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BUILDERS' 101 - For Builders from Novice to Beyond

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  • bekkamerobekkamero Posts: 29 New Member
    edited November 2009
    magician1 wrote:
    Remember you can play around with roof heights.

    Funny thing really, the dome roof heights can not be changed.. that was one of the alterations i tried to do.. Thanks for the rug tip. I will use that in future builds too.
  • MerryWiddowMerryWiddow Posts: 4,262 Member
    edited November 2009
    Hi, I'm back and have a couple of thing I need help with. First, I need serious help with basement building since it will be a while before I can afford the WA expansion which from what I understand will completely solve my basement trials!
    I have followed some tutorials and can get the basements built but my walls are never useable? :( even after going through the tutorial countless times! My pathetic solution to the problem is to build another room within the basement foundation walls. I will post my pics to explain in a bit, but if anyone can give me help, I would appreciate it!

    This a pic of what I end up having to do in order to get useable walls in my basements-
    qp12j4.jpg


    My other question- I have a home ready for your feedback! I know there are quite a few problems with it so I am up to your comments! :mrgreen: I waited until today because it has been entered in our competetion which ends tonight. I just want feedback for future builds!
    Here are the links
    download for house http://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=1451290

    story walk through- http://www.thesims3.com/contentDetail.html?contentId=119347

    Hi Judy, here is a great tutorial on How To Build a Basement. Hope this helps.

    I will be downloading your lot and taking a closer look right now. I'll get back to you later this evening.

    MerryWiddow
  • MerryWiddowMerryWiddow Posts: 4,262 Member
    edited November 2009
    Hi guys, such a novice builder here, would love your feedback and help on my latest attempt! And thank you for taking the time to help us all. :)

    http://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=1487477

    I'm downloading now and I'll post later this evening.

    MerryWiddow
  • judywork1957judywork1957 Posts: 6,594 Member
    edited November 2009
    Ahhhh, got it now! Thank you so much! This video was much better than the other one I watched, although- it looks like I will still end up with a square of foundation around the outside... but it is much better than what I had, and when I can get the new expansion, I won't have to mess with it anyway!

    Now, I am trying to figure out how to do the L shaped stair, have read through the tutorials and am still not having much luck figuring it out! No matter how I try it, they don't come out the way they're suppose to! :( Arrrrgh why do I just not seem to get these things!! :cry:.... sorry, just gets me soooo frustrated!!
  • magician1magician1 Posts: 3,098 Member
    edited November 2009
    bekkamero wrote:
    magician1 wrote:
    Remember you can play around with roof heights.

    Funny thing really, the dome roof heights can not be changed.. that was one of the alterations i tried to do.. Thanks for the rug tip. I will use that in future builds too.


    About the roof, i forgot. Oops, my bad.

    Thank you
  • MerryWiddowMerryWiddow Posts: 4,262 Member
    edited November 2009
    Hi XOX1,

    First I will refer you to the 5th post on this thread titled 'PROMOTING YOUR BUILD'. Promoting will bring you to the attention of other simmers. Creating a thread and doing a story I have found increases your downloads and recommendations.

    Southern Comfort

    [IMG]http://i34.tinypic.com/2lkd30n.jpg "width=600" "height=450"[/IMG]



    The architecture gives enough space for comfort and and ease of use. The roof line is simple, but I did notice there wasn't a ceiling. My guess is you didn't add one due to budgetary concerns.

    The landscaping is beautiful. I would love to sit out in the front of this house and enjoy the jumping fish, the birds and the gardens.

    The interior blends well with the yellow and red. The same pattern used throughout is pleasant and gives a cosy feel.

    I really liked this house. I've rec'd it.


    Blue Moon Beach

    I am surprised by this lot. In comparison to Southern Comfort it is more vibrant. Blue is a calming colour, this darker blue is powerful.

    The architecture is simple and functional with an interesting roof line. The windows bring to mind port holes on a ship, however with such beautiful scenery, I would love to see a larger window. The blue is a pleasing blue to my eye, but I love blue. The exterior might benefit from a edging of wood at the corners in white to accent the blue.

