls of the house, I usually cut those all off at 45 degrees. To me it just adds a more asthetic appeal then just a bunch of boxes put together. Plus I like making central courtyards that connect to everything too.

When building houses, as far as I'm concerned, any technique is up for grabs. But I don't use every possible technique on every house, only if it's appropriate. For instance, not every house is a split level house, or has split level stairs, so I don't build that into every house. Also, the CFE technique to build extremely tall structures (you still only have 5 usable floors) is generally inappropriate for houses, but might be good for smoke stacks and lighthouses.

There are some things I do for every house though. When I get around to landscaping, I use a dirt terrain paint to cover the ground underneath any flowers, and often underneath the actual swing (if I place any swings). This is because in such areas, grass often can't grow. Also, this is more a personal thing than anything, but if a foundation is used, I tend to use dirt on the terrain underneath, because grass can't grow under a house.

When building garages, I usually follow the guideline of (4)(# of garage doors) + 2 to determine garage width, since garage doors look odd when perfectly flush with a right-angled wall. For two or three car garages, I have to use multiple garage doors. There aren't any double-width garage doors, something I hope is fixed in a later EP.

I also tend to place flowers in the one tile space directly next to the base of the house, though that's not the only place where you can put them.

Moveobjects can be useful at times to place objects even when there otherwise isn't any room, but if used improperly, can result in objects being unusable, or other objects being blocked. It's also dangerous since it also lets you delete sims and mailboxes, so I'd turn it off whenever it's not absolutely needed. Not trying to scare you away from using it, but be careful when using it.

One last thing for now. You know how some houses and apartments have a combined kitchen/living room area? Then there's a different floor style in the same room, such as tiles for the kitchen, and carpet or wood for the rest of the room? You can do that in TS3 of course, but you might think the transition between the floor types looks odd, as if something is missing.

Well, something is missing; the floor molding. You just use the first fence type you see, that looks like a thin line. Don't worry, unlike most fences, it's not really a "fence" because sims can cross it without worries. You can also place objects over it too.

[USNCaseySmith]

The EP that adds the most in regard to additional build mode objects is LN, since it adds elevators and half-walls (basically like fences, but needs wall textures). And you can use CASt to change the colors of the stuff on top of the half-walls, in case you don't like the default colors.

All EPs add buy mode objects though. SPs just add buy mode objects, and just different versions of base game objects, so if money can be an issue you can safely skip SPs without missing out on game play options.



It can be tricky to choose room sizes that make sense. It helps to keep in mind how large different objects are. Like twin size beds are always 3x1, queen/king size beds are always 3x2, counters are all 1x1, and so on. Desks are all 2x1, but really require 2x2 because of the chair.

As far as how long it can take, it can take quite some time if you're building from the ground up, and want to build something that looks very nice. I find that it can take anywhere from a couple hours to even 12 hours in more extreme cases (usually affected by lot size, number of floors, and whether I furnish the lot). Parks are usually easier to make, since two story structures on such lots are rare.



When building houses, as far as I'm concerned, any technique is up for grabs. But I don't use every possible technique on every house, only if it's appropriate. For instance, not every house is a split level house, or has split level stairs, so I don't build that into every house. Also, the CFE technique to build extremely tall structures (you still only have 5 usable floors) is generally inappropriate for houses, but might be good for smoke stacks and lighthouses.

There are some things I do for every house though. When I get around to landscaping, I use a dirt terrain paint to cover the ground underneath any flowers, and often underneath the actual swing (if I place any swings). This is because in such areas, grass often can't grow. Also, this is more a personal thing than anything, but if a foundation is used, I tend to use dirt on the terrain underneath, because grass can't grow under a house.

When building garages, I usually follow the guideline of (4)(# of garage doors) + 2 to determine garage width, since garage doors look odd when perfectly flush with a right-angled wall. For two or three car garages, I have to use multiple garage doors. There aren't any double-width garage doors, something I hope is fixed in a later EP.

I also tend to place flowers in the one tile space directly next to the base of the house, though that's not the only place where you can put them.

Moveobjects can be useful at times to place objects even when there otherwise isn't any room, but if used improperly, can result in objects being unusable, or other objects being blocked. It's also dangerous since it also lets you delete sims and mailboxes, so I'd turn it off whenever it's not absolutely needed. Not trying to scare you away from using it, but be careful when using it.

