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Field Researcher
Original Poster
#1 Old 19th Jul 2006 at 5:46 PM
Default Perfectly Petite House - Split Level problems
Hi,
I'm having some problems with this house I'm attempting to build for a request and wanted to know if anybody could help. The house is a split level house and I did that part okay, but now there are gaps in the walls. The windows at first had gaps but I seemed to fix those by re-building the walls, now I'm having problems with the gap in the roof and the upper wall. If I use the constrainFloorElevations cheat and level the walls, the roof looks fine but the windows have gaps once again. Any ideas, suggestions would be helpful. Here are some pictures of what I mean:

Here's what the walls were doing:

Then the gap between the wall and the roof:

Thanks,
AMBER

ps - I have a basement and a split level upstairs so I don't know if that has any relevance or not.

Here's the Booty Enjoy!
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Mad Poster
#2 Old 19th Jul 2006 at 6:58 PM
Had you try the numenor walls ?

You know a site allowing re-upload of free build/buy stuff in lots ? Help us to update the list !

* Plus j'échoue plus je m'approche de la réussite
* The more I fail the more I approach the success

(Lao patul MMVI AD)
Pettifogging Legalist!
retired moderator
#3 Old 19th Jul 2006 at 7:06 PM Last edited by plasticbox : 19th Jul 2006 at 7:12 PM.
This is normal behaviour. Your split levels are backwards. Windows need to be in a wall that is exactly 16 clicks high, otherwise the hole will mess up.

See the sketch below for a comparison of what you currently have, and how it needs to be built -- grey is the basement level, yellow(ish) 1st floor, green the upper level. The dashed line is the ground level.
Screenshots

Stuff for TS2 · TS3 · TS4 | Please do not PM me with technical questions – we have Create forums for that.

In the kingdom of the blind, do as the Romans do.
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#4 Old 19th Jul 2006 at 8:45 PM
So I need to raise my basement floor? That's a little confusing, but I'm willing to work on it. I'll fiddle with it some more and see if I can figure it out.

Thanks,
AMBER

ps - I'll post back and let you know if it turned out or if I still need help, haha! THanks again,

Here's the Booty Enjoy!
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#5 Old 19th Jul 2006 at 8:52 PM
Quote: Originally posted by patul
Had you try the numenor walls ?


What walls are those?

Here's the Booty Enjoy!
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#6 Old 19th Jul 2006 at 9:34 PM
Okay, I'm really having a hard time with this split-level house. I attempted to raise the basement floor, but it simply raised the walls with it so that they are still not where they are supposed to be. How do you propose I fix this. I'm tempted to simply start all over. Ugh!

Here's the Booty Enjoy!
Pettifogging Legalist!
retired moderator
#7 Old 19th Jul 2006 at 10:18 PM
1. "Numenor walls" is a wall mod that I don't know very much about --> look up his user profile. They do make it easier to build with sloped walls is all I know. But if this house is for redistribution, you need to keep in mind that anyone who wants to use it will have to install that mod as well (that much I know for a fact).

2. No, you don't need to raise your basement floor. Why do you think that? (Perhaps my sketch isn't as clear as I think it is, please tell me if there's anything you don't understand! Edited to add: The green arrows are supposed to mark walls that are 16 clicks high = default height: windows/doors will work fine.) The way I would build this, the basement would have to be a perfectly normal basement -- flat top and flat bottom, like any other basement. The interesting stuff happens in the two (not one!) upper levels.

3. You will have to start over, yes. At least tear down the upper level, remove all furniture and stairs, flatten the top (not bottom) of the basement and then take it from there.

Stuff for TS2 · TS3 · TS4 | Please do not PM me with technical questions – we have Create forums for that.

In the kingdom of the blind, do as the Romans do.
Mad Poster
#8 Old 19th Jul 2006 at 10:53 PM
to have 16 clicks build 4 modular stairs from your basement (level the surface of the 1st basement first)
_
.B\_4
......\_4
.........\_4
........... \_4 = 16
4 I can count with my fingers sixteen i must use my toes No it's just visual.


