Tutorial more property-infos for connecting/modular stairs updated 20th Jan, 07

[niol]

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Welcome to comments, suggestions, criticism, info-sharing, idea-sharing, error reports as long as at least not an abuse.


What this tutorial note about?
Some more properties of connecting/modular stairs. This is typed in a point-outline form. Have not got all the pix ready.


Behaviours of connecting/modular stairs:

1. Once connecting/modular stairs are built, they remain at the exact location regardless of whichever levels or ends they're connecting to.

2. They must be made from a higher level to a lower level
http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/930/hi2lopw8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

3a. Presently-known smallest unit: 1 step/ "click-high".
So, the step/click number can be any number equal to or larger than 1. :new: Also, this is parallel to the modular stair meshes and textures.
N >= 1.
Say, a stair formed from a 10 step/click-high floor grid down to a 5 one has only 5 steps and is functional.
Thus, the number of steps depends on the height difference between the 2 floor grids.
Yet, 1-step can form but in my tests in a TS2 copy is dysfunctional, so 2-step is the smallest functional instance.
http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/1544/13steps3bpy5.jpg
http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/6892/13stepofbhk4.jpg

3b. The uncertain properties: non-4-multiple connexions (When this type of stair is used from a distant floor to another one, non-4-multiple can result even though a 4-multiple number of stairs is expected.)
For example,
http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/3121/irregularstairnumber0022uh.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/2807/snapshot000000029162f07a6vw.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

4. When built with the "moveobjects on" cheat, they can be built on some unsuspected places. (maybe useful when the game doesn't allow you to build it.)

5. They can connect different levels (say, can connect from 5th to the 1st directly) (May check out Moi's kavar003 - Kanskeaur's washrooms)

6. Floor tiles from a different level other than the upper end level and the lower end level a connecting/modular stair connects to can intercept the stair!
http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/3507/floorthrustairkq0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

7. When near a wall, to build it in a chosen direction. May try these...
- add an extra tile outside
- remove & rebuild the touching wall
- use keyboard to rotate it.

8. They can fixate the grid area of the first upper floor grid layer.


Applied usages of connecting/modular stairs:

1a. aerial stealth stair (prerequisite: Raphael's stealth stair tutorial) (very useful for house-in-the-air)(may check out Moi's kavar003 - Kanskeaur's washrooms)(sorry, I thought I would make some clearer pix.)

"Doing aerial/raised stealth stair" is to raise the lower level instead of lowering the upper level before making the connecting/modular stairs. Don't worry about messing things. Just ensure you have some plain/flat/levelled tiles somewhere at certain "heights" you want and probably some plain/flat/levelled tiles at/around (dependent on what you're making) the working site. Here's the upper view
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/5841/stairstealthaerial001awf9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
the lower view
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/1206/stairstealthaerial001bry8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
After making the stairs, lower the ground with boolprop constrainfloorelevation false
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/2789/stairstealthaerial002tx6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Re-level the necessary levels the way you plan.
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/7747/stairstealthaerial003qa6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

1b. Burial/buried stealth stair (as V1ND1CARE and Frillen did that before.) as in this tutorial by Frillen @Maxis...(search "Frillen" @ Maxis)
Tutorial: Magical Bits'n'Pieces 1
http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/story_detail.php?asset_id=75583&asset_type=story&user_id=126444

2. Whenever tiles around or above the connecting/modular stairs are not removable or alterable, delete the stairs to do the tiling first and then re-build the stairs.

[niol]

Linkage for connecting/modular stairs


1. Normal usage:

Daihtnaoz7
Split Level Stairs
http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/story_detail.php?asset_id=3471&asset_type=story&user_id=171898&hideFramework=true

InvisibleSims2
Staircase with a Landing (on the foundation)
http://invisiblesims2.com/stairtutorial/stairs.html
Stairs with several landings
http://invisiblesims2.com/stairtutorial/landings/01.html

JadeEliott
Easy Corner U Stair Tutorial
http://mysticmusings.typepad.com/arenia/2004/11/easy_corner_l_s.html

Jonesi
Stair behaviour when making split level staircases
http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=110440

KevvvvvG888
Grand Staircase
http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/story_detail.php?&asset_id=17371&asset_type=story&user_id=1196458&defTab=blog&showFrames=-1

MikeInside
Advanced Internal Modular Stairs on a Foundation
http://mikeinside.modthesims2.com/building/stairwall2/index.html
Advanced Modular Stairs in the Middle of a House
http://mikeinside.modthesims2.com/building/stairwall/index.html
Circular Stairwells for Advanced Users
http://mikeinside.modthesims2.com/building/stairwell/index.html#2
Circular Stairwells for Beginners
http://mikeinside.modthesims2.com/building/stairwell/index.html#1
Dummy Stairs
http://mikeinside.modthesims2.com/building/dummystairs/index.html
Modular Stairs
http://mikeinside.modthesims2.com/building/stairs/index.html

niol
How to make U-shaped/180 degree stairs with 2 landings
http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=100825

