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Test Subject
Original Poster
#1 Old 20th Aug 2009 at 4:49 PM
Default A stoney problem - the cave
Ok... I wasn't quite sure if this is the right forum for this, but since it's sort of building related... If it's the wrong one: sorry!

So, some of you maybe already have seen me talking about that in qbuilderz acrostacking thread, but I've done some testing inbetween and don't want to hijack his thread, so I started a new one.

Now the problem: Seeing this acrostacking tutorial I had the idea of building a cave out of the huge rock. No walls, floor, roof etc. Just boulders. I then started and found out, that as soon as I tried to close the cave, the sim wasn't able to walk through anymore.
qbuilderz then told me something about "it has to be 16 clicks high at least..." so... here's my testing:


I added pillars to show the height. If I'm not mistaken, this SHOULD definitely be enough space . But... sim won't walk through.


Sim still refuses to walk through...


This works perfectly... but it's nothing like a cave anymore

But... I have this perfectly working swim-through arch in one of my lots


This gave me the idea to test this:


And oh wonder, she can swim through...

This gave me the idea of testing this:


As you can see, it works too.

Now... I don't want to build a cave where my sim will have to either swim all the time or I have to use tons of archways.
I could of course just stop thinking about that cave thing, but as long as I don't REALLY understand that problem, I cannot stop thinking about it. And I have actually absolutely no idea about programming or mechanics like that.

What I THINK at the moment is:
That boulder is an outdoor "ground object" or whatever you want to call it. Which means, even with using cfe to stack them, which isn't possible without the cheat, the game still thinks (yes, I know, games don't think) that it's on ground level and block the way, just as if there was still the ground I leveled after putting the rocks up there. So it doesn't matter how high I put that object.
And as far as I see it, the... uhm... routing (?) of pool and archways have a higher priority, so it sort of builds a "tunnel" through the non-existing "ground". (I know it doesn't really build a tunnel... I just used that for...uhm... imagining...).
Now... can anyone of you people who are really good at things like that think of a possible solution for this problem?

Only thing I came up with is uhm... switching the category of the rock? to make it a proper object? One you could put on a table... (oooh yes... imagining replacing a vase with some flowers with THAT thing... *giggles*... sorry, back to topic)
Not sure though if THAT would work though...

Ehm well... I hope someone of you is able to either tell me how exactly that works and there's no possible solution for it so I can finally stop thinking about that stupid cave or has a solution I didn't think of yet.

Thanks for reading! (and hopefully thinking about it... even if it's just a weird problem... I soooo wanted a cave... for an eremite, or a caveman or as a superhero hideout...)
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Captain Louie
retired moderator
#2 Old 20th Aug 2009 at 5:39 PM
I am not home right now, so i don;t have access to my sim games to aid you in the testing, but before you jump to comclusions, try testing the archway with things like

*cars
*Tables
*Chairs


etc. So that we can say, fo a FACT that it is cause by the rocks.

Pool - The reason why the pool works is because it carves out the ground, and them sim is actually in the terrain, allowing them to pass under the rocks without a problem.

Arches - I honestly don't know why that works. It might be like you said, by having a high priority over the interactionless rocks, but that would have to be something that a person like mootlida explains. She is good with things like that.

Now streaming on at Twitch.tv/SeveralNerds or UglyHoesConnect.com - whichever is easier for you to type in your browser.
Top Secret Researcher
#3 Old 20th Aug 2009 at 5:58 PM
I haven't been following any of the cave threads, so if this is totally off the wall, I apologize.

Just listening to your description of the sim actions makes me think that the problem is more about level height where you want your sim to walk. If you have a level that is less than 16 clicks below the level you put an object on, then the sim can't walk thru.

Retired from the Sims world. Please continue to enjoy my creations. Thank you to everyone who helped -- by either giving me the tools and knowledge to create or by encouraging me & downloading my creations. The Sims community is the BEST!
Test Subject
Original Poster
#4 Old 20th Aug 2009 at 6:09 PM Last edited by Asante81 : 20th Aug 2009 at 6:40 PM.
Well you might be right qbuilderz... didn't have the idea of testing with cars... *laugh*

And as I said... I don't really know, that's why I'm asking here... All I have atm are my weird ideas... and I don't have a problem with anyone telling me they're wrong

and bluetexasbonnie: ok just to make sure I understand clicks right... the shortest stairs is 4 clicks (steps)? which makes 4x4 clicks = 16 = one floor? Those rocks are almost 4 floors above ground... *scratches her head* (don't whack me if I'm wrong... I'm here to get help... *laugh* and thank you for it!)

EDIT: ok you were right q, tables didn't work either... so it wasn't the type of object, BUT... I got another hint... and...


they seem to stay on that grid and the grid enables the walk-through ability... yay... batcave, here I come!
(hey q... want to make a tutorial? nah, better test it more extensive... hey... I coudl make a cave out of cars now... nooooo)

And thanks a lot guys seems like that thing just needed a little extern nudge into the right direction...hehe


EDIT EDIT: So it maybe HAS to do with that "tunnel" idea of certain things having a "higher priority" (sorry, lacking proper vocabulary)
Me? Sarcastic? Never.
staff: administrator
#5 Old 20th Aug 2009 at 6:35 PM
It sounds like the arches, as well as the pool, force the game to recognize there is a higher level and the rocks are considered on those. Are the arches placed with cheats? I see a column there, does that not produce the same effect as the arches? Have you tried placing a column under the rocks? Or hidden inside the rocks?
Test Subject
Original Poster
#6 Old 20th Aug 2009 at 6:41 PM
HugeLunatic: I used some columns to make the grid, but deleted them afterwards to have a floating grid. I just have to fiddle around with having a minimum amount of grid so it will be mostly invisible.

Don't dare to delete the grid, fearing the rocks might fall on my sims' head! *giggles*
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