Thank you MerryWiddow, Taking pictures is definitly something I need to work on. I just read your info on taking pictures and im anxious to start up my game and try it. I have no idea how to make a cover picture but I see you have a link to a thread that tells you how, im definitly going to check it out. This thread is amazing, its bookmarked and you'll see me again.
Magician1, Thank you so much for the feedback. Its just those little things that you don't think about and then when someone mentions it you'll always check and make sure you have them. I can't believe I've never even put lights outside by the doors on any of the houses I built. I guess its just something that never crossed my mind but I'll definitly make sure I have them now. You must not have the set I have for the nursery (that animals set) because im pretty sure it was a pink crib not green lol. Thanks again for the advice, I don't think any of it was negative. It will all help me with my future builds.
You're welcome and glad I could be of assistance. Hope we see you soon again.
Hi there MerryWiddow!
Here is one of my recent builds! I am interested to hear what you have to say about it! Here is the link to the thread where the lot was originally posted:
Hi Yanti. Welcome. You have a very good promotional thread going there. The only suggestion I would have about the pictures, is to try and get more of them at sim's eye level with one overall top down view of each floor for the floorplans. The pictures show the house from every angle and show you're strengths. I'm looking forward to play testing it. I will respond again when I've had a chance to take a closer look around.
MerryWiddow
Hi Yanti.
First thing I want to say is a suggestion to all. When you share your lot and put in your lovely new name and description; all of that disappears when your lot is downloaded. If you wish it to stay so the downloader knows it is from you and maybe return for more of your work, you need to change the name and put in the description in the info and save it before you share.
Now on to 'Swan House'. Well Magician and I moved in and the first thing we did was move the garbage can into the corner of the front garden by that little Ornamental Pear tree out of site. The second thing Magician did was go fishing, while I explored the house.
The landscaping is very well done. The mixture of terrain paint and rocks blended well together looking seemless. The only thing I would have changed is the terrain paint in the pond itself. I might not have used grass so close to and into the water. I enjoyed your use of both the natural beauty of the pond and the cultured formal garden around the rest of the house.
The archetecture of the house is interesting. The roof line looks good from all angles. The layout of the rooms is well planned. With the shared living spaces in the centre. The only thing I question is having the bathroom so far away form the main floor bedroom. I am a bit of a stickler when it comes to ceilings. I like the authenticity of looking up while taking the promotional pictures and seeing a ceiling.
The interior design flows nicely. The placement of the furniture is aesthetically pleasing and functional. I noticed in the main floor bedroom that you used two different patterns on the beds. I'd like to know your reasoning for this move. I would have made them both the same. They do seem to clash a little.
The dining room is another area I noticed you have used different wood grains for the table and the chairs. The chairs also are very contemporary, whereas, the table is more traditional. They might work better together if the table was also more contemporary to fit in with the rest of the house.
In the kitchen, I love the darker wood on the top cabinets. It adds interest. I like the layout and the upper cabinets by the table. Did you try putting a bookshelf under the these cabinets using moveObjects? The large contemporary one would fit perfectly there and might add more interest to that wall.
The living room is perfect in the black and white with the blue accent colour. I wish we had cushions for the sofa. Blue cushions would look lovely there. I wouldn't change a thing in this room.
For the bedroom, the only change I would make, is to make the frames on the pictures the same colour as the furniture. Otherwise, it is a beautiful room. Both bathrooms are very nicely decorated and functional.
In every room, I got the 'Nicely Decorated' moodlet.
Wow quite the collabrative effort...my second fovorite M&M's second only to the chocolate kind! lol Great idea Mag and Merry I know I will be using this thread all the time for help!
Well, I just uploaded my house last night and I would love some input. Don't worry about hurting my feelings, I can take anything lol. This is my 3rd house I've built and I know its not the best but if you look at my first house its improved alot since then, or at least thats what I like to think lol. So, please just give me your honest feedback.
I've taken a look at your story and I'm going to refer you the the 3rd and 5th posts on this thread. The 3rd deals with changing you cover picture and the 5th addresses taking pictures for your promotion.
You will find that changing you cover picture will increase your downloads. It stands out more to potential 'buyers'. The pictures you used in your story, as you said, were not very good. However, you need to be very positive in your promotion. Think of youself as a salesperson. Practice taking pictures using the method in the 5th post on this thread. You will find you will get amazing pictures.