You know a site allowing re-upload of free build/buy stuff in lots ? Help us to update the list !

* Plus j'échoue plus je m'approche de la réussite
* The more I fail the more I approach the success

(Lao patul MMVI AD)
Field Researcher
#9 Old 20th Jul 2006 at 3:43 AM
Have you tried Jonesi's tutorial for split levels without warped walls?????
Found here.........
http://forums.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=104184

Also, did you place the roof at some stage, then delete a wall, then replace that wall?
Because it looks as if that is what has happened!!
I agree with plasticbox's comments on your split levels etc look backwards.
Hope you get it sorted out

fev

On mules we find two legs behind
and two we find before.
We stand behind before we find
what those behind be for.
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#10 Old 20th Jul 2006 at 4:09 AM
Wow, I appreciate the help guys! I did a lot of deleting and replacing thinking that it would straighten things out. Must be a "newbie" mistake. And yes, I placed the roof nicely, then the windows were being retarded so I deleted the walls and now the roof is being retarded. Or maybe it's just me that's the retard! Haha! I have looked at the tutorial from Jonesi but I'm not too sure how it would work for me because the floor plans call for a basement as well and that isn't mentioned in the tutorial as far as I know. Or I'm not sure how to do it with the tutorial, but I will glance at it again and maybe become inspired. Time to start all over again! I'll keep you guys posted.

Thanks,
Amber&Carlos33

Here's the Booty Enjoy!
Mad Poster
#11 Old 20th Jul 2006 at 5:52 AM Last edited by niol : 20th Jul 2006 at 6:16 AM.
amberandcarlos33,

I've not read all the posts, but you can add an extra compressed level (a dummy level in Mikeinside's term) in-between the roof and the deformed level, so the wall ssegments where the windows are on stay 16-click-high to avoid the misinterpretation of wallmask on those wall segments and that extra level will fill the gap between the wall and those the windows are on.

May use non-patterned wallpapers or some straight lined wallpapers instead...to avoid the warped appearance.


Yet, there's another way to do the split level avoid the warped walls and this frustrating situation. Build the extra compressed level/dummy level between the first floor and the second floor , and obviously the extra level will be the split level.

If you have EP04 OFB, Then, the split level remains your second floor while tthe currently second floor will be the on the OFB stage/splitlevel-foundation. That'll work when you've no doors or window or else to place on them. Fences and gates can be alternatives. Say, some door-like gates... and some window-looking fences... some wall-looking fences...!
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#12 Old 20th Jul 2006 at 6:05 AM
Okay so I deleted the whole darn thing and started over using Jonesi's Split Level Tutorial w/o Warped walls. What I want to do is build a basement, then have the first floor be just the entryway, then the split-level second floor where the rest of the house is going to be. Here's the floor plan:

Notice where the stairs are going up, I'd like the one on the left to go up to the split-level and the one on the right to go to the basement, do you think this is possible? Also, with the tutorial by Jonesi about no warped walls, the door will not go to the ground level but 4 spaces from the ground. If I wanted my Sim to enter the house at the ground level then walk up the steps to the split-level, I couldn't do this. Does this make sense? Like you see here:

Here's the Booty Enjoy!
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#13 Old 20th Jul 2006 at 6:13 AM
Quote: Originally posted by niol
amberandcarlos33,

I've not read all the posts, but you can add an extra compressed level (a dummy level in Mikeinside's term) in-between the roof and the deformed level, so the wall ssegments where the windows are on stay 16-click-high to avoid the misinterpretation of wallmask on those wall segments and that extra level will fill the gap between the wall and those the windows are on.

May use non-patterned wallpapers or some straight lined wallpapers instead...to avoid the warped appearance.


Yet, there's another way to do the split level avoid the warped walls and this frustrating situation. Build the extra compressed level/dummy level between the first floor and the second floor , and obviously the extra level will be the split level.