    The sim I put in this house is an avid fisherwoman and had grilled alley catfish for lunch. I love how a chair just magically appeared when she lit the fire. I've never seen that before. It really is true that you learn something new every day.

    The landscaping is sparse for the most part but very nicely done except for the bush growing out the the tile. As for the tile, well what can I say, in this setting a more natural look might be more fitting. I see the firepit destroying the grass under it, so I would have maybe put a slight depression and left the sand. I love the pond as you can stock a pond but not the ocean. The landscaping around the pond is natural looking with the blend of flowers and rocks.

    The interior is very blue. My recommendation would be to add a little more of the contrasting white to the interior. A sim is colour blind and truely doesn't care what colour it is, but if you have to play this lot for any length of time the blue could overwhelm.

    Overall a nice build. I've rec'd the lot.

    I've noticed with both builds you did not add much decor. I can understand this with your budget requirements. I also noticed neither house had a burglar alarm. Probably not necessary until the new owners add some decor. Both houses are very playable. Great starters and great places to make your fortune.

    Hope to see more from you.

    MerryWiddow

  • MerryWiddowMerryWiddow Posts: 4,262 Member
    edited November 2009
    Ahhhh, got it now! Thank you so much! This video was much better than the other one I watched, although- it looks like I will still end up with a square of foundation around the outside... but it is much better than what I had, and when I can get the new expansion, I won't have to mess with it anyway!

    Now, I am trying to figure out how to do the L shaped stair, have read through the tutorials and am still not having much luck figuring it out! No matter how I try it, they don't come out the way they're suppose to! :( Arrrrgh why do I just not seem to get these things!! :cry:.... sorry, just gets me soooo frustrated!!

    As requested L-shaped stairs; A Split Level Stair Tutorial.

    MerryWiddow
  • MerryWiddowMerryWiddow Posts: 4,262 Member
    edited November 2009
    Hi, I'm back and have a couple of thing I need help with.


    My other question- I have a home ready for your feedback! I know there are quite a few problems with it so I am up to your comments! :mrgreen: I waited until today because it has been entered in our competetion which ends tonight. I just want feedback for future builds!
    Here are the links
    download for house http://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=1451290

    story walk through- http://www.thesims3.com/contentDetail.html?contentId=119347

    Judy, I'd love to review this lot for you, but I don't have the cc that you used in the house. Could you please provide links to the custom content you used so I can download it? This way I will be able to really see it as you meant it to be seen.

    MerryWiddow
  • MerryWiddowMerryWiddow Posts: 4,262 Member
    edited November 2009
    The Pines
    by BurnimaPlayer

    First I would suggest that you promote your build. See post 5 of this forum. Another suggestion would be for you to change your cover picture. If you go to the 2nd post of this thread there are instructions on how to do this. Ask if you have any questions.

    The architecture - The balance of the house is good. I like the roof line and the floor plan, however, there are no ceilings. The exterior lighting is good in the front but the back could use a couple of lights by the door.

    The landscaping - Your talent shows in this area. The area around the pond you could change the terrain to rocky to match the rock. You can also use different types of terrain paints in grass to make it look more realistic. This is a very lovely garden.

    The interior - Your furniture placement is well balanced. I wonder if placing a chandelier over the dining table will balance the lighting better. You have a good use of moveObjects throughout. In the master bedroom you have used 3 patterns and the one on the bed seems to clash a little with the other two. I love your choice of colour through the entire house. There are curtains everywhere but the foyer. Was this overlooked or by choice?

    I liked this house very much. I've rec'd it and hope to see more from you.

    MerryWiddow



  • magician1magician1 Posts: 3,098 Member
    edited November 2009
    Here is the WIP for My build for my Simself: Rmember it's WIP so no decorating has been started;

    Floorplanlevel1.jpg

    This the floorplan layout for the Main level. Entance, Lounge, Bar, Dining Area and Kitchen all open Plan.

