GeneralOperationsDirector
28th Nov 2008, 10:40 PM
What This Does
EA/Maxis, in their Infinite Wisdom, decided that certain neighborhood decorations Were Not To Be Placed Inside Lots.http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=844378This technique allows us to sidestep [most of] the consequences of that decision.
We can now place those decorations inside of lots.http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=844385
Background: How I Discovered This TechniqueI had a problem when I was using Mootilda (http://www.modthesims2.com/member.php?u=589252)`s Lot Adjuster (http://www.modthesims2.com/download.php?t=282409). I noticed what the problem was when I tried to place other houses on the other two sides of an S-bend near the problem house, and saw that the street signs were in the way. I remembered having to move them to place houses elsewhere, so I tried moving them, and the new houses placed fine, so I canceled the placement of the new lots, and tried re-seating the old lot, which worked without issues, so I went back and placed the new lots anyway. I don`t recall the exact steps I took whilst discovering this, but I was careful to ensure that I could return the signs to their assigned location when actually performing the placement.
The solution to my problem presents us with a new tool, too, even if others already have discovered it. Now we know how to place cannot-overlap-with-lots neighborhood decorations within lots, provided we know that we want to before we place the lot, or have a suitable temporary location for the lot.
The Technique Itself
1. If the lot already exists, we need to move it to a temporary location;
I suggest the Lot Bin, if it is not occupied,
otherwise move it to elsewhere in the same [sub]neighborhood.
If the lot doesn`t exist yet, skip this step.http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=844379http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=844380
2. Place the neighborhood decorations where we want them.http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=844381
3. Either move or delete the decorations.http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=844382
4. Place the lot.http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=844383
5. Return to deco mode and Undo step three.http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=844384You must Undo for each decoration you moved in step three.
Cautions And WarningsSteps three through five must be performed within a single game session, and I believe must also be performed within a single visit to the neighborhood screen. Also, if you have several decorations to place, you must do steps three through five on all decorations simultaneously. If you wish to add neighborhood decorations to a lot that already has neighborhood decorations, you must repeat steps three through five on the existing decorations while performing them for the new decorations.
Technical Discussion: Why This WorksStep five is the key. The undo button in neighborhood decoration mode lacks checks on object placement, enabling it to place objects where we cannot otherwise place them, and the undo stack does not include operations performed in other modes, but does survive switching between various modes within a single visit to the neighborhood screen. This behavior may differ from one expansion to another, but I know of no reason for them to have changed it. Then again, they often do things we see no reason for.
Credits
simsample who has graciously offered to illustrate this article,
simsample who has provided a link to an alternate method (http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php/topic,10625.0.html) that requires comfort using SimPE.
EA/Maxis, in their Infinite Wisdom, decided that certain neighborhood decorations Were Not To Be Placed Inside Lots.http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=844378This technique allows us to sidestep [most of] the consequences of that decision.
We can now place those decorations inside of lots.http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=844385
Background: How I Discovered This TechniqueI had a problem when I was using Mootilda (http://www.modthesims2.com/member.php?u=589252)`s Lot Adjuster (http://www.modthesims2.com/download.php?t=282409). I noticed what the problem was when I tried to place other houses on the other two sides of an S-bend near the problem house, and saw that the street signs were in the way. I remembered having to move them to place houses elsewhere, so I tried moving them, and the new houses placed fine, so I canceled the placement of the new lots, and tried re-seating the old lot, which worked without issues, so I went back and placed the new lots anyway. I don`t recall the exact steps I took whilst discovering this, but I was careful to ensure that I could return the signs to their assigned location when actually performing the placement.
The solution to my problem presents us with a new tool, too, even if others already have discovered it. Now we know how to place cannot-overlap-with-lots neighborhood decorations within lots, provided we know that we want to before we place the lot, or have a suitable temporary location for the lot.
The Technique Itself
1. If the lot already exists, we need to move it to a temporary location;
I suggest the Lot Bin, if it is not occupied,
otherwise move it to elsewhere in the same [sub]neighborhood.
If the lot doesn`t exist yet, skip this step.http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=844379http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=844380
2. Place the neighborhood decorations where we want them.http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=844381
3. Either move or delete the decorations.http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=844382
4. Place the lot.http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=844383
5. Return to deco mode and Undo step three.http://thumbs.modthesims2.com/getimage.php?file=844384You must Undo for each decoration you moved in step three.
Cautions And WarningsSteps three through five must be performed within a single game session, and I believe must also be performed within a single visit to the neighborhood screen. Also, if you have several decorations to place, you must do steps three through five on all decorations simultaneously. If you wish to add neighborhood decorations to a lot that already has neighborhood decorations, you must repeat steps three through five on the existing decorations while performing them for the new decorations.
Technical Discussion: Why This WorksStep five is the key. The undo button in neighborhood decoration mode lacks checks on object placement, enabling it to place objects where we cannot otherwise place them, and the undo stack does not include operations performed in other modes, but does survive switching between various modes within a single visit to the neighborhood screen. This behavior may differ from one expansion to another, but I know of no reason for them to have changed it. Then again, they often do things we see no reason for.
Credits
simsample who has graciously offered to illustrate this article,
simsample who has provided a link to an alternate method (http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php/topic,10625.0.html) that requires comfort using SimPE.