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Following Floor Plans

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sprootsproot Posts: 590 Member
Fellow builders, do you follow real life floor plans? If so, how do you do it? I bought two books FULL of floor plans and when I tried to build one, even the simplest one, I couldn't do it. I know I don't have to follow the floor plan exactly, and I know that I could just build a house inspired by it, but honestly I'd say that I'm like a mediocre builder, lol. I've tried eyeballing and guessing how long the walls would be, but the house would either be too big, too small or nothing would match up. I wish we could still see the dimensions of walls when we drag them. I feel like maybe it would make following floor plans a bit easier. :/
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Comments

  • NRoweNRowe Posts: 7,877 Member
    Finding your scale is the tricky bit. Use something like a doorway and/or bathroom fixture and determine your scale. It goes easier from there.
  • summer_berrysummer_berry Posts: 105 Member
    edited October 2018
    Something I've done that helps following floor plans is to draw it out first, I usually use grid paper. The reason I draw it out first on paper like this is so I can visualize it and get the dimensions correct for the grid in build mode, because you're right, eyeballing it can be difficult and it doesn't always come out correct! Sketching dimensions on grid paper will help you see how close to the original you can make it while also seeing how big your rooms will actually be. :)
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  • OldeseadoggeOldeseadogge Posts: 4,973 Member
    Grid paper to plan it out is a major time and aggravation saver. When in doubt, draw it out. As for the first question, I have several books of Victorian floor plans, reprints of the 19th century originals, and use them extensively. As a distance guide, I go by 2.5 feet to the lot grid square, experiments having shown this to be the most workable. I hope this helps you.
  • RedDestiny92RedDestiny92 Posts: 7,819 Member
    I just loosely follow along on the design building in top-down view, when I do use them tweaking whatever I think I need to and cutting out things like garages since you don't need them.
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  • sprootsproot Posts: 590 Member
    edited October 2018
    Ah, thanks everyone! I was afraid that maybe I wasted money on those books! I'm excited to try all of this. :) I actually used to draw out the floor plans of the houses in TS3 so I could build them in this game but it was easier because it was just another sims game, lol.
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  • DannydanboDannydanbo Posts: 18,057 Member
    I redraw it on 1/4" grid paper. One grid equals one tile. In a floor plan, I don't reproduce every little knock and cranny. Sims don't need nor care about those bits. Sims like openness.

    I go by the idea the one grid/tile equals about three feet. A door is about three feet, most appliances, cabinets, chairs, etc. all fit in a three foot square.

    Following the floor plan dimensions as a "guide", I redraw the plan in a simpler version. I might need to adjust here or there, but it works for me.

    Try to avoid plans with anything other than straight stairs unless you can alter the plan to make the stairs work. Also remember, a stair in a house that is the smallest wall height will take up a total of five tiles. Three for the actual stair, one for the bottom open tile and one for the top open tile. For each height you add, add one tile in floor space as a taller wall needs a longer stair.

    Good luck.
  • KelleygirlKelleygirl Posts: 599 Member
    edited October 2018
    I usually divide the measurements by half; thus, if the floor plan shows the house as 44 by 28, I build it as 22 by 14. If a plan is for a far more expansive house, I divide by three. I do use grid paper and I typically re-draw the plans, but since most plans have a measurement for each room, dividing by half usually works for me. So if I translate the plans to be a 6 x 6 room, that's six clicks with the wall tool.

    I only use plans and I usually replicate everything in them. I've come across some great house plan books at our local used bookstore and been thrilled every time.
  • sprootsproot Posts: 590 Member
    Dannydanbo wrote: »
    I redraw it on 1/4" grid paper. One grid equals one tile. In a floor plan, I don't reproduce every little knock and cranny. Sims don't need nor care about those bits. Sims like openness.

    I go by the idea the one grid/tile equals about three feet. A door is about three feet, most appliances, cabinets, chairs, etc. all fit in a three foot square.

