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Scholar
Original Poster
#1 Old 19th Sep 2019 at 9:21 AM
Default Problem with split level stairs
Hopefully this is the right forum to post this. I have a problem with the staircases in a house that I've just built. Sims appear to have some problems when using them.

- When the Sim attempts to walk from the 1st floor to the basement, they go through the floor, walk down one of the staircases as normal, then turn invisible as they walk down the final staircase.
- When they attempt to walk back from the basement to the 1st floor, they suddenly appear on the ground floor and walk up as normal.
- If they walk out the back door on the bottom landing, they can't use it anymore.
- If they attempt to walk from that landing up to the ground floor, they go through the floor up to the landing above and walk down.
There's probably a lot more where that came from.

I love this game's CAST but dear god when it comes to split level work
Screenshots
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Senior Moderator
staff: senior moderator
#2 Old 19th Sep 2019 at 10:35 AM
I've never had a problem caused by split levels, but there can be problems with sims using stairs when they (the sims) have been moved with moveobjects on. So if you have moved sims around for screenshots etc in build/buy mode using the hand tool, then to fix them you need to either reset them or just teleport them to another spot and they should be fine. Otherwise they have trouble using stairs like walking down stairs and then suddenly jumping to the top.

Not sure if this is the same problem you're having but if you have moved the sims with the hand tool, it probably is this
Scholar
Original Poster
#3 Old 19th Sep 2019 at 11:21 AM
Quote: Originally posted by zoe22
I've never had a problem caused by split levels, but there can be problems with sims using stairs when they (the sims) have been moved with moveobjects on. So if you have moved sims around for screenshots etc in build/buy mode using the hand tool, then to fix them you need to either reset them or just teleport them to another spot and they should be fine. Otherwise they have trouble using stairs like walking down stairs and then suddenly jumping to the top.

Not sure if this is the same problem you're having but if you have moved the sims with the hand tool, it probably is this


Thanks! Yes I've been moving the Sim around a bit with moveobjects on, because he had problems using stairs that were there before.
Eh, almost... this staircase is still a problem. As soon as he reaches the top he goes back down.
Screenshots
dodgy builder
#4 Old 19th Sep 2019 at 12:53 PM
I have had that sort of problems for ages. I build lots of houses and I never move sims around with moveobjects on. I didn't think it was possible. I use moveobjects a lot.

I have thought it's more connected to how the house has been made. I haven't tested my theory with the reset cheat.
Scholar
Original Poster
#5 Old 19th Sep 2019 at 12:58 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Volvenom
I have had that sort of problems for ages. I build lots of houses and I never move sims around with moveobjects on. I didn't think it was possible. I use moveobjects a lot.

I have thought it's more connected to how the house has been made. I haven't tested my theory with the reset cheat.


Not even this works.
Screenshots
Top Secret Researcher
#6 Old 19th Sep 2019 at 2:16 PM
Stacked stairs often cause problems. As far as I know they work in certain orientations but not all. Have you tried to remove the stairs to the basement and see if the split stairs work then?
Scholar
Original Poster
#7 Old 19th Sep 2019 at 4:41 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Norn
Stacked stairs often cause problems. As far as I know they work in certain orientations but not all. Have you tried to remove the stairs to the basement and see if the split stairs work then?


Removing the faulty staircase worked, but if I replace it, it doesn't work. Also it means that Sims have to go round the front of the house, and it upsets the flow of the stairs.

It might be good for me to attach the lot.
Instructor
#8 Old 19th Sep 2019 at 6:42 PM Last edited by cutsocks : 19th Sep 2019 at 8:20 PM.
One way you can work around stacked stairs is to have the distance between the stairs greater than one floor. The three staircases in my Public School Number 01 work essentially the way you've designed your stairs. But I put in a quarter-height dummy floor between the ground floor and the 1st floor, so that the stairs bits that are directly above each other are more than one floor. I'm not sure how much above one floor you need, but you might be able to get away with a dummy floor only one step high.