One other thing I would suggest is that you consider giving your creation a unique name. I've dl'd and rec'd and will get back to you again after I have play tested and taken a closer look.
MerryWiddow
Hi happyone2009,
I like you choice of colour for the exterior of the house. Very cheery. Your use of moveObjects to place the picnic table allows for large parties. I would have placed the picnic basket on the picnic table though instead of on the ground. Just one note to you though, I almost missed the picnic table beacuse it blends in so well with the deck.
The archetecture is nicely laid out and as I've said before I think ceilings are a must. Magician noted the different wallcoverings on the peaks and it was especially noticable in "cameraman mode" while touring the house.
Entering the living room I see a lovely shade of green, a very pleasing colour. I think, however, possibly a pattern on the sofa in the same shade would add a little more interest to the room. I think curtains would add a little dimention to the room as well. I also noticed on one side of the room you have used the very modern 'Funshine Wall Lamp', on the other sie of the room you have used the 'Far Out Wall Sconce' and on the ceiling the 'Lucid Light'. Also one of the sconces is on a door. Oops. I like your use of moveObjects for the furniture placement in this room.
The kitchen is very nicely done and the colours work well together. The flow is good.
I also think glass doors to a bedroom would probably not be appreciated by you're amourous sims.
In the bathroom again you have two different types of lights. I love the floor tile in the little pink half bathroom, but both could use a little decor. Maybe just a towel rack, toilet paper roll and a picture on the wall.
In the gym the picture frames can be CAS'd to matching colours. Maybe a little colour on the picture frames and colourful curtains would make the room pop a bit more.
In the study the problem with the non working computer was easity rectified by moving the desk over a little using the alt key and placing the chair in it's proper place. A very nice peacefule place to study.
The nursery, however, is just too adorable. I love it. I hope it's a girl.
Wow quite the collabrative effort...my second fovorite M&M's second only to the chocolate kind! lol Great idea Mag and Merry I know I will be using this thread all the time for help!
This is a very good idea for a topic. Ive been wanting to improve my building skill since I started my legacy. I know my main problem is making the house too square. I know for the other houses you have dl and played in the house but would it be ok if I just gave you a picture of the outside(being the place I need to most work)?
This is a very good idea for a topic. Ive been wanting to improve my building skill since I started my legacy. I know my main problem is making the house too square. I know for the other houses you have dl and played in the house but would it be ok if I just gave you a picture of the outside(being the place I need to most work)?
Welcome and yes u can place a pic only as that is also very usefull to make a valuation and comments.
This is a very good idea for a topic. Ive been wanting to improve my building skill since I started my legacy. I know my main problem is making the house too square. I know for the other houses you have dl and played in the house but would it be ok if I just gave you a picture of the outside(being the place I need to most work)?
Welcome Meredith. Thank you and, of course, you can post your pictures of the exterior only. Try to get in as close as you can and get one from every angle.
Ok,So magician says i need to stop in and do some shameless promoting here.Well I'll get to that.After reading from beginning to here,I noticed a few conversations.I see this thread was set up for beginners to improve their builds.I think That is a great idea.I have tried helping several beginners get started.
Minraed made a post that i think should be seen by all explaing the function of this thread most clearly.
Magician also made a post about his Travels thru the critiquing Of his builds since he started.I personally have seen this mans builds improve drastically due to some harsh comments in the begining.I have had the trials as he with my builds.i read comments on my personal builds from others wishing they could do builds like i do.WELL its due to forums such as this that my own builds have improved so much.
So anyone posting here,Please be aware we are just trying to help you improve,I know i cant please everyone and i dont worry about download counts.I appreciate Recs more than anything,because i know those come from people who really appreciate my work.
My suggestion to beginners is to check out tutorials and try at least one new thing in each new build you do,Once you get the hang of things,Then you start trying more complex builds.Anyway,Enough of my rambling..Self promotion to come..LOL..BTW,you can click my siggies to see my studio or my thread with builds i have done.
Well my friends,i have spent the weekend building a request home.So here i am shamelessly promoting it..LOL...Well here is my latest built Montereaux.I hope you all like it.
Alright Shameless promotion #2...This is My team submission to Fids beach House challenge.This home is a combined effort of myself and Racncone123(Dream Designs).We hope you all like it and please give recs.I have the home,But she is making the story,so that will be coming soon.