    Following the floor plan dimensions as a "guide", I redraw the plan in a simpler version. I might need to adjust here or there, but it works for me.

    Try to avoid plans with anything other than straight stairs unless you can alter the plan to make the stairs work. Also remember, a stair in a house that is the smallest wall height will take up a total of five tiles. Three for the actual stair, one for the bottom open tile and one for the top open tile. For each height you add, add one tile in floor space as a taller wall needs a longer stair.

    Good luck.
    Kelleygirl wrote: »
    I usually divide the measurements by half; thus, if the floor plan shows the house as 44 by 28, I build it as 22 by 14. If a plan is for a far more expansive house, I divide by three. I do use grid paper and I typically re-draw the plans, but since most plans have a measurement for each room, dividing by half usually works for me.

    I only use plans and I usually replicate everything in them. I've come across some great house plan books at our local used bookstore and been thrilled every time.

    This advice is very useful. Thank you. :)
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  • FurSimsOfficialFurSimsOfficial Posts: 2,362 Member
    I usually come to this frustrating point, cause The sims 4 has less basic building options then previous games. Ok there are a few that we never had, but it drives me nuts most of the times. Im glad we have foundation options now on different levels.
    Ok this wasnt the question, so im gonna try and answer it correctly:

    I see everything visual in my mind and one tile in the sims seems like 0.75 meter to me. It depends which house im building and what the furniture contains, but usually thats a good number to start with :)

    I also first imagine all the items in one room and then calculate how much sims tiles there would be for for example a table in the sims, i give all the objects tiles and then calculate how much the walking space in between would be according to the tiles I gave to the furniture. It's a bit of a scaling game, but it's fun too!
  • auroraael14auroraael14 Posts: 988 Member
    I've built a few homes off floor plans. I usually go by the scale of the stairs if that makes sense? What annoys me about floor plans is that we often can't make them exactly like the plan because we don't have curved walls and the stairs it requires. Not just that but we often don't have the windows or doors I would like to have. Like half-moon shaped windows. I usually end up getting frustrated because the end result isn't typically what I wanted.
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  • g_marie0419g_marie0419 Posts: 9 New Member
    Question - how do you get into the top down view in build mode?
  • RedDestiny92RedDestiny92 Posts: 7,819 Member
    there is an option in the camera that looks like a little box you can press or just press 't'

    Start with something easy I had an older build as an example but I can't remember what plan I was using since I wanted to build anyways I did a new one I got close enough for my tastes.

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  • SeaDragonSongSeaDragonSong Posts: 2,324 Member
    I usually go approximately 1 square = 3 feet, so it's not too far off. However, it still is a bit tricky to get everything to line up correctly. Not every floor plan can be put in Sims, but I know there's people who can do a far better job of following them than I can.
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  • Karababy52Karababy52 Posts: 5,952 Member
    edited October 2018
    I have built many homes from floor plans and use the rule of thumb 1 tile = 3 ft. like mentioned above by other Simmers. Except for very, very simple plans, I have always still had to improvise to make the floor plan work and be realistic in the game. For instance, a lot of times I don't include pantries or small hall, bedroom and utility closets depicted in the plans. If it's a large bedroom closet, I'll sometimes use those we got in GT, but not always. I usually just make some rooms a bit bigger.

    I've never used grid paper to map things out, but I think that's a great idea! I just build the outside shell first, place windows/doors, the roof, then work on getting the interior room walls set up as best I can and place items as I go along to make sure my measurements will work, tweaking as needed. Once that's accomplished, then I paint all the walls inside and out, add wall decorations (using MOO if needed), and finally, landscape.

    I've found so many cute houses I want to build but end up not doing them for one reason or other like; curved walls (as mentioned above), fancy windows that don't have a comparable version in the game, different levels of stairs leading up to the house and split levels. Hopefully with the new terrain manipulation tools we'll finally be able to do split levels. I'm hoping so anyway. I want to build my in-laws old house, but haven't been able to do it since it's a split level and has a sloped side yard and also a walk-out basement.