To clarify a bit: The landing between the ground and 1st floor would be the dummy floor, and they amount of steps between that landing and the ground floor would be greater than eight, depending on how tall you made the dummy floor (which would mean they's stick a little into the room on the ground floor next to that bookcase). From that landing to the 1st floor would be the same eight steps. Ignore that. Not clarifying at all, probably more confusing than ever...
Scholar
Original Poster
#9 Old 19th Sep 2019 at 7:39 PM Last edited by WatermelonSandal : 19th Sep 2019 at 8:20 PM.
Quote: Originally posted by cutsocks
One way you can work around stacked stairs is to have the distance between the stairs greater than one floor. The three staircases in my Public School Number 01 work essentially the way you've designed your stairs. But I put in a quarter-height dummy floor between the ground floor and the 1st floor, so that the stairs bits that are directly above each other are more than one floor. I'm not sure how much above one floor you need, but you might be able to get away with a dummy floor only one step high.


I'm downloading that lot right now to look closer.

Update: I've looked at the lot (awesome work!) and its staircases. I think I see what you mean by dummy floors.



Would it be good for me to upload the lot here to see what's wrong?
Screenshots
Instructor
#10 Old 19th Sep 2019 at 8:18 PM
Quote: Originally posted by WatermelonSandal
I'm downloading that lot right now to look closer.


Awesome, that saves me a bit of stumbling around trying to explain things. Like Norn said, the orientation of lots somehow does affect whether or not true stacked stairs work. For that lot I needed them both perpendicular and parallel to the street side, and the dummy floor worked out as the best solution. Obviously there's some extra CFE to line up those Supernatural windows, and I sincerely apologize for that lot being absolutely gigantic and not a small example.
Instructor
#11 Old 19th Sep 2019 at 8:41 PM
Quote: Originally posted by WatermelonSandal
Would it be good for me to upload the lot here to see what's wrong?


Sure, if you wanna. I'll take a closer look.
Scholar
Original Poster
#12 Old 19th Sep 2019 at 10:00 PM
Quote: Originally posted by cutsocks
Sure, if you wanna. I'll take a closer look.


Here's the lot.

Requires Seasons and Supernatural
Attached files:
File Type: rar  ws_kenthorpe.rar (2.41 MB, 5 downloads) - View custom content
Instructor
#13 Old 20th Sep 2019 at 5:01 AM
Alrighty, I've taken a look.

Funnily enough, when I first placed the lot down, it was in the right orientation, and the stairs worked fine! Of course, lol. But putting the house on a lot oriented the other way and the stairs behaved exactly how you described.

The dummy floor is going to be the best bet, so I went ahead and tried it with a height of only one step and it works and looks pretty great. The downside are that it adds the cost of another floor of walls to the price of the house, makes you have to flip across another floor when playing, and in your case, screws up the window alignment on the front of the house.

Honestly, I like the two wide stairs you had originally in this thread better than the chunk of walls in the middle, but I just went with what you sent me. Of course, if someone comes up with a more elegant solution, go with that.
Screenshots
Attached files:
File Type: zip  Kenthorpe with dummy floor.zip (3.12 MB, 6 downloads) - View custom content
Scholar
Original Poster
#14 Old 20th Sep 2019 at 7:05 AM
Quote: Originally posted by cutsocks
Alrighty, I've taken a look.

Funnily enough, when I first placed the lot down, it was in the right orientation, and the stairs worked fine! Of course, lol. But putting the house on a lot oriented the other way and the stairs behaved exactly how you described.

The dummy floor is going to be the best bet, so I went ahead and tried it with a height of only one step and it works and looks pretty great. The downside are that it adds the cost of another floor of walls to the price of the house, makes you have to flip across another floor when playing, and in your case, screws up the window alignment on the front of the house.

Honestly, I like the two wide stairs you had originally in this thread better than the chunk of walls in the middle, but I just went with what you sent me. Of course, if someone comes up with a more elegant solution, go with that.


Thanks, the staircase is working now. It's pretty much ready for upload.



(but it's ridiculous that that's what you have to do just to get working split level stairs)
dodgy builder
#15 Old 20th Sep 2019 at 7:38 AM
That is weird. Just addind a dummy floor fix the issue. Too bad I can't do that in ts4.
Scholar
Original Poster
#16 Old 20th Sep 2019 at 8:55 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Volvenom
That is weird. Just addind a dummy floor fix the issue. Too bad I can't do that in ts4.


I know right. The house is up here. http://modthesims.info/download.php?t=633036
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