Another way to make your landscaping interesting is to go to the Better Homes and Gardens website. There are literly hundreds of photos there of gardens that can start the creative juices flowing. When I built Small World I started with the picture of a garden that grew.
One thing to remember is that when placing the plants you will get a more realistic result if you use moveObjects on. Holding the 'Alt' key while placing the plant will allow you to rotate or place off grid.
Ok,So magician says i need to stop in and do some shameless promoting here.Well I'll get to that.After reading from beginning to here,I noticed a few conversations.I see this thread was set up for beginners to improve their builds.I think That is a great idea.I have tried helping several beginners get started.
Minraed made a post that i think should be seen by all explaing the function of this thread most clearly.
Magician also made a post about his Travels thru the critiquing Of his builds since he started.I personally have seen this mans builds improve drastically due to some harsh comments in the begining.I have had the trials as he with my builds.i read comments on my personal builds from others wishing they could do builds like i do.WELL its due to forums such as this that my own builds have improved so much.
So anyone posting here,Please be aware we are just trying to help you improve,I know i cant please everyone and i dont worry about download counts.I appreciate Recs more than anything,because i know those come from people who really appreciate my work.
My suggestion to beginners is to check out tutorials and try at least one new thing in each new build you do,Once you get the hang of things,Then you start trying more complex builds.Anyway,Enough of my rambling..Self promotion to come..LOL..BTW,you can click my siggies to see my studio or my thread with builds i have done.
Welcome Darkside. I'm glad you stopped by. We have a motto as you probably read in the first post. Your comments are most definately welcome and will help the builders here improve.
Well my friends,i have spent the weekend building a request home.So here i am shamelessly promoting it..LOL...Well here is my latest built Montereaux.I hope you all like it.
Well Darkside, I'm going to give you the same advice I've given others. Ready? You have done a story to promote your build, however, as I've said in previous posts I always find the story more interesting if the pictures are taken in "Cameraman Mode" and from the Sims eye view. They give a better feel for the house and you are able to get better close-ups of the great features in your build.
I've already rec'd the story and the lot.
That said I'm now going to download and take a closer look.
I'm going to suggest that anyone interested in improving your landscaping skills download any of Darkside's lots. Darkside is very good at landscaping.
MerryWiddow
Edit: Darkside, I attempted to download this lot but it would not download. I got 'There was and error downloading content Montereaux #2' in my launcher. I hope you can clear up this problem as I would love to take a look. MW
Alright Shameless promotion #2...This is My team submission to Fids beach House challenge.This home is a combined effort of myself and Racncone123(Dream Designs).We hope you all like it and please give recs.I have the home,But she is making the story,so that will be coming soon.
Okay Darkside, I've rec'd the lot, but I choose not to download at this time because I'm doing Fidlerten's Beachy Beach House Challenge as well. Maybe Magician will want to download as he's not in the challenge. Good luck Darkside.
Wow what a great and very helpful thread you 2 have going here and Minread you are oh so right with your sound advice for constructive criticism, right on target girl! 8) The saying does go "if you can't take the heat, then stay out the kitchen" lol I think even the most experienced builders learn from different views and opinions and in turn challenge themselves to improve on each consecutive build...I know I sure do. IDK what I would have done in sims 2 if I hadn't watched and listen to others while learning to perfect my skills. 8) And now with sims 3 it's kind of like starting from scratch in many areas, so the best advice to anyone is to watch carefully with a very keen eye,listen to what others are trying to say without getting your britches in a wad and learn by all your trials and errors. It can only get better as you go along And always remember this is a game people which is meant to have fun, and we are all here to share, support, and make friends with the same interests as ourselves. This is a great community so lets keep it thriving
I will be sure to pop in from time to time for now, but once I get to Norway and my new pc, I will do my best to help out in here as well as learn myself...I am such a perfectionist which can be a curse at times but I value others opinions which inspire me to do better.BTW keep up the great work you have going here M&M.
Hugs, Terry
I own every basegame, EP, GP, SP and kits for all sims, ie.., sims 1, 2, 3 and 4
I am a sims 3 Store Owner Thanks to all my Amazing friends here, and I do own all store stuff from sims 2 as well!
