Hi, Everyone! Welcome to Zoo U!Course 9: Building a House from a Real-Life House PlanDescription: This course is intended to teach beginning builders how to choose the best house plans for Sims construction and then how to modify it as necessary and to build a finished house with that plan. This is intended to take two to three lessons.Course Prerequisites: It is very desirable to have a Builder's Blank Neighborhood and a quality Tester Sim (see post two of this thread for both these topics) but not required. You should also read the "Note from Your Teacher" post (post five of this thread). Skill Level for Students: Beginning Builder Required Supplies: Sims 3 base game and patches for each EP. The house plan that we are using should be reproducible with only base game, but if you have Store, EP, and SP build/buy windows and doors you may use these to make your house look the way you would like.Lecturer: ZooProfessor3Find Lesson One Here (even though this class is no longer "live" you may post your questions on this thread):http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/90/680739.page#10870288 Find Lesson Two Here (even though this class is no longer "live" you may post your questions on this thread):http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/270/680739.page#10906337Find My Version of the Homework here (parts one and two):http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/270/680739.page#10906383And here (part three)http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/420/680739.page#10988915 For Zoo U classes that are "live" a time and date will be given, but they may not be given using your time zone.You can find out what time the class starts in your town using the World Clock site and their time zone converter. Here is a link:http://www.timeanddate.com/ALSO IN THIS THREAD:POST ONE: Course Description and Lesson LinksPOST TWO: Information for Zoo U StudentsPOST THREE: Class Roster for Each Lesson of This CoursePOST FOUR: Student ShowcasePOST FIVE: A Note From Your TeacherZOO U MASTER THREAD (This thread contains all links to Zoo U courses and bookmarking this thread will allow you to always find us), just click the banner below:

HOMEWORK:1. Go here and read what I had to say about house 3.http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/150/675089.page#10830180Then go here to get the plans for house 3:http://www.architecturaldesigns.com/country-house-plan-6858am.asp2. Now do the same sort of counting for width and length that we did for the house we are currently building.3. Make a lot with the white tiles and fencing for outlines for the first floor of this house. Since the porch for this house is so low and flat, I think this house would look fine built straight on the ground level, without foundation. 4. Put in all the outlines for the interior rooms and put in the stairs. Place furniture to see if you have room for the essentials and if you don’t, adjust your plans.5. OPTIONAL (but fun and encouraged), make a thread to showcase the work you are doing for this course. Title it something that makes it clear it is your Zoo U thread and that it shows a work in progress (mark it WIP so that people know what they are looking at). Get yourself a free account on Photobucket or Flicker or any other photo-sharing site and upload your photos of the build in our class so far to this thread. Post any comments or observations you would like to share with your fellow students. 6. If you choose to make the thread described in step 5, post the link to it on our course 9 thread and I will put you into the Blackcat Builders (Student Showcase) post in our course thread. The best class we ever had in terms of student participation had students making these showcase threads and every single student expressed how much fun it was to share, so I hope you will!Zoo U: the only school where you can attend class and build houses in your PJs (and not be thought clearly insane)

Register Me! I wish we didn't have to wait until Saturday! I had so much fun doing this building, I cannot wait to see how everyone home turns out! I think I'm going to use everything I learned today and build a little starter home from a random plan online. I never realized how easy it was to figure this stuff out! I used to get so frustrated trying to build homes from plans and get so fed up I'd quit. Professor thank you for your services you're awesome!

BreeMiles wrote:ZooProfessor3 wrote:BreeMiles wrote:Oh THe homework is a tough one, I'm stuck yet again on the drawing, strange I can build the layout almost, but I can't draw the pattern, but I'm not giving up till I get that figured out...Maybe you could give me a little peck in the head with the pencil Zoo.. It may help me...I don't feel violence is necessary--- you will get it! If all else fails, you can look at mine when I put up the homework. It just takes a little practice.Something that helps me is to concentrate on the exterior walls in relation to the interior ones. It is easier than trying to count interior walls alone.I don't know if that made sense, but that is what I do! :mrgreen: ZooThank You Zoo, all your wisdom helps me alot..... I really appreciate it. These floors plans is what I want to learn the most, I love working with them and seeing what I can come up with, and it's been a big struggle for me... So I am grateful for all your help...I have a claimed D.N.A. request which I put on hold as I had to do my Zoo U course, so I've been working on it this weekend. I don't want my customer to have to wait any longer than necessary, so I'm going to try to finish it (it is a HUGE build) over the next few days. Then I will see about the Zoo U homework house. I will make the grid and put my numbers on it so you can see what my estimates were. That should help.You just need the practice of doing that and learning how to adjust when things don't go perfectly, which they OFTEN don't. :DStay tuned!Zoo

