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Lab Assistant
Original Poster
#1 Old 9th Mar 2016 at 8:01 PM Last edited by Batanau : 10th Mar 2016 at 4:22 AM. Reason: Hid those ginormeous picture behind spoiler tags.
Default The Creative/Nifty Design Thread
I thought it would be fun to start a thread dedicated to sharing some of the creative designs out there. What I had in mind in particular was innovative use of objects and features, be it EAxis or custom. One of the things I love the most about browsing other people's lots and downloading them is to look at their style and find inspiration for my own building. Sometimes they've successfully combined EAaxis objects in ways I never thought of, or even used them for other purposes than the (at least for me) plainly obvious. Feel free to share something you've come up with yourself as well, of course!

Here are some of the nifty things I've discovered lately:

Schinasi Mansion by Zarathustra

This lot is based on a real building in New York, and Zarathustra has really gone out of his way in order to recreate it as realistically as possible – using no CC! I particularly love how he's used columns thorughout the house. I have to admit it never struck me that they could be placed around bookcases or fireplaces like this:



In this last picture, I also liked the idea about placing one of the chairs diagonally. It renders it unusable with the table, but adds realism. Adding a mirror over the fireplace is also a nice touch.

The following picture is another example of something I'm not sure I would have come up with. Again it's about playability; I'm often a bit too obsessed about that and would therefore dismiss the idea of placing one of the bookcases behind the sofa and the floor lamp in front of another. But the last one is easily accessible, so that doesn't really matter! Nice usage of limited space in a small attic apartment.



Replacing the default ceiling is pretty basic, but still something I rarely do. I guess I should do that more often, as it it can really change the atmosphere of a room:



No.16 Apartments by Liv

Liv recently uploaded these apartments, which definitely deserved to be a picked upload. This lot was also made using no custom content.



I really liked the way she designed some of the kitchens, where she's used the arch to make a 'niche' for the refrigerator. Using different colors for the chairs was another fun detail.

Also fun to see her do one thing I do myself. This window often functions as a shower wall in my game, like she's done here:



I'm sorry if there's a thread for this already, but I didn't find one when I looked around. In case I have missed it, please feel free to point me in the right direction
Screenshots
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Mad Poster
#2 Old 9th Mar 2016 at 8:22 PM
I totally agree with you that Liv's lot is fabulous, I absolutely adore her style. But saying it's CC free isn't entirely true. Default replacements are also CC, and the pictures are displaying the lot with those default replacements. In the two screenshots you shared we see a default replaced door, and default replaced glass in the window, and possibly the stove's oven glass. That said, it's still a great lot and an impressive aesthetic given the limited use of CC.

I liked Zarathustra's use of the Malm bedside table and dresser to create the illusion of cardboard boxes, in the apartment lot Dead End Tenements. Very creative!

And I'll side-step from my Swedishness and post an example of something I do. Not because I think I'm clever, but because I showed this lot to a couple of people recently and they commented on my use of a 1x3 carpet to create a 4x3 carpet, by using boolprop snapobjectstogrid false. I put the carpet as it appears straight out of catalog next to it, to show which one it is.

I don't know where I'd use a 1x3 carpet as it is, but they can look nice enough if combined If they overlap too much the textures will flicker when you move the camera, but as long as they only overlap a tiny bit it won't flicker.

Creations can be found on my on tumblr.
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#3 Old 9th Mar 2016 at 9:37 PM
Batanau, while I love the pictures can you put them behind a spoiler please, they are huge. As in I am having to grab the bar down the bottom and pull it to the right just to see the other side of the pictures.

I totally used Zar's 'box' trick on my recent entry in the Monopoly contest.
http://www.modthesims.info/showpost...70&postcount=53

On my second entry I made a washing line and a rain tank.
http://www.modthesims.info/showpost...2&postcount=301

On my forth I made an aquarium and a science object.
http://www.modthesims.info/showpost...9&postcount=887

I will be uploading the second and forth.

I often build a shower, I think glass doors are nicer than curtains.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Mad Poster
#4 Old 9th Mar 2016 at 9:47 PM
Batanau, glad you like my tricks! One of the things that comes from not using CC is having to find creative ways to combine things to still get that level of "flair" in some lots! And Jo, you may have used my "box" trick even better than I have! It never occurred to me to double up the dressers or tables to hide the drawer sides! I may have to steal that next time I use it in one of my lots! I fully agree with you on the shower too... oftentimes, I actually end up with my grandiose lots using the cheap public shower, with my own build mode additions around it to make it appropriately luxurious!

