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On a Radical Sabbatical :)
retired moderator
Original Poster
#1 Old 7th Feb 2006 at 3:04 PM
Default New Open For Business Build Mode Features
The following is an email that Delphy received from "the Maxoids". Since it concerns the new build mode features that will be available with Open For Business, he said we can share it here. I hope the info is helpful -- tkdjunkie



Hey Sim Fans!



What’s this? Another H-Mail? What a rip off! Where’s Tim?



Well, I hope that’s not what you guys are saying. It’s Hunter, back to give you some more information about Open for Business. Specifically, a little info about our new building features in the pack. Everybody loves build mode!



First off: awnings. These are awesome! Take a look at the picture below, which shows our modern awning in action. You can build them off of the building or as stand-alone structures (like gazebos.) The coolest thing is that you can build them out in all kinds of shapes, so you can make a T shape, a cross, or whatever. We have these modern awnings, some more traditional commercial awnings, and a really cute “storybook” style that feels like it’s out of a fairy tale.



The Modern Awning:



Next up, elevators! You guys have all heard about how they work (at least I think you have), but here’s a little refresher. You’ve got two elevators, and two pieces for each: a door/shaft piece and a shaft piece. Obviously, each floor you want Sims to be able to stop off at needs a door piece, which is a 2 x 3 object (2 x 2 with reserved tiles in front). These can go in any direction you want (yes, magical Sims elevators can rotate mid-trip),and require a shaft piece for any floors you want the elevator to “Skip”. Elevators have the fun bonus of sometimes breaking and sending Sims for a crazy plummet that will slam the needs. Needs too low? Yep. Sim doom. If you want to avoid this fate, you should probably avoid WooHoo in it. Here’s a picture of what the elevator looks like from the inside!



Elevator Interior:



Third feature: split levels! I’ve been hoping for these for quite a while. Personally, I’ve always been frustrated by having to build an entire floor as a flat space. When you’re looking in the real world, especially in public places, you see raised areas to break the monotony. This tool allows you to create a raised area without workarounds or creating a new floor level. The tool doesn’t create a new room, so these can actually be used as stages or little pavillions. I’m sure you guys will come up with some great uses for these. Here are some examples in a business setting and a home setting.



Split Levels at a Coffeeshop:

Split Levels at Home:



Lastly, new roofs! We have added domes, cones, and octagons for your building pleasure. Just like with normal roofs, you just pick the tool and drag out the region that you would like the roof to be contained in. Here’s a picture of a house that combines a number of the new options in one little package. The windmill in back is a new neighborhood “ploppable.”



New Roofs:



Not a bad assortment! This is a great pack for for building. Our team is looking forward to seeing what realistic, elegant, or crazy businesses you guys choose to make.



-Hunter



PS:

This thing is gonna be in boxes soon! Yay!

At the moment we are trying to put our lives in order. But this is not an end in itself. Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us. -- The Big Book

I will be inactive indefinitely.
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Mad Poster
#2 Old 7th Feb 2006 at 4:42 PM Last edited by niol : 7th Feb 2006 at 4:59 PM. Reason: more 2 +
Thanks for sharing the infos... :smash:

Great to learn them...

Now, I really know what will be really new to me in terms of build tools...

Although Maxis is often slower than custom object makers, the new build tools do look alright to me... And, I'm waiting for its release even though it's not because of these. Hopefully, it's gonna be a lot of funs... :bandit:

Update:
Just 2 questions,
1. can the modern awning be used inside a room as ceiling?
2. Is the only "split level" I see from the pix like an inverted swim-pool?
Scholar
#3 Old 7th Feb 2006 at 7:40 PM
Looking forward to getting to grips with the new build mode features!!

Wonder if the split level will have differing heights? Elevators look wicked too
Scholar
#4 Old 7th Feb 2006 at 8:23 PM
Ohhh, I want it so bad.........
Lab Assistant
#5 Old 8th Feb 2006 at 9:28 AM
Thanks for the info!

Many people don't belive ghost,you know why?Because they didn't see ghost.....
Please visit my forum The Simmerz.com
Scholar
#6 Old 9th Feb 2006 at 11:43 AM
Thanks,
I'm looking forward to installing this expansion
so it's great to have some more info on it

Please note - I'm not taking any requests at the moment.

