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Mad Poster
Original Poster
#1 Old 12th Jul 2013 at 1:37 AM
Default Community gym
First off, be nice, please? I built this for myself, and unlike many simmers I could not care less what the lot looks like from the outside. When I build, I have an idea of a room I want to make or an inner layout, and that is the focus of the build rather than getting it to look neat from the outside. For obvious reasons that isn't very compatible with MTS guidelines, since they are really focused on outside. But I really like how this lot came out (on the inside), and I'd like to find a way to share it with other simmers.

It's a mish mash of different gyms and bath-houses that I've been to, and is supposed to be a gym for the richer crowd. It's built as an OBF lot, but could of course be turned into a regular one. It's built with all EPs/SPs, but I'd probably re-build it in AGS to minimize the number of games used, and possibly make two different versions. One that uses the EPs/SPs I like, and one that is more basic. Has two pieces of CC, but both would be optional.

Okay, so, enough blabbering. I would love feedback on how to make the exterior more interesting, and any other feedback you'd like to give. I have attached images of what the lot looks like now. There's quite a few, I thought that attaching would be less annoying for the rest of you, since I don't know how to do spoilers.
Screenshots
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Mad Poster
#2 Old 12th Jul 2013 at 2:21 PM
I like how it looks from the outside. The hedges having open space behind them is weird though. If this isn't intended as an owned community lot, you wouldn't have to worry about the inaccessibility of hedges behind hedges because they'll never need trimming.

The different arrangements of windows facing front in the two wings is odd. How would you feel about making them symmetrical - i.e., either matching exactly, or arranged with the top floor on one side matching the bottom floor of the other?

Although the wall of windows is visually appealing, think about the people exercising on the machines. Do they want the people walking by on the street to look in and see them sweating? I remember doing early dance class in a storefront once, when we were hard up for practice space, and almost everyone was bothered by people walking by looking at us. Having the wall of windows on the swimming pool side might make more sense, as people in a swimming pool won't feel so exposed.

If you try to do a no-CC version you will find yourself immensely frustrated by the choice of tiles. With rooms this size, using two different kinds in adjacent spaces with different uses would be visually appealing; say, turquoise small tiles in the shower area and the white washroom tile in the stall area.

I don't see any place to eat comfortably. People will gravitate toward the vending machines but tend not to buy anything; and if they do, they'll have to go all the way outside to throw the wrappers away. Consider having a mini-kitchen with just a refrigerator, counters, and trash can - that way they can prepare salads and get protein shakes from the fridge, and throw the plates away.

Ugly is in the heart of the beholder.
(My simblr isSim Media Res . Widespot,Widespot RFD: The Subhood, and Land Grant University are all available here. In case you care.)
Constant Contestant
retired moderator
#3 Old 12th Jul 2013 at 3:07 PM
I think you need to add some height to the buildings too. Why not try adding some staging to the roof or a half wall?

Want a specific style of house or community building? Why not take a look at my profile and see what I build and then come ask me to make it!
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#4 Old 12th Jul 2013 at 9:36 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Peni Griffin
Although the wall of windows is visually appealing, think about the people exercising on the machines. Do they want the people walking by on the street to look in and see them sweating?


That part is intentional. Mostly every gym where I live has windows (although not as big) and it always bothers me to have people walk by staring at me. But that's the nice part of Sims, they don't care. I reason that they enjoy looking out at people passing by, and also that they like showing off that they are working out and how fit they are.

I would not mind making the two sides symmetrical, but on a personal note I am amused that you think it is less exposing to have big windows by the swimming area. I'd rather be watched sweating, than wearing nothing but swimwear I think I'll keep the big open windows, but make it symmetric between the two sides.

I won't be using CC for things like walls or floors, because I personally dislike CC-lots since I rarely want what other people want, so I'll be sticking to Maxis-stuff on that field. I'll consider adding some variation to different areas, though. I'll also fill up the gap behind hedges.

I don't personally want a place for Sims to eat in my gym, but I suppose there is space to add a small kitchen and some tables on the area above the gym-side, so I'll do that. It does add to the playability of the lot, so thanks for the tip.

Quote: Originally posted by karen lorraine
I think you need to add some height to the buildings too. Why not try adding some staging to the roof or a half wall?


What do you mean by "staging to the roof"?
Constant Contestant
retired moderator
#5 Old 13th Jul 2013 at 10:03 AM
Staging: apply the internal foundation to the roof.

The thing with creating and sharing for others is that sometimes you need to put personal preference aside so that the lot becomes more appealing to your audience (and I don't mean by adding CC). I found that out when I started creating 18mths ago, what I like is not necessarily what other simmers like, so I try to mix and match. The gym that I used to go to had large windows but they were one-way, so we could look out but passers by couldn't look in

Want a specific style of house or community building? Why not take a look at my profile and see what I build and then come ask me to make it!
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#6 Old 13th Jul 2013 at 12:07 PM
I like it. I would have less windows and I'm not sure about the triangle windows. I would probably have the long rectangular windows there. The hedges has already been mentioned. I like the balcony above the exercise equipment, maybe put in a few seats.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Mad Poster
#7 Old 13th Jul 2013 at 1:39 PM
Being exposed is part of going swimming; plus swimming is a graceful act and if you're in the water, people can't see you through the windows. Plus a lot of people hang around the pool in swimsuits as courtship display anyway. Working out is very different.

