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Instructor
Original Poster
#1 Old 13th Jul 2013 at 7:45 AM
Default Trouble placing stairs on foundations less than 4 steps high - Help!
Patch 1.55 gave us the ability to create foundations lower than 4 steps high (yay!) by either raising the terrain around it, or lowering it with CFE: - A Simguru posted that as an example.

Has anyone successfully gotten the stairs to connect from either a 2 or 3 step high foundation? I'm racking my brain trying to get it to work. I can get a 1 step high foundation to connect a step to the ground, but once I try 2 or 3 steps high the stairs just depress the terrain again!

These are the steps I'm taking:
1) Build normal 4 step high foundation.
2) Drag a 14 step staircase into the ground.
3) Build a wall at the bottom and then CFE from the top of the wall over the foundation so it's 2 steps high.
Then when trying to place stairs, it just depresses the terrain to 4 steps again.

... I suck at esplainin', so here's a pic:

I'm sure that the entire lot is perfectly level, and I've even tried placing flooring on the terrain where the stairs would go and turned CFE off so they can't dig into the ground, but then they just won't place at all.

Heeeeeeelp!
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dodgy builder
#2 Old 13th Jul 2013 at 8:32 AM
I thought I had managed to do that, but suddenly I'm not sure anymore. Did you try the alt button trick? I probably just did it with the lifting ground approach though. Don't think I bothered with math
Instructor
Original Poster
#3 Old 13th Jul 2013 at 8:56 AM
I thought I did it once too, but it might have been on a stilted foundation and they may work differently.
I tried raising the ground just by clicking too, but even with the smallest brush on lowest strength I don't think it raises it by an exact height, it always seems like a fraction off, and finicky stairs don't like that.

'Alt' works fine for a 1 step platform, and the stairs work fine with that. I'd really love a 2 and 3 step though.
dodgy builder
#4 Old 13th Jul 2013 at 9:28 AM
Now when you mention it I do remember it being different on foundations and stilted. I also thought it looked a bit strange with the height when I made the pool tutorial, just as you say.

I have a feeling it's just pure luck, but I hope someone finds a trick.
Instructor
Original Poster
#5 Old 13th Jul 2013 at 9:38 AM
Eeek, just tested the stilted foundations again, both with the stairs + CFE and raising the terrain and couldn't get either to work. I could swear I have done it once before :S
I'll have to check out your tutorial.

Off topic: I had a little gander at your youtube videos... WOW! Mind = blown.
dodgy builder
#6 Old 15th Jul 2013 at 8:53 AM
I made a 2 step staircase with alt yesterday on a house with many different layered foundations. I had alt down doing it. I didn't plan for it to happen, I just wanted it to make a staircase there.
Instructor
Original Poster
#7 Old 15th Jul 2013 at 2:19 PM
Bah! I thought alt only worked for a 1 step foundation. Did you take a screenshot or can you describe in more detail what you did? This is driving me crazy! :P
dodgy builder
#8 Old 15th Jul 2013 at 2:49 PM
It was not at all planned to be like that with math, the game just used what I had already prepared and adapted it.
Screenshots
mature minion
retired moderator
#9 Old 16th Jul 2013 at 5:55 PM
I think you're making this much harder than it needs to be. Just build your normal 4 step high foundation, turn on CFE, raise the ground below your foundation to the height you want, flatten the top of your foundation again, add steps, turn off CFE, profit!
Lab Assistant
#10 Old 17th Jul 2013 at 6:49 AM
Quote: Originally posted by alverdine
Patch 1.55 gave us the ability to create foundations lower than 4 steps high (yay!)...


I'm not sure if builders are aware, but this new "less than 4 steps" doesn't only apply to foundations. You can now make actual walls only one step high as well. Before, attempting to reduce the height of a wall below 4 steps would distort the wall it was built on top of. Not anymore. I wish they would have allowed this four years ago...