You may include my items in your uploads but please credit with a link to either the object or my creator page please.

My Sims 2 videos
Scholar
#7 Old 10th Feb 2006 at 12:55 AM
hmmm....i said in another thread today that i wasn't planning on getting
OfB anytime soon....but these building tools might persuade me to see if my laptop and poor graphics card will take it
Test Subject
#8 Old 22nd Feb 2006 at 3:34 PM
Default Thanks!
Boy! And I just finished converting tutorials to pdf so that I could practice building split level stairs. Looks like I might not have to learn it after all. Oh! I'm so disappointed!...not!

Thanks
Guest
#10 Old 24th Feb 2006 at 2:36 PM
That is awsome!!! :bandit:
Field Researcher
#11 Old 24th Feb 2006 at 2:57 PM
oh this is so exciting. Just 4 more days till the release and i preordered it so hopefully i'll be playing it by the middle of next week. I heard EB Games is real good bout it being at your home on the day of release. I am so looking forward to the split level, now i can make a home mor elike the one that i live in, which has split levels, i never actually figured out the split levels before but yay, now i don' thave to!!! The new roofs look awsome and the awning, oh i'm excited about that. I have tried and tried to use the "foundation" to make some sort of stage for my musical sims, this is going to be so awsome to make real stages now. The magic elevator, woohoooo, it would be cool if it was a wonka elevator, that goes in all directions, up-down-left-right.

now i gotta go see if there's any new scrennies to peak at, lmao.
Lab Assistant
#12 Old 24th Feb 2006 at 4:15 PM
I'm really excited about OFB but for a **completely** different reason.

Not to be a snob but depending on how they change the coding, I fear it may mean that a lot of the dedicated and creative simmers that worked around the sims limitations will have to redo their house. Also it feels they are really excited at "re-inventing" a perfect wheel people already chiseled out of a square piece. The way he's talking with so much excitement makes me feel as though we've never seen split levels, awnings, hacked elevators and custom roofs. :p

If he added, now there's no fuss with boolprop cheats, I would feel differently

Anyways, I'll stop complaining when maxis gives some of the hackers/modelers out there full time jobs
Guest
#13 Old 28th Feb 2006 at 7:02 PM
Good info!

WooHoo in elevator = excellent... plummet to death while WooHoo'ing = not so excellent...
Scholar
#14 Old 3rd Mar 2006 at 2:37 AM
Quote: Originally posted by Special_K
Good info!

WooHoo in elevator = excellent... plummet to death while WooHoo'ing = not so excellent...


maybe someone will create a hack that can "pause" the elevator between floors like in real life?
xo

Rhondalatte's Custom CAS screens: http://blackpearlsims.com/ (formerly known as Reflex forum)

DeesElegantDecor - Beautiful furnishings:
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/DeesElegantDecor/
Forum Resident
#15 Old 3rd Mar 2006 at 2:51 AM
I can not wait to get my hands on that elevator! And the split levels! When I get OFB, my huge mansions are getting an overhaul of an upgrade! Thanks for sharing these new features, wanted to know what the elevator looked like!
Test Subject
#16 Old 3rd Mar 2006 at 4:53 AM
great just as I am getting ready to upload a couple of my hacked out (boolProp) Victorian Houses they come out with something that will make most of that work pointless. Though those octagonal roofs will be nice once I can get my hands on that expansion.
Slacker of Immense Slackness
retired moderator
#17 Old 4th Mar 2006 at 1:45 PM
I just had a quick *go* at the new roof abilities in OFB and they work very nicely! But I am guessing we will all be sick to death of lots with conical and domed roof styles very quickly For the Victorian builders its a total godsend. I didn't use the roofangle cheat with one of them yet but that could be interesting too. Its too late at night for me to be fiddling with split levels but that I can't wait for.