    It can be such a challenge building homes from floor plans in TS4, but when it works out, it's so satisfying! Sometimes it's a lot easier too than just trying to build something on the fly from one of my own hair-brained ideas. lol Although, I tend to build on the fly more often than from floor plans and it usually works out fine. Just takes longer since I don't have a real guide other than my own sense of creativity. ;)
  • AlbaWaterhouseAlbaWaterhouse Posts: 3,953 Member
    Oh wow! You guys are so organized and professional! I'm really impressed.
    I don't follow any floor plans and never really even thought about it.
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  • AnthonydyerAnthonydyer Posts: 1,197 Member
    edited October 2018
    I love how you bought books full of floor plans! I tried floor plans a little bit, but the floor plans can become a little overwhelming to look at. I tend to look at pictures of house exteriors, and I'll create something that derives from it. I am more freeform with the interior and I will create a living space with the space created by the exterior.

    I find when trying to build a replica of a real life building, a grid unit is equal to 1x1 meters or 3x3 feet. Of course many real life houses don't follow the grid format. I've had difficulty trying to match stairs in the game, as many houses have steep or winding stairs. I've also had difficulty (more so in sims 3) to build garages with a foundation. Sims 4 is so close, but we just need a garage door that goes through the foundation. Sims 4 has also been much better than sims 3 with putting functional objects closely together, such as in a bathroom. Many times toilets are right next to a bath tub. It's also a nightmare trying to accommodate split leveling.
  • AnthonydyerAnthonydyer Posts: 1,197 Member
    It's funny how so many of you go by the 3 feet rule. I said that in the comment above with no knowledge of this consensus.
  • DannydanboDannydanbo Posts: 18,057 Member
    With the upcoming patch, maybe detached garages can sit on the ground with no foundation while the house is on a foundation. We'll see.

    And there's no need to spend money on plan books when those same pans are on the internet. That's where I find my info. When I wanted to build Hogwarts Castle for the magic school, I found a good plan online that I could rework to fit on a 64x64 lot. It turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself.
  • feetinstockingsfeetinstockings Posts: 4,264 Member
    I tried this many times. I either end up with rooms that are to big, or we don't have the right furniture to fit in the space. I like my sims homes on the small side, which means no clutter. I would love to see more of your houses made with plans.
  • sprootsproot Posts: 590 Member
    edited October 2018
    I love how you bought books full of floor plans! I tried floor plans a little bit, but the floor plans can become a little overwhelming to look at. I tend to look at pictures of house exteriors, and I'll create something that derives from it. I am more freeform with the interior and I will create a living space with the space created by the exterior.

    I find when trying to build a replica of a real life building, a grid unit is equal to 1x1 meters or 3x3 feet. Of course many real life houses don't follow the grid format. I've had difficulty trying to match stairs in the game, as many houses have steep or winding stairs. I've also had difficulty (more so in sims 3) to build garages with a foundation. Sims 4 is so close, but we just need a garage door that goes through the foundation. Sims 4 has also been much better than sims 3 with putting functional objects closely together, such as in a bathroom. Many times toilets are right next to a bath tub. It's also a nightmare trying to accommodate split leveling.

    Haha, thanks! I don't know why I've never thought of it before. The main reason I bought some was because like stated above, most of the time my builds are pretty mediocre and sometimes repetitive. I wanted a bunch of different homes I could build. I have seen another post here on the forums about the 3 feet thing.

    About the garages, I do wish we could make proper ones! Hopefully one day. I've only made garages maybe one or two times, lol.
    Dannydanbo wrote: »
    With the upcoming patch, maybe detached garages can sit on the ground with no foundation while the house is on a foundation. We'll see.