If you have EP04 OFB, Then, the split level remains your second floor while tthe currently second floor will be the on the OFB stage/splitlevel-foundation. That'll work when you've no doors or window or else to place on them. Fences and gates can be alternatives. Say, some door-like gates... and some window-looking fences...!


huh? Wow, that was confusing. Can you please explain what you mean by "Compressed Leve" & "Wallmask"?

Here's the Booty Enjoy!
Mad Poster
#14 Old 20th Jul 2006 at 6:37 AM Last edited by niol : 20th Jul 2006 at 6:44 AM. Reason: typoz...oops...
Infos about the wallmask:
The reason why the window is messed up in deformed (whether it's compressed or expanded) wall is due to the the wallmask of the build objects like windows, doors, arches or else... The wallmaks is to mask the the wall presentation in order to create a hole in the wall segments for these build objects to have a see-through presentation. That's why you can see through the window and see the outside objects from the inside of a building, and vice versa...
The wallmask is in-ratio with the shape of the wall segment proportionally. but, build objects like windows are static/have fixated shapes while the wall is non-static/remorphable (and that's why they can be deformed...). So if the wall segment is extended, you'll see gaps over the windows. If the wall is compressed, you'll see the wall appear in the windows.


Infos about the compressed level,
It's basically an extra level of wall segments compressed into around 4-to-8-click-high in order to creeate a split level. In Mikeinside's term, it can be called a dummy level, yet in this case this level is used as the split level.

May read these threads:

MikeInside's Dummy Stairs
http://mikeinside.modthesims2.com/building/dummystairs/

tutorial for making split level on the 2nd floor or higher
http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=94576

A Stage
http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=94244

How to make U-shaped/180 degree stairs with 2 landings post2
http://www.modthesims2.com/showpost...994&postcount=2
Scholar
#15 Old 20th Jul 2006 at 12:45 PM
Try downloading Numenors Unlevel walls here - http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=59793

They're a must for anyone building split levels etc..download the walls.zip, back up your walls.txt file and replace with Numenors modified version, you'll then have extra walls in the game that are brilliant for building.


You can't have an entryway at groundlevel AND have a basement....basements must be under foundations....so you'd have to have a split level first floor, then have the basement under the foundation part of the first floor and have entry at the ground side of the split level....or just have the whole ground floor on foundation and have entry with stairs

for split levels on the second floor, you have to add a second floor of walls and them compress them to 4 clicks high unless you use the OFB split level tool

Looking at the floorplan, what you need to do is follow a simple split level tutorial - fill the entire area with foundation except for the door area, then have your stairs going down to the basement and up to the first floor.
Scholar
#16 Old 20th Jul 2006 at 2:00 PM
Geeez, I had a go trying to do what ur trying to do, and I must say you've picked a REALLY hard floorplan.

You'd need to follow about 4 tutorials to do this, I found it really difficult

You need a "connect a garage to a house on a foundation" tute, you need a basement tute, a split level tute and then upstairs split level too...

I kinda got the stairs right and with the door ground level







But it's really hard and not for a novice builder

I can package up the lot as it stands (same as pics) and email it to ya so you can see how I did it if you want, just PM me ur email address if you want it..

Basically, you need to follow the tute for connecting a garage to a house with foundation ---and then other aspects of other tutes come into play

So draw out ur floorplan with walls, include the walls for the garage but leave a 2x2 strip between garage and house, don't add internal room walls.

add a second level of walls exactly the same as the lower

Turn on cheat boolprop constrainfloorelevation false

Lower down and add foundation to all rooms - dont fill 2x2 strip with foundation cos it'll warp garage walls) and leave out a 3x3 square around the door

Level the top floor with the terrain levelling tool (drag from lowest to highest)

Turn cheat off - boolprop constrainfloorelevation true

Delete the inner foundation - so leave a 1x1 strip all the way around the edges but delete all inner foundation

Level down to ground level and using the lower terrain tool, lower 12 clicks and level out the basement area so its all flat and lowered (use level terrain tool)

Add stairs leading from ground up to foundationand then from ground leading down to basement

Door should be placeable in the middle of the 3x3 area...if wall is warped, use level terrain tool and drag from one side to the other till the wall raises in middle of 3x3 - then level roof bit again with level terrain tool
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#17 Old 20th Jul 2006 at 3:46 PM
Wowzers, I didn't realize it'd be this hard! Patience and perserverence at its best. I will give it a go and see what if I can do what you said. *crosses fingers* Did you use Numenor's walls for this?