What else? A couple of new build sets - one in a fantasy style called storybook, one called European and of course some new businessy windows/doors. Some new outdoor small wrought iron style fencing, the EXCELLENT new awning build item that requires a click 'n' drag - very nice. STorybook has single and double floor columns and there are some concrete style round columns as well. Fencing to match the railings on the 2 new types of modular stairs - 1 storybook style in 3 colours 1 Euro style in 3 colours - and it all matches. The elevator of course just build a box the same size as the elevator (2 styles) and whack it in and the doors and button show through. Quite a lot of new wall and floor coverings - most of which I don't like but there are some nice ones in there.

There is now an additional feature in the Neighbourhood view that allows you to click on a lot and choose *change name*. This I like - I never build under an actual name its usually something like uyvvytfrcd and you have to move it to the bin then replace it in the hood to change the name =)

You do get the option to create a new Shopping District but I don't think its that necessary - there are still only residential/community choices for lot placement. If there IS an addition to the changelotzoning cheat I haven't found it and Snooty Sims have only listed three cheats so far - none of them are build related. I believe Maxis said there would NOT be any at all for this EP. Anyway there is the ticket machine item that allows you to run a business from home and I am guessing that is the option a lot of people will take. It would be fantastic if you could build a mall and assign shops to certain families but thats not possible - as yet =D

<:3))~~ Loverat
"In some cultures what I do is considered normal"

www.loverat.net Check it out for other recolours & lot uploads =D
Lab Assistant
#18 Old 5th Mar 2006 at 12:51 AM
Sadly setroofslopesngle dosnt work on the new roofs
Forum Resident
#19 Old 5th Mar 2006 at 12:58 AM
Too bad, because if they did, then we could change the look even furthur! By the way, thanks, Loverat for telling us even more stuff in the game. My fav. is the elevator! As soon as I get OFB, I am going to build a huge business and share it with MTS2!
On a Radical Sabbatical :)
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Original Poster
#20 Old 5th Mar 2006 at 1:17 AM
Woodchuck, instead of "setroofslopeangle #", try "roofslopeangle #" (where # is any number between 15 and 75).

At the moment we are trying to put our lives in order. But this is not an end in itself. Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us. -- The Big Book

I will be inactive indefinitely.
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Scholar
#21 Old 5th Mar 2006 at 5:35 AM
Uhuh roofslopeangle definately works....infact, after playing around with the cheat and the new roofs I've discovered you can have different roofs at different angles on the same lot/building! Like the house I'm working on at the mo has it's central roof at 40 and the side bits at 15

I like the split level, but think I'll stick to the building tutes for most part as I discovered today that you can't place doors in between stage areas that connect with walls between...i.e. i used the stage to make a SL kitchen area and outdoor patio but couldn't place a door on the wall....seems the door still wants to sit at ground level.

Awnings...love 'em :D

Lifts....not got a clue how to build 'em! place the lift on the ground floor, but then ya need a shaft on the second floor, then another lift is placeable on the third floor...what if you only have two floors? I'm prolly doing summat wrong there though...

And although I don't actually "play" the game very much...I'm quite liking the "business" bit....definately more interesting!
Lab Assistant
#22 Old 5th Mar 2006 at 7:09 PM
Quote: Originally posted by tkdjunkie
Woodchuck, instead of "setroofslopeangle #", try "roofslopeangle #" (where # is any number between 15 and 75).


that was a typo i know how the code works,but it didnt seem to work
for the "NEW" roofs it works fine for the others
Lab Assistant
#23 Old 5th Mar 2006 at 7:56 PM
This EP looks promising! The elevators will work wonders throughout my neighborhoods. Thanks to tdkjunkie for the info!

Hanging upside down to sleep does not make you cool or alternative - I know, because I've tried it...
Scholar
#24 Old 6th Mar 2006 at 5:07 AM
Quote: Originally posted by woodchuck
that was a typo i know how the code works,but it didnt seem to work
for the "NEW" roofs it works fine for the others


Weird, works fine on the new roofs in my game
On a Radical Sabbatical :)
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Original Poster
#25 Old 6th Mar 2006 at 2:37 PM
That's odd -- it doesn't work for my new roofs at all.

("New Roofs" = the dome, cone, and octagonal)

At the moment we are trying to put our lives in order. But this is not an end in itself. Our real purpose is to fit ourselves to be of maximum service to God and the people about us. -- The Big Book

I will be inactive indefinitely.
Blog
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