    And there's no need to spend money on plan books when those same pans are on the internet. That's where I find my info. When I wanted to build Hogwarts Castle for the magic school, I found a good plan online that I could rework to fit on a 64x64 lot. It turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself.

    The books I bought do have a website, too. Personally I just feel that books are better because they're right there in my hands and I can just easily flip through the pages. I do have a strange feeling that in order to have different rooms on foundation, you can only to use the terrain tool to do that, but we'll see!
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  • JC1979JC1979 Posts: 491 Member
    I just start building, using the right lot size and build-mode grid are helpful. I’ve only built a few things inspired by real homes/building; sometimes if I get an idea I also look up what other sim builders have done. Another thing that I think helps me is when I build I also place basic items like counters and bookcases in rooms just to see if an area is too big or too small, then can add or shrink the space. I think it helps to know all the cheats in building as well, for me anyway.
  • happyopihappyopi Posts: 1,355 Member
    Start with something easy I had an older build as an example but I can't remember what plan I was using since I wanted to build anyways I did a new one I got close enough for my tastes.
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    See this is my issue with a lot of sims builds (including Maxis'), I feel like the scale is needlesssly big. I look at your original floorplan and to me the master bedroom is a 5x5 and the en-suite 3x2. At a rough guess your master bedroom is 6x7.
    I understand that space is seen as a luxury, but when a sim takes one in-game hour to go from one side of their house to the other, I see it more as a hindrance.

    The pathfinding of the game is surprisingly good in small spaces, and since I play in San Myshuno the most I have tested it thoroughly.

    I.e, my favorite Culpepper apartments, a 2 bedroom and a 3 bedroom, that I find plenty big enough to play in but most sim players would consider them closet-sized:
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    I didn't have a floor plan but I had real life ref pictures to gauge the correct scale.
  • Glimmer50Glimmer50 Posts: 2,365 Member
    I follow floor plans and usually I look at the windows and doors and figure out which ones I will use by getting into build mode and seeing how big they are. Then I use grid paper to draw it out.

    I don't worry about room dimensions very much. I mostly just look at the shape and try to get it to look as close as possible. But windows and doors are a good guide. I have also used beds and counters etc. to figure out how big I need the rooms to be. I usually I have some idea as to how I want to decorate the build before I put it down on paper. It is getting to the point now to where I know how big most beds and counters are so I don't have to spend as much time going into build mode.

    I also look at the exterior of the house and try to copy it. I do that before I worry about how big the inside will be. You can always move things around. I even put in the closets at first. Sometimes I keep some of them and other times I want the space so they get deleted. I love building. Good luck with your floor plans. I hope they show how the house is supposed to look. That helps a lot.
  • Scorpina2009Scorpina2009 Posts: 1,547 Member
    Kerwinkle wrote: »
    Ah, thanks everyone! I was afraid that maybe I wasted money on those books! I'm excited to try all of this. :) I actually used to draw out the floor plans of the houses in TS3 so I could build them in this game but it was easier because it was just another sims game, lol.

    I bought a couple of floor plans books too. I never can get the outside or the roofs to look right; but for the interior, it really helps.

  • SimpatsyannSimpatsyann Posts: 1,307 Member
    I've only recently started trying to plan out and build houses and I find floor plans very helpful, especially if I'm trying to achieve a certain style or look. I can't work off just a floor plan with no exterior, though; and I like to see photos of the interior (or mockups) to see how the decorating might look and how the flow goes from room to room. Also sometimes I like to see how close I can come to recreating whatever house it is. So I'm really doing more copying than creating at the moment, but it's also a learning experience that I can use if I get more comfortable with designing my own houses. Right now my "design" specialty is a rectangle chopped up into rooms. :D

    I don't always use the rooms one to one - for instance a plan might show a huge walk in closet where I'd rather put a half-bath, or vice versa; or there's some kind of thing I just don't see the need for (like a "mechanical room.") But my houses are definitely getting better by using them.

    The information about scale here is really helpful, thank you.
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