I'm not making a case for the change if that's a deliberate design feature, though. It's one thing to tweak a bit here and there to make a product more appealing, but never give in on the core elements of your vision. If it doesn't reflect your vision, there's no point to your being the one to do it.

Ugly is in the heart of the beholder.
(My simblr isSim Media Res . Widespot,Widespot RFD: The Subhood, and Land Grant University are all available here. In case you care.)
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#8 Old 13th Jul 2013 at 10:31 PM
Quote: Originally posted by karen lorraine
Staging: apply the internal foundation to the roof.


I'm afraid that still makes no sense to me. Internal foundation?

@Jo: I'm glad you like it. I completely forgot about the triangle windows. No idea why I put those there, I will most definitely remove.

Quote: Originally posted by Peni Griffin
If it doesn't reflect your vision, there's no point to your being the one to do it.


I'm glad you say that, because that's how I feel. One can always change things to make it more this or more that, but that wasn't the goal. It was to share something I made that I am proud of, with others who might enjoy the same thing. I'm happy to make some changes to it to make it fit for MTS, but the windows are part of the idea

And in the end, since this is a community lot it is super easy for the player to remove the windows and replace them with something else if they feel like it, so I think it'll be okay.

I'll make the tweaks and post some new pictures after that.
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#9 Old 13th Jul 2013 at 11:02 PM
I think she means the stage tool, found under foundations. I've never put it on top of a building so I've no idea how it looks. I would have thought it would make a line.
I would rather do CFE and make a real wall lower myself.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#10 Old 22nd Jul 2013 at 1:38 AM Last edited by gummilutt : 22nd Jul 2013 at 12:59 PM.
Life got in the middle and demanded time as usual, but I finally had the time to rearrange the lot based on feedback. I attached pictures of the areas that changed.

List of changes
1. Hedges are now filled out.
2. Windows are symmetrical on the front of lot. Because of size of windows and walls, the only way I could make it look reasonably good was by adding one-tile windows as well.
3. Triangle windows by entrance are replaced by rectangular ones, and door is changed to match.
4. Kitchen area has been added, along with a seating area to sit and eat. Candy machines removed.
6. Made a wallpaper for the upper floor above swimming pool, that matches the upper part of wallpaper below. Also changed floor on upper floor, along with wallpaper of the above-gym area.
7. Added staging to the roof to increase height of building.

What do you guys think?

EDIT: I fiddled a bit with kitchen since that picture, did not quite like the order. Too lazy to add a new picture, but it contains dish washer, trash compactor, two espresso machines, fridge, stove and a mixer. All of them are placed so that using one won't block another.
EDIT 2: Forgot to mention the staging. Thanks karren, I think that added a lot.
Screenshots
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#11 Old 22nd Jul 2013 at 1:57 AM
I think I would take the hedge back by one so they aren't so deep.

Is there something 'holding ' up that overhanging floor? I would put 4 walls as a type of column.

I'm also wondering why the changing booths are there and not in a bathroom. Personalty I wouldn't want to go into an area frequented by everyone and get changed in a tiny cubical.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#12 Old 22nd Jul 2013 at 2:48 AM
If I remove hedges, that widens the square in the middle being used for nothing. I already think it is borderline too wide, so I'm not sure I think that would make things better. Any suggestions on what to do if I do remove one row of hedges? I personally liked it more with the empty space behind, but that's just me.

There is nothing holding it up. One of the things I like about Sims is that you can step away from real life physics. I could add one column under the edge of kitchen, but more than that would mess with playability of the gym, and in my opinion, the atmosphere.

I tried a bunch of different ideas regarding changing booths, as I felt it made more sense to have a restroom, and then a changing room with showers, lockers and changing room. But nothing I tried would work with the space available, and I felt it made it messy and less aesthetically appealing. The whole idea of the entire lot is to be very open and air-y, with a lot of light. I don't see a way to keep that and have those been more private. The way I see it, the whole point of the booth is that you can change in private. When outside it you are either wearing clothes, or a towel, and the towel is going to cover more of you than the swimwear did, so in the end you aren't showing off any more in that area than you are in the swimming pool below. And showing off yourself is a key point of the gym.

I don't want to seem ungrateful for the feedback, I appreciate it, but as Peni said, it still has to be the lot I intended to make
Mad Poster
#13 Old 22nd Jul 2013 at 4:22 AM
Obviously, that floor is cantilevered. And every public pool I've ever been in had cubicles (some of them not even closed) in an open locker area. You only expect so much privacy in these situations.