Wow what a great and very helpful thread you 2 have going here and Minread you are oh so right with your sound advice for constructive criticism, right on target girl! 8) The saying does go "if you can't take the heat, then stay out the kitchen" lol I think even the most experienced builders learn from different views and opinions and in turn challenge themselves to improve on each consecutive build...I know I sure do. IDK what I would have done in sims 2 if I hadn't watched and listen to others while learning to perfect my skills. 8) And now with sims 3 it's kind of like starting from scratch in many areas, so the best advice to anyone is to watch carefully with a very keen eye,listen to what others are trying to say without getting your britches in a wad and learn by all your trials and errors. It can only get better as you go along And always remember this is a game people which is meant to have fun, and we are all here to share, support, and make friends with the same interests as ourselves. This is a great community so lets keep it thriving
I will be sure to pop in from time to time for now, but once I get to Norway and my new pc, I will do my best to help out in here as well as learn myself...I am such a perfectionist which can be a curse at times but I value others opinions which inspire me to do better.BTW keep up the great work you have going here M&M.
Hugs, Terry
Welcome and thanks for your comments Terry. I'm a perfectionist too, so I understand very well.
Comments
You're welcome and glad I could be of assistance. Hope we see you soon again.
Thank you
Hi Yanti.
First thing I want to say is a suggestion to all. When you share your lot and put in your lovely new name and description; all of that disappears when your lot is downloaded. If you wish it to stay so the downloader knows it is from you and maybe return for more of your work, you need to change the name and put in the description in the info and save it before you share.
Now on to 'Swan House'. Well Magician and I moved in and the first thing we did was move the garbage can into the corner of the front garden by that little Ornamental Pear tree out of site. The second thing Magician did was go fishing, while I explored the house.
The landscaping is very well done. The mixture of terrain paint and rocks blended well together looking seemless. The only thing I would have changed is the terrain paint in the pond itself. I might not have used grass so close to and into the water. I enjoyed your use of both the natural beauty of the pond and the cultured formal garden around the rest of the house.
The archetecture of the house is interesting. The roof line looks good from all angles. The layout of the rooms is well planned. With the shared living spaces in the centre. The only thing I question is having the bathroom so far away form the main floor bedroom. I am a bit of a stickler when it comes to ceilings. I like the authenticity of looking up while taking the promotional pictures and seeing a ceiling.
The interior design flows nicely. The placement of the furniture is aesthetically pleasing and functional. I noticed in the main floor bedroom that you used two different patterns on the beds. I'd like to know your reasoning for this move. I would have made them both the same. They do seem to clash a little.
The dining room is another area I noticed you have used different wood grains for the table and the chairs. The chairs also are very contemporary, whereas, the table is more traditional. They might work better together if the table was also more contemporary to fit in with the rest of the house.
In the kitchen, I love the darker wood on the top cabinets. It adds interest. I like the layout and the upper cabinets by the table. Did you try putting a bookshelf under the these cabinets using moveObjects? The large contemporary one would fit perfectly there and might add more interest to that wall.
The living room is perfect in the black and white with the blue accent colour. I wish we had cushions for the sofa. Blue cushions would look lovely there. I wouldn't change a thing in this room.
For the bedroom, the only change I would make, is to make the frames on the pictures the same colour as the furniture. Otherwise, it is a beautiful room. Both bathrooms are very nicely decorated and functional.
In every room, I got the 'Nicely Decorated' moodlet.
I found the house to be very playable. Great job.
MerryWiddow
Welcome pinkkittyrokz. We are looking forward to your next build. Get those construction workers going!
MerryWiddow
Luv Bre
Hi happyone2009,
I like you choice of colour for the exterior of the house. Very cheery. Your use of moveObjects to place the picnic table allows for large parties. I would have placed the picnic basket on the picnic table though instead of on the ground. Just one note to you though, I almost missed the picnic table beacuse it blends in so well with the deck.
The archetecture is nicely laid out and as I've said before I think ceilings are a must. Magician noted the different wallcoverings on the peaks and it was especially noticable in "cameraman mode" while touring the house.
Entering the living room I see a lovely shade of green, a very pleasing colour. I think, however, possibly a pattern on the sofa in the same shade would add a little more interest to the room. I think curtains would add a little dimention to the room as well. I also noticed on one side of the room you have used the very modern 'Funshine Wall Lamp', on the other sie of the room you have used the 'Far Out Wall Sconce' and on the ceiling the 'Lucid Light'. Also one of the sconces is on a door. Oops. I like your use of moveObjects for the furniture placement in this room.
The kitchen is very nicely done and the colours work well together. The flow is good.
