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Instructor
Original Poster
#1 Old 29th May 2019 at 9:31 AM
Default Built a Dorm, telephone box won't disappear when changing lot zone
I built my own dorm a quite fancy one and i spent a few days building it but now what's happened is i try to change the lot zone and it's behaving weirdly, the telephone box isn't disappearing since i built it as a community lot first, i try to move in my teenage sim and it just glitches and goes into build mode cos of the telephone box but i don't wanna have to rebuild it all i've got it all exactly the way i want it, it's a totally functional building with a small library keeping books to 1 room, tv room, computer room, even put in a woohoo room with a double bed LOL Is there any way i DON'T have to totally rebuild it? it took me ages argh!. I did indeed enter the cheat code correctly before you ask.
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Theorist
#2 Old 29th May 2019 at 9:34 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Pygsmyemm
I built my own dorm a quite fancy one and i spent a few days building it but now what's happened is i try to change the lot zone and it's behaving weirdly, the telephone box isn't disappearing since i built it as a community lot first, i try to move in my teenage sim and it just glitches and goes into build mode cos of the telephone box but i don't wanna have to rebuild it all i've got it all exactly the way i want it, it's a totally functional building with a small library keeping books to 1 room, tv room, computer room, even put in a woohoo room with a double bed LOL Is there any way i DON'T have to totally rebuild it? it took me ages argh!. I did indeed enter the cheat code correctly before you ask.


Not sure if this would work, but maybe try and change it to residential first and then switch it to a dorm.
Instructor
Original Poster
#3 Old 29th May 2019 at 9:36 AM
Quote: Originally posted by CaliBrat
Not sure if this would work, but maybe try and change it to residential first and then switch it to a dorm.

That doesn't work FYI i tried that from a bunch of posts i read but it just stayed stuck with the telephone box
Mad Poster
#4 Old 29th May 2019 at 9:45 AM
On my pc, cheat codes only work with capital letters (I don't know why, I don't care why, as long as they work

Edit: changeLotZoning dorm

The closest i came to your problem was when the apartment mailbox refused to disappear, so I removed it with MoveObjects on and used a buyable post box.
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#5 Old 29th May 2019 at 11:15 AM
Why is there a phone box? Dorms should be built on residential lots and no it won't disappear, did you read somewhere that it should?
To work, the dorm needs a residential letterbox, and the comm phone you can delete with the hand tool. You can use a buyable letterbox.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Mad Poster
#6 Old 29th May 2019 at 2:45 PM
You could try changing it to residential. Delete the 'phone if it hasn't gone already. Then save the lot and quit the game. Restart the game, and see if you can change it to a dorm now. Occasionally I've found that I have to shut the game down and restart it before some changes properly "take".

All Sims are beautiful -- even the ugly ones.
My Simblr ~~ My LJ
Sims' lives matter!
The Veronaville kids are alright.
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#7 Old 29th May 2019 at 2:55 PM
They will still need a mailbox, that is why it isn't working.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Mad Poster
#8 Old 29th May 2019 at 3:55 PM
Then the best thing is probably for OP to get the buyable mailbox/bin from Sim a Little - Dream a Lot that you recommended in another thread a few days ago. To reach it on the site, click on the Sims 2 icon, and then on HACK/MODS.

All Sims are beautiful -- even the ugly ones.
My Simblr ~~ My LJ
Sims' lives matter!
The Veronaville kids are alright.
Mad Poster
#9 Old 29th May 2019 at 4:15 PM
That is where I found mine as well.
Mad Poster
#10 Old 29th May 2019 at 7:39 PM
Sophie-David also made a buyable mailbox. sdBuyableMailbox.zip is at the bottom of the list of downloads after all the AL multi-box stuff and is compatible with all game configurations.

http://www.modthesims.info/d/413573...le-mailbox.html
Mad Poster
#11 Old 29th May 2019 at 8:34 PM Last edited by simmer22 : 29th May 2019 at 9:07 PM.
I think every time I've changed zoning, the items need to be manually placed or removed before you let any sim near the lot, as the items don't seem to appear on their own. A res/apt lot without a mailbox (and trashcan?) will not work properly, may even be unplayable if you put sims on it. The only items that do change are the Regular mailbox into an Apartment one, and vice versa - but they don't magically appear upon zoning to res/apt from something else. The community lot items are already available in the community lot buy menu.