Ugly is in the heart of the beholder.
(My simblr isSim Media Res . Widespot,Widespot RFD: The Subhood, and Land Grant University are all available here. In case you care.)
Constant Contestant
retired moderator
#14 Old 22nd Jul 2013 at 7:44 AM
I like the changes you have made. The windows at the front look much more balanced now. With the hedges, why not remove them and extend your flower beds?

Want a specific style of house or community building? Why not take a look at my profile and see what I build and then come ask me to make it!
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#15 Old 22nd Jul 2013 at 8:30 AM
My option (which of course you can ignore if you like, I'm no expert) is you can get away with all of it except the hedges. I believe I have a fairly good eye for landscaping and to me that area looks heavy, for want of a better word. With the shape of your building and entrance area that is where the eye will be drawn to. You could remove some hedge and extend the flowers or make a small flower bed in the centre of the wide path area and make more of a path way to the seats so it goes back one more square. I would just play around with it a bit. Another thought is you could do squares of pool, one say every 3 spaces or so, maybe on the diagonal along the middle of the entrance way leading to the front doors.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Constant Contestant
retired moderator
#16 Old 22nd Jul 2013 at 11:46 AM
I like Jo's ideas

Want a specific style of house or community building? Why not take a look at my profile and see what I build and then come ask me to make it!
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#17 Old 24th Jul 2013 at 12:05 AM
I'm afraid I did not quite understand Jo's suggestion. Are you saying all of it is okay except the hedges? And what do you mean "so it goes back one more square"? I also don't understand the pool part.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#18 Old 24th Jul 2013 at 2:43 AM
I apologize for double-posting, but as I am attaching images I wanted to keep it in a separate post.

Played around with it for a bit, and to be entirely honest I don't really like anything I came up with. As I suspected removing a row of hedges makes the square much too big, and adding things in the middle doesn't really change that in my opinion. However, as much as I don't mind the hedges myself, I guess it is something everyone else seemed to mind.

Attached pictures of the only thing I came up with so far that I don't dislike terribly.
Screenshots
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#19 Old 24th Jul 2013 at 2:56 AM
I'm going to load up soon, I'll see if I can replicate what I meant. I would have the path from the road to the doors wider and the path going to the seating narrower.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#20 Old 9th Nov 2013 at 3:50 PM Last edited by gummilutt : 9th Nov 2013 at 4:27 PM.
I'm going to revive this as I got back to working on the project. I thought I was done and ready to upload, but came across a problem when testing the lot as installed from the sims2package.

When using a lot installed from sims2package, the two-story chandeliers give errors and have to be deleted. That does not happen with lots built in game that were placed in lot catalog, so I'm confused. Is there anyone that could imagine helping me out and testing it in their game? Or that might know why it errors when installed but not when built in game?
Constant Contestant
retired moderator
#21 Old 9th Nov 2013 at 3:59 PM
Quote: Originally posted by gummilutt
I'm going to revive this as I got back to working on the project. I thought I was done and ready to upload, but came across a problem when testing the lot as installed from the sims2package.

When using a lot installed from sims2package, the two-story chandeliers give errors and have to be deleted. That does not happen with lots built in game that were placed in lot catalog, so I'm confused. Is there anyone that could imagine helping me out and testing it in their game? Or that might know why it errors when installed but not when built in game?
Have no idea why you're experiencing problems because I used a 2 storey chandelier in my Monmouth Manor House with no problems at all. Nobody has come back to me to say they have had problems with the chandelier on install either.

Want a specific style of house or community building? Why not take a look at my profile and see what I build and then come ask me to make it!
Née whiterider
retired moderator
#22 Old 9th Nov 2013 at 4:38 PM
It's not about the chandeliers, but one thing I would really suggest changing is the placement of the punchbags and the ceiling lights, which are suspended from thin air right now. For the lights I'd replace them with wall lights, or maybe those fancy in-floor lights. For the punchbags, you could swap them with the back row of exercise machines so they're under a ceiling - or you could add a fence cross the open area of the second floor, using the flat edge smoother fence, so it looks like there's a beam there which the punchbags are hanging from.

What I lack in decorum, I make up for with an absence of tact.
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#23 Old 9th Nov 2013 at 4:45 PM
With some further testing it appears that the problem is the fact that I remove my CC for the test. Why that matters, I can't imagine since it is a maxis chandelier. I thought the problem might be because it is not over floor tiles, and it is supposed to be, but that shouldn't be tied to my CC.

Really stumped. Would be immensely helpful to see if the same thing occurs to someone else, so if anyone is willing, please do tell
Constant Contestant
retired moderator
#24 Old 9th Nov 2013 at 4:56 PM
i will test in game for you if you would like me to, gummilutt

Want a specific style of house or community building? Why not take a look at my profile and see what I build and then come ask me to make it!
Mad Poster
Original Poster
#25 Old 9th Nov 2013 at 5:24 PM Last edited by gummilutt : 9th Nov 2013 at 5:48 PM.
Thank you, I appreciate it. I hope it's okay that I put files here temporarily.

-link removed-

If you don't mind, could you try with no downloads in (except the ones in the lot) first? And if that does error, try with your CC in. See if does the same to you as it does to me.
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