Welcome to the Dark Side...
We lied about having cookies.
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#5 Old 9th Mar 2016 at 9:56 PM
Lol, I assumed that you had doubled them! I haven't downloaded the large lot that I first saw them in, just went from the pictures. That's funny.

I love that the community here can learn things like this from each other and nobody is yelling 'you stole my idea!" like I hear they do all over Tumblr.

Also thanks for the help on that washing line. I wish I was better at CFE but I'm always doing something wrong or forgetting some needed step and redoing things. *tears hair out*

Building this amusement park I've been looking around at others. Take a look at this for some impressive CFE work. I think you would appreciate this @Zarathustra http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=285327 I downloaded it to take a look at the 'ride' using bear chairs, a marvelous example of mastery of CFE. I would not even begin to attempt something like that.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Theorist
#6 Old 9th Mar 2016 at 10:34 PM Last edited by Honeywell : 9th Mar 2016 at 10:44 PM.
I don't know about inspirational but here's an old favorite I haven't used in years. I think everyone has turned the wine rack around to make cabinets but I liked to add "handles" by using the Christmas bells (they come in gold too). These days I'd probably opt for CC instead but they still look like pretty believable upper cabinets, I think.



And here's another from my pre CC days. I loved using these connecting columns as a room divider and would hang lights from them. This house is so old now it was uploaded to the exchange. lol

Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#7 Old 9th Mar 2016 at 10:40 PM
I've turned the wine rack but did not know about the wedding bell trick, neat idea HW.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Scholar
#8 Old 9th Mar 2016 at 10:53 PM
There's too much clipping in volved, but otherwise, the kitchen nook wall is pretty nifty.
Mad Poster
#9 Old 9th Mar 2016 at 11:40 PM
I liked ekrubynaffit's innovative use of foundations in this house in the current Monopoly Game Town contest.

All Sims are beautiful -- even the ugly ones.
My Simblr ~~ My LJ
Sims' lives matter!
The Veronaville kids are alright.
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#10 Old 9th Mar 2016 at 11:49 PM
I don't see any clipping.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Link Ninja
#11 Old 9th Mar 2016 at 11:59 PM
I don't see any clipping either and I don't see the fountains trick @AndrewGloria linked. I clicked on 'Show spoilers' to see if it was in any of the rest of those photos but couldn't find it.

Uh oh! My social bar is low - that's why I posted today.

Theorist
#12 Old 10th Mar 2016 at 12:04 AM Last edited by CaliBrat : 10th Mar 2016 at 9:04 PM.
Look at the overhead view .. see the walls?
Mad Poster
#13 Old 10th Mar 2016 at 1:13 AM
Quote: Originally posted by joandsarah77
Lol, I assumed that you had doubled them! I haven't downloaded the large lot that I first saw them in, just went from the pictures. That's funny.

I love that the community here can learn things like this from each other and nobody is yelling 'you stole my idea!" like I hear they do all over Tumblr.

Also thanks for the help on that washing line. I wish I was better at CFE but I'm always doing something wrong or forgetting some needed step and redoing things. *tears hair out*

Building this amusement park I've been looking around at others. Take a look at this for some impressive CFE work. I think you would appreciate this @Zarathustra http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=285327 I downloaded it to take a look at the 'ride' using bear chairs, a marvelous example of mastery of CFE. I would not even begin to attempt something like that.


Absolutely- I love when I see concepts I came up with being used in other people's creations! It makes me think that I might actually know what I'm doing... (and I've certainly "borrowed" ideas on how to combine things in creative ways from other creations I've seen out there myself!)

And actually, going through that washing line step-by-step was what let me figure out how floor-tile-free CFE work actually works, so it allowed me to finally write my dome-building tutorial that I'd been struggling with! So thank YOU for that!

Also, that ride.... holy $%&@! That's gotta be some of the most creative CFE and placement work I've ever seen! *iz jealous*

Welcome to the Dark Side...
We lied about having cookies.
Link Ninja
#14 Old 10th Mar 2016 at 1:15 AM
Quote: Originally posted by CaliBrat
Look at the overhead view .. see the walls?
OMG I totally miss-read that; I seriously thought there was an 'innovative use of fountains' not foundations. No wonder I couldn't find what I expected.

Uh oh! My social bar is low - that's why I posted today.

Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#15 Old 10th Mar 2016 at 1:40 AM
gazania the thread is for nifty things you can do with only Maxis content.

It's not a real ride, it's really bear chairs, plus low ornamental fence and concrete fence edging. I downloaded it and used the eye dropper on it as I was fascinated in what it was made from.

Zarathustra, I know right; that creator has some mad skillz. I think it deserves a feature.