Just a FYI, but if you have the buyable mailbox/trashcan items, I think this is what's causing the issue where all recolors of these objects are included with a packaged lot, possibly combined with the CEP (which makes them recolorable). Not sure if the mailbox/trashcan will stay on a lot if you remove the buyable versions from your game, though. If you don't package or install lots, this shouldn't be a problem - but if you do, you may want to clean up the included CC a bit before playing or uploading. These recolors are really annoying, and spread like wildfire if they're not contained properly. I think the mailbox/trashcan objects are also included in a packaged lot even if they're not placed by the player. Not sure if this happens to all the different versions of the buyable mailbox/trashcan, but it does happen to the Dream A Lot versions.
Instructor
Original Poster
#12 Old 29th May 2019 at 8:50 PM
No i didn't know you shouldn't build it on a community lot i think i might have made that mistake once before though and forgot oh well... lol That seems like a lot of work just for a mailbox and CEP didn't work so well for me last time i had it installed dang it, i was also planning to upload my dorm too it's too good not to i've got really good at building stuff now so maybe i should just take some photos and re-build it again i dunno, if i upload it and some time later the mailbox stops working i don't wanna have to go back in and fix it.
Mad Poster
#13 Old 29th May 2019 at 9:17 PM
I think the theory is that if you're building a livable lot of any kind, you should start with a Residential lot and then rezone. I think this is true for Apartments and Dorms, and any other livable lots.

You can zone a community lot to Residential (but need a buyable mailbox/trashcan to make it truly a Residential), and from there zone it to something else, but I'm not so sure if it's wise to zone directly to that other lot without being on a proper Residential lot first. Not sure if you need to use a community lot for the Secret lots.

If you're building a Beach lot, start with a Beach lot, and preferably don't rezone it unless you have to, because Beach lots can be difficult to work with. Never rezone it to anything that isn't compatible with a Beach lot.

---

I think once the mailbox and trashcan is placed, the game just thinks it's the regular mailbox and trashcan, as long as the downloaded versions are linked to the originals or are proper unlocked versions.
Instructor
Original Poster
#14 Old 29th May 2019 at 10:58 PM
Thanks i better note it down in my notepad file i think it would be a good idea to make a note on here on the cheat page next to the cheat for changing LotZone too of how it will and won't work with the different lots.
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#15 Old 29th May 2019 at 11:17 PM
What is a lot of work? Just download either Sofie-david mail box or the Dream a lot mailbox (yes it does break M&G recolours so if you care don't use that one-I could not give a fig) place it on the lot, couldn't be easier.

If you plan to package the lot either for safekeeping or upload, open it in CI, untick all the mailbox and bin/trash can files and save as new name. The normal game mailbox will show up for downloaders with all mailbox files removed, the game draws on the game files. If you were planning on uploading you have to open CI and check anyway because most times it will try to include stairs and CEP so it's still a step you have to do, downloaded mailbox or no.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Theorist
#16 Old 30th May 2019 at 12:08 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Pygsmyemm
No i didn't know you shouldn't build it on a community lot i think i might have made that mistake once before though and forgot oh well... lol That seems like a lot of work just for a mailbox and CEP didn't work so well for me last time i had it installed dang it, i was also planning to upload my dorm too it's too good not to i've got really good at building stuff now so maybe i should just take some photos and re-build it again i dunno, if i upload it and some time later the mailbox stops working i don't wanna have to go back in and fix it.

Yes, definitely if you plan on uploading rebuild it on a residential lot.

As for getting something like CEP to work if I can do it anyone can. Download the self-installing one, open the archive, double-click the .exe file and it will install itself to where everything needs to go. It really doesn't get any easier than that. :D
Instructor
Original Poster
#17 Old 30th May 2019 at 12:27 AM
If i rebuild it should i just upload it as a residential lot too? or would it be okay to upload it as a dorm?
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#18 Old 30th May 2019 at 12:29 AM
Well if the lot is for upload you can't move sims into the dorm then upload that file anyway or you will be sharing all your sim references.

I would start off fresh with a residential lot and rebuild it. Then test with a copy. Make sure any lot you upload has not had sims lived in or if you do clean it first and say you cleaned it. http://modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=609188

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Instructor
Original Poster
#19 Old 30th May 2019 at 12:53 AM
Thanks i always package my lots before i test them and use game only objects i think the ones i've done so far are clean although i think i'll install SimPE and follow those checks cos i use the wall top texture replacement in white.
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#20 Old 30th May 2019 at 1:20 AM
The add on to lot compressor by Chris Hatch is the easiest way to clean a lot now. That and SimPE cleaning are only for sim references not things like wall top textures.

Defaults do not package with lots so really all you want to do there is maybe say you used if people want it to look the same way in their game.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
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