Okay, here's what I mean by an inset split-level using a foundation:


Simple: Remove some foundation and apply modular stairs.
Caveat: Must use foundation, which isn't level with the ground.


What I'm interested in knowing if possible (actually achieving it would be even greater ):
A very similar thing but with what would be the foundation's level seemingly at ground level and using a similar technique found here to give the appearance that the Sim is traversing from the ground floor to this other floor as if they were on the same level.

I got this far before giving up out of frustration:

The stairs surround the platform so that a Sim can (hopefully) approach it from whichever side (as if this was a sunken lounge area in the middle of an open living space). Notice the lamp refuses to be tied down to the floor and insists on either floating or being on the level with the carpet.

Am I trying to do the impossible? Am I just being stupid and there is an easier way? What am I doing wrong?

I think it would be possible...maybe. I would use GridAdjuster to make a 2 click foundation (there's a mini tutorial in Mootilda's thread listing the steps) and then use GridAdjuster again to raise the terrain outside of the foundation and invisible stairs so your sims can access it.

I have a house (uploaded here if you want to practice on it) that's on a 2 click foundation. I was able to cut out the foundation and place furniture without any problem but I couldn't make the terrain level to the foundation using CFE but I think it would be almost the same process, using GridAdjuster, as building the 2 click foundation. It's been awhile since I messed around with it so take everything I say with a grain of salt...and even if it does work there's probably an easier way. lol

2 Click Foundation House

No, as I can tell no!It is possible with some restrictions though!

Firstly this is what we want to do:
http://postimage.org/image/675jcrk4/

To traverse from point 1 to point 2 [down image] you can use the technics found here .Mootilda started this thread and since then we are making progress!Unfortunately,something is missing and this time animations!
EDIT: I didn't noticed you knew about this

Now as far as the lamp is concerned this might be the problem:


Let me know if anything else concerns you!

Oh duh, disregard my post it has nothing to do with what you're trying to do. So you want two clicks up (minimum needed for stairs and a way to camouflage that) and then four clicks down for the pit, got it? Thanks for explaining what MSD is trying to do with pictures so it's at a level I can understand --your graphic is excellent!

You may be experiencing a problem with the pond water level on the lot. Try creating a normal sloped basement first, to move the pond water down on the lot. Then, follow the same process as before.

If you continue to have problems, then please attach a copy of the lot.

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Can I assume that the picture (by MAB-2000 above) describes what you want to do? I believe that you want the sunken (black) area at -2 clicks and the living (red) area at 0 clicks.

Let me explain the problem with the picture. It shows the ground level going into the sunken area without a sloped tile between the two levels. This is impossible. There is no way to have a change in elevation for a level without a slope between the two elevations.

In this particular case, it looks like the slope would be completely hidden by the upper level; you can probably just add a slope underneath the main level.

I have attached a sample lot with a slope, plus the GridAdjuster parameters that I used to create the lot.

1) Create a lot with a sunken area using the normal technique, but don't add the stairs. Be sure that the sunken area is at least as low as you eventually want it to be, so that you will not have to contend with the water level issue. Note that there's no harm in making the sunken area a full 16 clicks below ground level.
2) (GA1) Move the upper level down to 2 clicks above the ground
3) Add stairs between the upper level and the ground, on the outside of the house. Make the stairs invisible.
4) (GA2) Move the upper level down to almost ground level. To avoid Z-fighting, I've raised it slightly.
5) (GA3) Adjust the ground level inside of the structure, so that the slope is hidden under the upper level.
6) Add stairs between the upper level and the ground, on the inside of the house.

Sorry about the double post, but I wanted to keep the sloped and no-slope solutions separate.

If you want a sunken area without a slope, you need to use the no-slope basement technique. The only difference is that you want a no-slope basement at -2 clicks and the main level at 0 clicks, rather than a more traditional -12 clicks and 4 clicks respectively. In this case, you shouldn't need to worry about the water level problem, since the GridAdjuster will handle the water level for you.

So, the ground level is (always) level 0. The sunken level would be level 1 with an elevation of -2 clicks and the upper level would be level 2 with an elevation of 0 clicks. The no-slope technique is only necessary for the black area. Your choice of elevation for level 1 in the red area is completely up to you, but it may affect the placement of objects on the ground.

If you want the main living area at 0 clicks, then you'll probably have to do it in stages:
1) Create the no-slope basement with level 1 at -2 clicks and level 2 at 2 clicks (absolute values, not relative).
2) Add the stairs from level 2 to level 0 (ground) and make them invisible. You need to add the stairs at this point because stairs will not place unless there is a minimum of 2 clicks difference in the two levels.
3) Adjust level 2 to be just above 0 clicks (absolute).
4) Add the stairs from level 2 to level 1 (sunken). Add these stairs at this time because we want them to be 2-clicks high, rather than the 4 clicks that existed in step 2.

Thank all of you for the responses and helping to express what I was trying to achieve. Yes, I was basically trying to turn a No-Slope basement into a No-Slope sunken area with the "main floor" area lowered.

Thanks, Mootilda, for the step-by-step. (We really need to compile all these techniques into standalone tutorials with pictures. A "Whatever for Dummies" for those of us who try to do things when our "Thinking Cap" has been misplaced. ) I think I better understand now, though I likely still need to practice, fiddle, and experiment some more. It helps to have a Notepad window open to keep track of all the numbers.

Let me know if you need further help.