    And the Kicten with the Dining Table in the foreground:
    Kitchen2.jpg

    Dining Area:

    DiningArea.jpg

    Lounge:

    Lounge.jpg
    Post edited by Unknown User on
  • magician1magician1 Posts: 3,098 Member
    edited November 2009
    Hi Xox1

    I went to your Studio and had a look around and stumbled onto the lot u referred to as Southern Comfort.
    I dl'd it and had a peak.
    My overall impression is one of disbeleive.
    This cannot be the same creator's work!
    The landscaping is good, being such a small house, the same color pattern right thru the house shouldn't be such a big problem but I would still
    make the one room different from the other,the left side of the house has no front windows, nor the 2 sides.


    I want to give you this advice: Go to the 'exchange', click for 'Residential' Lots, 'this month' and then 'downloads' or 'recommendations'
    depending on what your main aim as a creator is. Take a look at the Top 10 or 15 houses and see if there is one you like. Dl'd it and go and look with an open mind at what this creator did and tried to convey to the downloader and obviously succeeded in doing.

    If it's not u'r style then go back and look for 1 on the 1 st page that is your style and do the same with that house.

    Hope this helps you.

    Thank you
  • XOX1XOX1 Posts: 2,643 Member
    edited November 2009
    MerryWiddow-

    Thank you for your insightful review.

    I do not use cheats in my game, aside from moveobjects, constrainelevation, etc.- only for manipulating objects and terrain. I also do not use any CC, Premium Items, Mods, or Hacks. I am a purest, and only use what the CD provides. My sims have to work their way to success. All I do is provide them with the tools needed to get there. By the time we arrive at our destination, I am very attached to them.

    The struggle together to create something good and great is the enjoyment I derive from this wonderful game. This is why I like to provide them with a good starter home.

    I do post a comprehensive picture thread for every build not related to a collaborative project. I bump them once in a while, but not gratuitously. I prefer to respond to posted commentary, it seems a more dignified tact. I have yet to study, and employ stories.

    Southern Comfort-

    I did not use a ceiling on Southern Comfort because I felt a white ceiling would have been out of place. Ceilings do not cost anything. I would have used wooden beams or rafters if they had been available to me.

    Blue Moon Beach-

    I am delighted by your statement of surprise. I shifted the color scheme around well over a dozen times before I felt confident that I had achieved brilliance. The bushes on the tiles was the only way I could think of to fill the empty look of the box design for a mere 3 simoleons. The tile itself is a drastically cut back method of anchoring the house and garden. Mostly due to lack of funds.

    I used the grass circle under the firepit for a free way to anchor it also. Firepits require a 3x3=9 grid, moveobjects on can be used for placement, but sometimes renders it useless to the sims. Firepits have to be placed on a flattened 9 grid surface, without cheats. I have "pitted' them on other lots, but then it requires a minumum of a 5x5=25 grid. I did try flagstone terrain paint, but it was not very appealing to my eye.

    I have a very serene mood when I play this lot. I agree that the intense blues can be a little overwhelming. The lot I posted is a much more toned down and lightened version from the original build.

    The round windows was a financial decision. The played through lots are embellished with better windows, doors, alarms, etc. as my sims get richer from gardening and fishing. A fire alarm is a must for safety, but 800 simoleons for a burglar alarm cuts too deep into the budget.

    I have found that the primary key to building a great starter is to have a live-in sim work with me. I make sure to give priority to quality bedding for a good night's sleep, good quality bathroom fixtures, and kitchen appliances. Cheaper versions generate negative moodlets, and my goal is to nurture my sims. They also devaluate the high quality item's value from just using them.

    At the end of Blue Moon Beach, I had to choose between exterior lights, and the volume one gardening book, which is a little over 200 simoleons. I chose the book because it gives the sim skills to improve themselves, and their surroundings. I came in 29 simoleons short of the budget deadline.

    One final trick I use when providing a perfect starter garden with edibles and money trees is to harvest, weed, and move the sim to their new home immediately afterwards. Items stored in the sims personal, or household inventory do not affect the furnished value of the lot. Plants ready to be harvested increase the lot value drastically.

    I made some fantastic builds in Sims 2, but I never shared them with the public, aside from my simming friends in real life on burned CDs.

    This new format in Sims 3 allows me to easily share by just simply uploading to the site with the launcher. I really appreciate this thread as an opportunity to see what I have created through someone else's eyes. It provides me with an avenue for improvement.

    Thank You!