"All right, now listen. We've got a blind date with destiny, and it looks like she's ordered the lobster."
dodgy builder
#11 Old 17th Jul 2013 at 10:36 AM
Quote: Originally posted by The Shoveler
I'm not sure if builders are aware, but this new "less than 4 steps" doesn't only apply to foundations. You can now make actual walls only one step high as well. Before, attempting to reduce the height of a wall below 4 steps would distort the wall it was built on top of. Not anymore. I wish they would have allowed this four years ago...


So you mean a regular wall can now be less than 4 clicks high? I haven't checked this out, but that would be very nice.
Veteran Finn
retired moderator
#12 Old 17th Jul 2013 at 7:05 PM
It can. Was first thing I tested with the patch. :P
dodgy builder
#13 Old 17th Jul 2013 at 11:10 PM
I just had to test it somewhat. With a combination of alt, cfe and measureing with staircases on the ground for a column, I got this to work. I placed a staircase only one step on the ground and that's obviously 3 clicks high ... ok ... not quite what I wanted or though. Clicks on the ground may make something different, I don't know.
Screenshots
Instructor
Original Poster
#14 Old 19th Jul 2013 at 7:00 AM
Tee Hee Hee: I've tried that too, tried every way possible, just chose to demonstrate that method as it best shows the foundation is (or should be) exactly 2 steps high.
I find when using the terrain tool you can never get it to raise or lower by an exact step height, or even exactly half. It's always somewhat off, and when trying to connect stairs to gound that's just slightly off it will always want to place stairs in sets of 4 so will raise or depress the terrain to meet it.

The Shoveler: Yep, was aware of that but again, can't actually get stairs to connect to anything 2 or 3 steps high.

armiel: Did you manage to get stairs to work?

Volvenom: Ah, darn you! You seem to be having all the luck when you're not even trying :P
Test Subject
#15 Old 19th Jul 2013 at 8:03 AM
Default oh
oh ok then
dodgy builder
#16 Old 19th Jul 2013 at 5:11 PM
Quote: Originally posted by alverdine
Volvenom: Ah, darn you! You seem to be having all the luck when you're not even trying :P


Sorry, must be my smile :P
mature minion
retired moderator
#17 Old 19th Jul 2013 at 10:05 PM
Quote: Originally posted by The Shoveler
I'm not sure if builders are aware, but this new "less than 4 steps" doesn't only apply to foundations. You can now make actual walls only one step high as well. Before, attempting to reduce the height of a wall below 4 steps would distort the wall it was built on top of. Not anymore. I wish they would have allowed this four years ago...


Its a mixed blessing as it opens up some doors but closes others. For example you can't lower a level by forcing down the level above it, or at least not nearly to the same extent.
mature minion
retired moderator
#18 Old 19th Jul 2013 at 10:07 PM
Quote: Originally posted by alverdine
Tee Hee Hee: I've tried that too, tried every way possible, just chose to demonstrate that method as it best shows the foundation is (or should be) exactly 2 steps high.
I find when using the terrain tool you can never get it to raise or lower by an exact step height, or even exactly half. It's always somewhat off, and when trying to connect stairs to gound that's just slightly off it will always want to place stairs in sets of 4 so will raise or depress the terrain to meet it.


It takes a bit of trial and error but by using the raise tool to increase and pond tool to lower you can be much more precise than a single step (3 times more precise to be exact)
Instructor
Original Poster
#19 Old 20th Jul 2013 at 1:27 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Tee Hee Hee
It takes a bit of trial and error but by using the raise tool to increase and pond tool to lower you can be much more precise than a single step (3 times more precise to be exact)


Oh, I had never thought of using the pond tool to change terrain elevation. I'm not entirely sure I grasp the concept though :S, might have to go play around with that idea now.

Just curious, has anyone else besides Volvenom gotten stairs to place from 2 & 3 step height?
Instructor
Original Poster
#20 Old 22nd Jul 2013 at 12:47 PM
Finally figured it out thanks to Jostubbs and the solution was so simple it's kind of embarrassing I spent so long trying to figure it out just hold down 'alt' as you place the stairs you want and they will adjust to the right height.
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