I also think glass doors to a bedroom would probably not be appreciated by you're amourous sims.
In the bathroom again you have two different types of lights. I love the floor tile in the little pink half bathroom, but both could use a little decor. Maybe just a towel rack, toilet paper roll and a picture on the wall.
In the gym the picture frames can be CAS'd to matching colours. Maybe a little colour on the picture frames and colourful curtains would make the room pop a bit more.
In the study the problem with the non working computer was easity rectified by moving the desk over a little using the alt key and placing the chair in it's proper place. A very nice peacefule place to study.
The nursery, however, is just too adorable. I love it. I hope it's a girl.
Hope you find this useful.
MerryWiddow
Welcome Bre. Looking forward to more from you.
MerryWiddow
Welcome and yes u can place a pic only as that is also very usefull to make a valuation and comments.
Thank you
Welcome and thank you very much. See u soon again.
Welcome and thank you very much.
See u soon abck with us again.
Welcome and hope to see you soon.
MerryWiddow
Welcome Meredith. Thank you and, of course, you can post your pictures of the exterior only. Try to get in as close as you can and get one from every angle.
MerryWiddow
Minraed made a post that i think should be seen by all explaing the function of this thread most clearly.
Magician also made a post about his Travels thru the critiquing Of his builds since he started.I personally have seen this mans builds improve drastically due to some harsh comments in the begining.I have had the trials as he with my builds.i read comments on my personal builds from others wishing they could do builds like i do.WELL its due to forums such as this that my own builds have improved so much.
So anyone posting here,Please be aware we are just trying to help you improve,I know i cant please everyone and i dont worry about download counts.I appreciate Recs more than anything,because i know those come from people who really appreciate my work.
My suggestion to beginners is to check out tutorials and try at least one new thing in each new build you do,Once you get the hang of things,Then you start trying more complex builds.Anyway,Enough of my rambling..Self promotion to come..LOL..BTW,you can click my siggies to see my studio or my thread with builds i have done.
Lot:
http://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=1483368
Story:
http://www.thesims3.com/contentDetail.html?contentId=121629
Lot:
http://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=1483370
I have found this tutorial on landscaping. It is 3 parts and covers a lot from colour to ponds and will give you ideas to try on your own.
Landscaping Megatorial
Another way to make your landscaping interesting is to go to the Better Homes and Gardens website. There are literly hundreds of photos there of gardens that can start the creative juices flowing. When I built Small World I started with the picture of a garden that grew.
One thing to remember is that when placing the plants you will get a more realistic result if you use moveObjects on. Holding the 'Alt' key while placing the plant will allow you to rotate or place off grid.
Enjoy practicing.
MerryWiddow
Welcome Darkside. I'm glad you stopped by. We have a motto as you probably read in the first post. Your comments are most definately welcome and will help the builders here improve.
MerryWiddow
Well Darkside, I'm going to give you the same advice I've given others. Ready? You have done a story to promote your build, however, as I've said in previous posts I always find the story more interesting if the pictures are taken in "Cameraman Mode" and from the Sims eye view. They give a better feel for the house and you are able to get better close-ups of the great features in your build.
I've already rec'd the story and the lot.
That said I'm now going to download and take a closer look.
I'm going to suggest that anyone interested in improving your landscaping skills download any of Darkside's lots. Darkside is very good at landscaping.
MerryWiddow
Edit: Darkside, I attempted to download this lot but it would not download. I got 'There was and error downloading content Montereaux #2' in my launcher. I hope you can clear up this problem as I would love to take a look. MW
Okay Darkside, I've rec'd the lot, but I choose not to download at this time because I'm doing Fidlerten's Beachy Beach House Challenge as well. Maybe Magician will want to download as he's not in the challenge. Good luck Darkside.
MerryWiddow
I will be sure to pop in from time to time for now, but once I get to Norway and my new pc, I will do my best to help out in here as well as learn myself...I am such a perfectionist which can be a curse at times but I value others opinions which inspire me to do better.BTW keep up the great work you have going here M&M.
Hugs, Terry
I am a sims 3 Store Owner Thanks to all my Amazing friends here, and I do own all store stuff from sims 2 as well!
Welcome and thanks for your comments Terry. I'm a perfectionist too, so I understand very well.
MerryWiddow
here's the lot: http://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=1178661
here's a post with pictures: http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/104423.page