    Post edited by Unknown User on
  • XOX1XOX1 Posts: 2,643 Member
    edited November 2009
    magician1-

    Southern Comfort-
    My overall impression is one of disbeleive.
    This cannot be the same creator's work!

    I do not know how to respond to this, aside from confessing that I am an ethereal creature. :mrgreen:
    the left side of the house has no front windows, nor the 2 sides.

    They did, but a newly created, single sim has only 16,000 simoleons to purchase an entry point. Those missing windows were victims of the final budget cuts. All of those windows were copied and placed, with curtains directly after the first harvesting of the money trees. I see the wisdom of posting a pictorial story attached to the build. I will study this.

    The gardening book on the table was the trade off item, and I chose function over form in this case. A quick level 3 gardening skill does a lot more for my sims than the windows. Inexpensive bookcases on residential lots do not provide a gardening book, only cooking, logic, and handiness. Only sims with the gardening trait have a gardening book in their personal inventory when they enter into the game.

    Southern Comfort for me, was a nostalgic visit to our line shack in the mountains on my family's horse ranch back in Texas. I love playing this lot.

    As for going to the exchange...

    On your advice, I will do this to a limited degree, with an open mind.

    I do have concerns about such an activity inhibiting my originality, if only on a subconcious level. True, "there is nothing new under the sun", but if a person who had never seen a sun, made a sun, what would it look like?

    It reminds me of the old Hindu story of the rajah that had three blind men touch an elephant. The elephant was described by them to be a rope, a wall, and a giant snake.

    I have to go hug my puppy now, and stop before I write something REALLY stupid, and commit an unintentional offense.

    Thank you for your advice.

  • BurnimaPlayerBurnimaPlayer Posts: 366 Member
    edited November 2009

    Merrywidow you are a gem!

    Thank you so much for taking the time to look at my little effort. Im not very confident with some computer things, so will have to study those turorials earnestly. The lack of curtains was a complete oversight! I will certainly adjust the bedspread, as i wasn't sure in the first place!
    This is so wonderful, to be able to get personal help and instruction. Another reason why i love Sims 3 and this forum. Thank you so much! :)
  • magician1magician1 Posts: 3,098 Member
    edited November 2009
    XOX1 wrote:
    magician1-

    Southern Comfort-
    My overall impression is one of disbeleive.
    This cannot be the same creator's work!

    I do not know how to respond to this, aside from confessing that I am an ethereal creature. :mrgreen:
    the left side of the house has no front windows, nor the 2 sides.

    They did, but a newly created, single sim has only 16,000 simoleons to purchase an entry point. Those missing windows were victims of the final budget cuts. All of those windows were copied and placed, with curtains directly after the first harvesting of the money trees. I see the wisdom of posting a pictorial story attached to the build. I will study this.

    The gardening book on the table was the trade off item, and I chose function over form in this case. A quick level 3 gardening skill does a lot more for my sims than the windows. Inexpensive bookcases on residential lots do not provide a gardening book, only cooking, logic, and handiness. Only sims with the gardening trait have a gardening book in their personal inventory when they enter into the game.

    Southern Comfort for me, was a nostalgic visit to our line shack in the mountains on my family's horse ranch back in Texas. I love playing this lot.

    As for going to the exchange...

    On your advice, I will do this to a limited degree, with an open mind.

    I do have concerns about such an activity inhibiting my originality, if only on a subconcious level. True, "there is nothing new under the sun", but if a person who had never seen a sun, made a sun, what would it look like?

    It reminds me of the old Hindu story of the rajah that had three blind men touch an elephant. The elephant was described by them to be a rope, a wall, and a giant snake.

    I have to go hug my puppy now, and stop before I write something REALLY stupid, and commit an unintentional offense.

    Thank you for your advice.

    Hi

    You must remember it is only my opinion. MW had a different opinion and so will everybody else. You mustn't take comments on your builds so personal, it is an opinion and not an attack on you.
    I was on a thread for very good builders (all featured) when I started and got taken to pieces with real harsh criticism, but I took the opinions and made the best I could with them. I didn't use everybody's opinion, only those that I thought would benefit my style.

    This is a comment made by Darkside on page 5: Here I've taken what he said and copied it for you:
    '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.'