Thanks so much for taking the time out to try this and explain it so I can get it right. I really appreciate the effort! You're wonderful! And thanks to everybody else, too! Let me see if I can do it and I'm sure I'll be back to post on the progress be it success or failure. But as they say, after you fall of the horse, you gotta get back on or you'll never learn how to ride.

Thanks,
Amber

Here's the Booty Enjoy!
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#18 Old 20th Jul 2006 at 5:33 PM
Okay I made the stairs like this with the foundation all around like you said. I think I did the foundation right but I wasn't sure if you meant around the edges of the entire house included the reserved 3x3 space or not and I tried to see what you did with you picture. The stairs worked out okay but the door is still cut off by the wall.





I added floor tile across the empty parts except the 3x3 area for the door and where the other staircase leading to the basement is. I'm not sure where you meant for the foundation to go. Like I said, I tried to see what you did with your picture.

Thanks for the help,
AMBER

Here's the Booty Enjoy!
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#19 Old 20th Jul 2006 at 5:43 PM
Okay I think I got it. It looks like I added the foundation too far on the right side where it connected with the wall and isn't supposed to. My door shows up now. I will add floors & walls now and connect the garage and hopefully this will work out. If not, I'll let you know! Haha!

Thanks soooo very much!
AMBER

Here's the Booty Enjoy!
Scholar
#20 Old 20th Jul 2006 at 5:55 PM
Ooo, the 2x2 strip between the garage and house should have walls too...so that the garage walls are connected also and you should level the upper walls of the garage along with the rest of the house after you've done the split level.

Other than that, it looks ace! Well done! xx
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#21 Old 21st Jul 2006 at 6:14 PM
Okay, I shall correct this mistake. I think I have it now. *Crosses Fingers*

Here's the Booty Enjoy!
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#22 Old 21st Jul 2006 at 6:51 PM Last edited by amberandcarlos33 : 21st Jul 2006 at 7:13 PM.
Okay I'm having trouble again. I tried to connect the walls of the garage to the house and then level the top with the terrain level tool but my floor gets warped. Do I have to start back at the beginning and connect them then? Or can it be done like this? I hope I don't have to do this all over because I just furnished the whole darn thing. Blast. Knowing my luck, I'll have to.

Here's the pictures of what I did:
I turned the constrainfloorelevation cheat on and connected the two levels of walls from the garage to the house.



Then I levelled the terrain at the top level from the lowest point (the left side of the house) to the highest point, the right side of the garage.



And this is where the foundation floor warped:

Here's the Booty Enjoy!
Forum Resident
#23 Old 21st Jul 2006 at 7:24 PM
level the foundation floor into the 2-tile corridor, it needs to be used as 'buffer'
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#24 Old 21st Jul 2006 at 7:35 PM
Okay I think I fixed it but am not sure. Here's what I did.

I went to the foundation level and took the level terrain tool across the accurate foundation to the disproportioned one.



The result was this:


So I moved to the upper level and used the level terrain tool again.


This is the result of that:


So I think it worked. I really don't want to finish everything only to find out that I did something wrong somewhere. Do you think this worked out okay?


Thanks again so much for helping me!

Here's the Booty Enjoy!
Field Researcher
#25 Old 22nd Jul 2006 at 5:00 AM
Just another suggestion!!! May want to try this connecting a garage to a house on a foundation tutorial..........
http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/sto...ory&user_id=370

I use this method all the time

fev

On mules we find two legs behind
and two we find before.
We stand behind before we find
what those behind be for.
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