Glad to help! You're the featured artist, I'm just a regular builder. If you can build a rocket ship I bet you could figure out and reproduce that bear ride if you really wanted to.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Mad Poster
#16 Old 10th Mar 2016 at 1:42 AM Last edited by gazania : 10th Mar 2016 at 2:18 AM.
But I thought the original post said custom as well?

When reading this, I was thinking of a situation where you have to do a purge, but want to keep a very small amount of CC because of its versatility.

Sorry!

I deleted my post, though, since I really did misread the question in another way.

Sorry again.

Thanks to ALL free-site creators, admins and mods.

RIP Sunni ... truly a ray of light.
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#17 Old 10th Mar 2016 at 1:44 AM
Does it? Sorry! I am having trouble reading the post because of the ginormous pictures! I hope they come back and use a spoiler tag around them.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Mad Poster
#18 Old 10th Mar 2016 at 1:57 AM
I tend to be pragmatic. Function over form. So slight clipping isn't a big deal to me. Sometimes, it's a trade-off so you can actually USE an item. As long as my Sim can move around as it pleases and doesn't do the stupid stompy-dance, I'm happy. I THINK the Sim could still use that fridge, right? I know some of mine can be temperamental little divas and divos if they see even a sight obstacle in their way.

I wonder if a little creative use of snap_objects could hide that clipping. I know I've used a few of the Maxis items successfully to that effect. I think that snap_objects is my best friend sometimes. I would have to see just how large an area is affected by the clipping, though, and what I could use to put over it and not have it LOOK like a cover-up. Probably why, even if I could submit stuff, it would be promptly rejected.

Thanks to ALL free-site creators, admins and mods.

RIP Sunni ... truly a ray of light.
Theorist
#19 Old 10th Mar 2016 at 2:11 AM
Quote: Originally posted by gazania
I tend to be pragmatic. Function over form. So slight clipping isn't a big deal to me. Sometimes, it's a trade-off so you can actually USE an item. As long as my Sim can move around as it pleases and doesn't do the stupid stompy-dance, I'm happy. I THINK the Sim could still use that fridge, right? I know some of mine can be temperamental little divas and divos if they see even a sight obstacle in their way.


I believe the clipping comment was referring to the other designs -- labellavienna was actually admiring Liv's kitchen nook, I think.
Mad Poster
#20 Old 10th Mar 2016 at 2:23 AM Last edited by gazania : 10th Mar 2016 at 2:53 AM.
And about those fountains ... I guess I misread the post. Nothing new with me! For some reason, I thought that CaliBrat was alluding to the kitchen nook. Methinks it's time for me to pay attention.

I do notice some clipping looking at some of the pictures (at least I THINK this is what we're talking about). But I think it might boil down to trying to produce a certain effect v. getting everything spot-on accurate. Could these effects be achieved without clipping?

Thanks to ALL free-site creators, admins and mods.

RIP Sunni ... truly a ray of light.
Mad Poster
#21 Old 10th Mar 2016 at 2:26 AM
Quote: Originally posted by joandsarah77
If you can build a rocket ship I bet you could figure out and reproduce that bear ride if you really wanted to.


I'm sure I could reproduce it, given enough time and patience... but that's not really the point, is it? There are plenty of people who have painted copies (and forgeries too, probably) of the Mona Lisa, but da Vinci is the only one who actually came up with it in the first place. That's the most impressive thing, I think.

Welcome to the Dark Side...
We lied about having cookies.
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#22 Old 10th Mar 2016 at 2:49 AM
What fountains? I'm confused.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Mad Poster
#23 Old 10th Mar 2016 at 2:56 AM Last edited by gazania : 10th Mar 2016 at 3:21 AM.
Like Charmful, I thought that AndrewGloria was referring to FOUNTAINS, not foundations.

I'm getting confused, too. I think there are at least three different topics in this thread already!

Thanks to ALL free-site creators, admins and mods.

RIP Sunni ... truly a ray of light.
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#24 Old 10th Mar 2016 at 3:00 AM
A thoroughly messed up thread and iCad is not even in sight.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Mad Poster
#25 Old 10th Mar 2016 at 3:13 AM
Well, I'll do my best to steer us back towards the original theme then!

As far as combining things goes, one of the things I find most useful is to look at colors- you can see a couple examples with two fireplaces in the screenshots here. There are objects whose colors mesh fairly well, and using placement cheats, they can be combined into much grander fireplaces than just the BG fireplace could ever be, and then decorated much the same as anything else would be. Fountains (yes, actually fountains this time! ) are another good example of being able to do this... there's lots of marble and stone statuary that can be combined with splashing water to make elaborate fountains as a centerpiece for a sprawling piazza or manicured garden...
Screenshots

Welcome to the Dark Side...
We lied about having cookies.
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