    Three months later I got featured.

    This made me decide to start this Thread (so that other builders don't have to go thru what I had to: Real harsh criticism) and I asked MW to join me because she has a complete different style to my style, but I love her builds and so does she mine.

    I understand that you want to keep it entry level (under 16K) and will therefor refer you to these links:

    http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/91195.page#967797

    and

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ofLQsSwmts

    I hope you take my opinions in the way I intend them to be. Just an opinion!

    Thank you


  • judywork1957judywork1957 Posts: 6,594 Member
    edited November 2009
    MerryWiddow, first, thanks for the link to the stairs- like the basement one, this one was much clearer than the one I was trying to follow!

    As for my cc items- the majority of my items come from mts, tsr, and simpro's items from her thread here...she has moved most of those items to mts! I think the main thing I used of hers was her shower curtain- which I also used for closet doors! I may have used a few from Vitasims. I think this should cover it?
    Ohhhh, there is one more site that has kitchen clutter
    http://www.simstrastos.com/entradades.htm
    http://www.thesimsresource.com/
    http://www.modthesims.info/browse.php?gs=2
    www.vitasims3.com
    Post edited by Unknown User on
  • Jasonmazda2Jasonmazda2 Posts: 3,532 Member
    edited November 2009
    this has takena shine to a lot of creators, maybe it will become as popular as fid's showcasin yuor lots.

    My preview of a lot is this

    Front

    Screenshot-365edit.jpg


    Side

    Screenshot-36h9.jpg

    Back

    Screenshot-3j70.jpg

    Diagonal:

    Screenshot-373edit.jpg

    well it's basically unlandscaped so far but will be. I want some opinions with what you think so far as well as constructive critisism:) if thast okay with you guys.

    This is my first post here so if i've done somethign wrong point it out but don't be too angry:0
    hgjghj.jpg
  • MerryWiddowMerryWiddow Posts: 4,262 Member
    edited November 2009
    MerryWiddow, first, thanks for the link to the stairs- like the basement one, this one was much clearer than the one I was trying to follow!

    As for my cc items- the majority of my items come from mts, tsr, and simpro's items from her thread here...she has moved most of those items to mts! I think the main thing I used of hers was her shower curtain- which I also used for closet doors! I may have used a few from Vitasims. I think this should cover it?
    Ohhhh, there is one more site that has kitchen clutter
    http://www.simstrastos.com/entradades.htm
    http://www.thesimsresource.com/
    http://www.modthesims.info/browse.php?gs=2
    www.vitasims3.com

    Hi Judy,

    I'm glad the tutorials worked for you. Thank you for the links.

    Please read the next post.

    MerryWiddow
  • MerryWiddowMerryWiddow Posts: 4,262 Member
    edited November 2009
    KEEPING TRACK OF CUSTOM CONTENT

    I feel that a downloader is not going to want to take the time to browse through a lot of items to maybe find the one you used. Therefore, generic links to a site with hundreds of items available is probably hurting more than helping. You are the only one who knows for sure exactly what you used in your build.

    The method I use to keep track of my cc is to bookmark/favorite the page the item is on in my browser. I make sure to name it descriptively. While I am building I have a Notepad file open. Whenever I place a cc item in the house I make a note of it in the Notepad file adding the link. When I am done with the build it's just a matter of copy and paste to set up the list in the promotional forum.

    As an example I am going to give you a link to the promotional forum I did for my latest build, Miss Marple's House. As you can see, I have a very itemized list. It may seem like a long list, but as it is detailed, the downloader can decide for him/herself exactly what they wish to use. It is always a good thing to be organized.

    MerryWiddow
  • magician1magician1 Posts: 3,098 Member
    edited November 2009
    this has takena shine to a lot of creators, maybe it will become as popular as fid's showcasin yuor lots.

    My preview of a lot is this

    Front

    Screenshot-365edit.jpg


    Side

    Screenshot-36h9.jpg

    Back

    Screenshot-3j70.jpg

    Diagonal:

    Screenshot-373edit.jpg

    well it's basically unlandscaped so far but will be. I want some opinions with what you think so far as well as constructive critisism:) if thast okay with you guys.