SimMasterRalph
Enclosed Spiral Stairs
http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/story_detail.php?asset_id=8760&asset_type=story&user_id=136631
Spiral Stairs Inspirations
http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/story_detail.php?asset_id=5483&asset_type=story&user_id=136631

Tiko
Creating 3-Storey Walled Spiral Stairs On A House Foundation
http://website.lineone.net/%7Eandrewhdknock/StairwellTutorial2.htm
Creating Spiral Stairs On A House Foundation
http://website.lineone.net/%7Eandrewhdknock/StairwellTutorial1.htm

tkdjunkie
OFB Easy U-Shaped Modular Stairs *NO CHEATS*
http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=136165



2. Stealth Stairs:

corvidophile2
TUTORIAL:Stealth Stairs in dormer/attic on a 2-story house built on foundation
http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=167685

Frillen @Maxis...(search "Frillen" @ Maxis)
Tutorial: Magical Bits'n'Pieces 1
http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/sto...&user_id=126444

niol
Tutorial more property-infos for connecting/modular stairs updated 1st May,06.
http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=151575

SimMasterRalph
Stealth Stairs (Intro to Stealth Stairs)
http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/story_detail.php?asset_id=12561&asset_type=story&user_id=136631
Stealth Stairs for Dormers
http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/story_detail.php?asset_id=12597&asset_type=story&user_id=136631
Stealth Stairs Variable Size
http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/story_detail.php?asset_id=12626&asset_type=story&user_id=136631

[Numenor]

Thread re-opened by Niol's request. I'm posting this message to prevent further auto-closing of this thread :P -

[patul]

I know it could you explain a little more the stealth stairs properties.
Stairs built with mov-ON may be unusable in game.
As it was locked I cant thanks you for this job ...it is done :up:

[niol]

patul,

I guess the "stair" you meant are the all-in-one TS1-styled staircases.
They have fixated "floor grids" and positions relative to the object itself.
They can only connect 2 consecutive levels while the height difference for these 2 levels has to be exactly 16-step or 16-click-high (a default floor height) for them to work.

As for the connecting/modular stairs are just more modular in the way how they can connect to different floor levels/floor grids. :new:-> There are 2 parts of the connecting/modular stairs, the upper piece connecting to the upper floor level and the lower piece connecting to the lower level. <- :new: Once the 2 floor grids are connected by them, sims can access both floor grids no matter how far those 2 floor grids are deformed away from these stairs. Those 2 floor grids will still remain the entry to these modular stairs through which sims move to the another floor grid.
That's probably why you can have stealth stairs of various kinds.
The typical stealth stair is just what Raphael had taught us all. It's normally made on the floor.
The aerial stealth stair is simply taking the advantage of the fact that modular stairs remain where they're formed even after the floor grids have been deformed away from the original positions. It's also the opposite way to place the stealth stair, so it's at the ceiling instead.
The burial stealth stair is basically to build the modular stair at a position where it will be buried by the ground level afterwards.
To make all these varieties of stealth stairs, we need the cheat "boolprop constrainfloorelevation false".


How sims move from the lower floor grid to the upper floor grid in each case?

For the typical stealth stair, sims will walk thru the lower floor grid and step on the lower piece of the modular stair and suddenly jump/fly up to the upper piece of the modular stair and then the upper floor grid.
For the aerial stealth stair, sims will walk on the lower floor grid and suddenly jump/fly up to the modular stair and then to the upper floor grid. (the lower piece is right below the upper piece)
For the burial stealth stair, sims will walk to the lower floor grid and suddenly plunge down to step on the buried modular stair. Then, suddenly jump/fly up to the upper piece of the modular stair and then the upper floor grid. Please note that, if the buried stealth stair is not deep enough for a sims (an adult default of ~10step/10click-high + the height of a modular stair - 1[the last step [the upper stair piece] is always right under the upper floor grid), you'll have to see your sims walk through the ground or the lower floor as a result! :D (lol, this can be some magical scenes of your sims movies tho;))

I can't say which variety is the best coz in my opinion, every one has its own useful way(s) dependent on what a user is building.
Say, a UFO, it may be great to use aerial stair coz it makes that cartoonistic UFO's ladder look.
It's great to hide the ugly stealth stair as burial stealth stair for aesthetic purpose.
It's great to use the typical one when one pretends the modular stair as a teleportor.
Lol, just try out them all to see which fits which building purpose(s) of yours.

There may be other stealth stair type(s) dependent on the positioning and/or purposes.

[patul]

Thanks Niol, for me and for the other members :)

Stealth stairs are useful if you dont want to add an elevator or use custom content for narrow area (ex: medieval tower) or to skip a level (dummy or fake pool).
They works with this mistake (not a bug) of the program : when you put the stairs it connect the tile A to a lower tile B no importance for the level. If a tile is moved up/down the graphic object is not re-computed and the stairs always connect A to B.

:)