One last thing for now. You know how some houses and apartments have a combined kitchen/living room area? Then there's a different floor style in the same room, such as tiles for the kitchen, and carpet or wood for the rest of the room? You can do that in TS3 of course, but you might think the transition between the floor types looks odd, as if something is missing.

Well, something is missing; the floor molding. You just use the first fence type you see, that looks like a thin line. Don't worry, unlike most fences, it's not really a "fence" because sims can cross it without worries. You can also place objects over it too.

Well thats good stuff there! I really try to make open style house (use arches to all major rooms) I call it a medditeranean(Sp?) influence just because I love the look of it, and thank you about the garage, one thing I could never seem to get right was the garage looking good.

Another thing that bugs me is its hard to create realistic hallways (In my opinion) because in most small family size houses Ive been in/ seen the hallways are enough room for two people to juuust slide past each other if they're walking separate ways. I wish EA would allow sims to do that instead of just blocking each other's way.

Im definately thinking of doing a garage added onto a foundation home sometime soon. Then maybe another mansion. So wish me luck! And I will definately come back here sometime to maybe even upload some houses. I know some really big ones are lacking on the site for base game people.

[hellomark]

Thanks for the advise. Its really useful.

[Deluxe Designs]

http://www.modthesims.info/wiki.php?title=Tutorials:Building_Great_Realistic_Houses_-_From_the_Ground_Up

Read the two subsequent tiptorials

[BirdofPrey]

Seems like this has already been (partially) said, but Ill go ahead and reiterate some bits.

First, I usually decide how big of a family this is supposed to hold and what class they are in, to determine size.
Next I decide how many floors I want as well as if I want it to be a split level and if it is to have a loft (/attic, ie. a room directly below the roof) and/or basement and if the house is going to be on a raised foundation or flat on the ground.
Once that step which is going to have some impact on the shape I decide what rooms it is going to have. At it's basic a house contains one or more bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen with at least enough room for a small table and a living room. With those basic rooms I can decide how many bedrooms and bathrooms (both full and half) it is going to have as well as if it is going to have any additional rooms and what tey are going to be: dinging room, family room, den, home office, etc. These rooms can be multifunctional.
Once the rooms are decided I figure out how I want them connected and, possibly, what levels each should be on. How open do I want the floor plan (at one end every room is completely seperate with four walls and a ceiling, at the other, the divisions between the common rooms can only be determined by looking at the floor and the second floor has space open to the first). Additionally should the bedrooms be connected directly to the common areas or am I going with hallways, and which (if any) of the bathrooms are going to be en suite (eg. master bathroom, and jack and jill bathrooms)

Once those are decided I can come up with a rough idea of where the rooms are. A scratch pad is nice for this since I usually draw a preliminary sketch to show where the rooms connect to each other (at this point the size and shape isn't wholly relevant).
After deciding where the rooms are linking up at, I actually start building based on that plan keeping general sizes of rooms in mind, and a preliminary idea how the placement and orientation of items.
Afterwards, I generally end up with a quite jagged looking house, so i fiddle with the walls to make it look more appealing from the outside. Rooms become bigger and smaller at this point. A bedroom might gain enough space for a chair, or a desk, and the living room might lose some space and have to fit a loveseat instead of a couch.

Once that looks good, put on a roof and install windows and doors, making adjustments to the walls if the doors don't fit (sometimes angled walls are nice for getting that last bit of space). Make sure to look at the house from the outside from a distance to make sure the windows don't look off and the house out of balance because of it.
Paint goes on, and the flooring gets installed.
Then we can move outside for landscaping, I suck at this so I can't give you any advice.

Remember four walls meeting at right angles is boring, so don't be shy around angled walls and houses with bends in them (a lot of houses are l shaped), and if you know how to pull it off, having different rooms on different levels adds a bit of interest (for instance, I lived in a house where the living room was a bit lower than the rest of the house, and I recently saw one where one of the bedrooms on the second floor was a bit higher than the rest of the rooms on that floor. A few steps up here and a few down there add visual interest from the inside. Also just as multiple floors can add more interest and square footage inside the house, balconies can add more outdoor space and additional visual interest outside; you can also let your sims do stuff on the roof if your house features a flat roof.
Some steps can be rearranged, and I often put cheap items in different areas as a sizing guide, but I think the most important step is probably the planning phase before the first wall is put up. I often take inspiration from real houses/floorplans (and sometimes try to create sim houses directly from good plans I've found off the internet).