    This is my first post here so if i've done somethign wrong point it out but don't be too angry:0

    Welcome jason

    Well as always, your builds are just recommendable. I love the way you played with fence and your color scheme. Nice Job so far.

    Thank you for sharing and do visit us often.

    Thank you
  • magician1magician1 Posts: 3,098 Member
    edited November 2009
    This is for all to please Dl'd and give me your comments after youve looked at the house in your game. It's a Starter for 15 555 Simoleons:
    For those who doesn't want to Dl'd, I'm posting some pictures but 1st the Link:

    http://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=1490301

    Cover Picture:

    Starter.jpg

    Bedroom:

    Screenshot-5.jpg

    And dining area and Lounge:

    Screenshot-4.jpg

    I want everybody to give me their opinion! Negative is more than welcome as well as positive.

    MW: Please give me your honest and str8 opinion.
  • MerryWiddowMerryWiddow Posts: 4,262 Member
    edited November 2009
    this has takena shine to a lot of creators, maybe it will become as popular as fid's showcasin yuor lots.

    My preview of a lot is this

    Front

    Screenshot-365edit.jpg


    Side

    Screenshot-36h9.jpg

    Back

    Screenshot-3j70.jpg

    Diagonal:

    Screenshot-373edit.jpg

    well it's basically unlandscaped so far but will be. I want some opinions with what you think so far as well as constructive critisism:) if thast okay with you guys.

    This is my first post here so if i've done somethign wrong point it out but don't be too angry:0

    Hi Jason, and welcome.

    I can see right away that you have used the CFE (constrainFloorElevation) cheat in this build. I am still intimidated by that cheat and only make limited use of it. Magician uses it with expertise as I see in your builds that you do also.

    I love the way this build is starting out. It has interesting features. I have seen the use of the wrap around column to roof that you have on the right over the path. I have seen this on the internet in building plans and wondered how I would do that. The only concern I have is that you might have too much going on.

    The colums you are using on the left might look better if you used the same single tile columns that you used on the front. I like the carport feature. The fence I'm mmm... not sure. That looks like a half wall. Is it? Is it on hills?

    I'm glad you have joined us. I'm sure Magician will have a comment as well. Take mine as a purely astethic view.

    MerryWiddow

    Edit: I see Magician beat me to it. LOL
  • judywork1957judywork1957 Posts: 6,594 Member
    edited November 2009
    MerryWiddow, thank you for your suggestions on the cc documenting. I am beginning to realize how much work is involved in this whole process! I am going to try, in my next project, to limit the amount of cc that I put into it from the beginning. But, even that is difficult as that limits even the patterns used in the decor. I have tried turning off the installed cc before building but still end up with cc in my game.
  • XOX1XOX1 Posts: 2,643 Member
    edited November 2009
    magician1, MerryWiddow, et al.-

    I do not feel like I am being attacked, nor am I taking it personally.

    I seem to be giving that impression on this thread.

    My detailed writings, responses are intended to give information, and participate.

    It may be possible that someone reading our discourses may benefit from all of our varied perspectives.

    That is assuming, all of our opinions are just as valid as the next.

    My writing style may leave much room for improvement, but it is my nature to always bring something constructive to the table.

    I am delighted by all of the new things I have learned on this thread.

    Thank You!


    "To teach is to learn twice."

    Joseph Joubert

    "Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself."

    William Faulkner

  • MeestorMarkMeestorMark Posts: 865 Member
    edited November 2009
    But, even that is difficult as that limits even the patterns used in the decor.

    Judy, as long as the custom patterns you are using didn't come from the exchange directly, they will show up in your builds. I used to worry about this too, but then started downloading a lot of other people's lots and all these cool patterns started showing up in my game. Didn't know what was going on. Someone finally told me they come with the lots. If the pattern is one you got directly from the exchange though, for some reason they won't load with the lot.

    So for most builds I wouldn't worry about limiting custom patterns. The only reason I do is when I am building something that is going to be a big file size. For some reason only using original in game patterns keeps my file sizes down. In that regard, custom patterns are like the aspen trees in the game. They use a lot of memory, but sometimes you just HAVE to use one, or two, or three, or... Lol.

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