priscapup wrote:ZooProfessor3 wrote:I'm going through to answer questions and update our thread right now. I spent, literally, ALL DAY yesterday working on my current D.N.A. request build. I have at least another full day to get it finished, but I am liking it now, so that is good. :mrgreen:Please forgive me that it may have taken two days to get back to you if you had a question! Zoo U students are super important to me and I don't like to make you wait, but my D.N.A. customer requested me and waited about two months for me to be free to build for her, then it turned into such a giant build that I've been working on it for over three weeks. My point is that she has been waiting for a long time AND I have to put her build on hold at the end of this week to do our Zoo U lesson. I needed to devote the beginning of the week to her build. I hope you guys understand.ZooYou're wearing several hats this month, Zoo.... DNA Secretary, DNA Creator, Zoo University Professor. And you do each of them exceptionally well. I do not feel neglected, and I don't think anyone else does either. We'll hold down the Fort here while you take care of your other business! :mrgreen: Thanks for understanding, P-Pup! I also took the very end of May off from my job (Mr. Zoo has a birthday on May 27th) and so this week I have been also trying to finish up some of the school end-of-semester/ end-of-year stuff that I need to have done before blissfully traipsing off to a summer of fun with Sims.I am NOT making the headway on any of these jobs that I would like, but I'm plodding along and hoping for patience and forgiveness! LOL!Zoo

Okay, I've started on it, I figured out how to move the garage walls---but I keep getting this: I must be doing something wrong---how do I keep the wall from showing through the garage door? Thanks! :)

Zoo U Course 9: Building a House from a Real Life House Plan--(self-paced tutorial)

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zooprofessor
13 years ago

Zoo U students, after registration, please do the following (some things are marked optional, but if it is not marked that way, I will assume that you will do it before the next lesson).

1. Bookmark this thread so that you can find us for the next lesson. This is where the class will be taking place. IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL, but not required, IF YOU WOULD REGISTER FOR EACH LESSON OF THIS COURSE. It keeps the thread bumped so that new students will see it.

2. If you have not accepted a friend request from me, please consider doing that. (this step is optional)

3. IMPORTANT: The class may involve moving back and forth between this thread and your game. You will be posting questions and comments as well as seeing the photo and description of the build step you are supposed to be doing. It is important that you can have the forum opened to this thread but minimized as you build and have your game open but minimized as you come here to post. Please try this out before the course starts by minimizing this window right now, opening up your game and starting a new game, saving your game and hitting the "windows" key on your keyboard (if you have a Mac, kindly scroll down to post four and my friend Wibble will tell you how to do this!) and posting something in this thread (like "Testing that I can post while my game is open") and then going back into your game to make sure all is running well. This all works fine on MY computer, but everyone's machine is different and you don't want any unpleasant surprises when the first lesson begins.

4. I am going to be adding some links to useful threads I'm making for students in Zoo U. It is optional that you do any of those, but they will help you have a smoother time as a builder. I would at least go look at what has been posted, but even that is not required. (This step is optional)

Here is a link to a thread about Tester Families:
http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/486961.page

Here is the Exchange link for my favorite Tester Sim if you don't want to make your own:
http://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=5018210

Here is the Exchange link for a vastly updated version of my favorite Tester Sim (she has a CAP pattern that I made but no CC) and her cat Helix:
http://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=6722698

Here is the Exchange link for a group of Tester Sims that would be very helpful if you have Supernatural and are building with Alchemy potions and the like:
http://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=6767525

Here is a link to a thread about making a Builder's Blank Neighborhood:
http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/488892.page
zooprofessor
13 years ago

To Register for Lesson Two of "Building a House From a Real-Life House Plan", the ninth course offered by Zoo U, please post at the end of this thread with the words:

"Register Me!"

Class Roster for Lesson One:
Maylicious
jenny0786
FireFlower29
suepea
BreeMiles
priscapup
ElijahsBabyGurl9
Army008
ShelockHolmes
gngrsnp
AyaSama3000
DevonandPeter
Abeauty95
xixeatxcrayonsx
RollTide8910
Hidehi
fionavernon
Rayshizzie
Dirathegreat
levelk218
AHENRICHs
AZSpudKing
HARLEY2
iSammy94
nerdy3000
cbrock7
Marit_Watery
Sallidra20
mcveighjess
WrathofCath
awesomeman2301
mjjlover4
MoonLove13
Nirar22

Class Roster for Lesson Two:
jenny0786
Nirar22
Hidehi
BreeMiles
FireFlower29
Army008
Abeauty95
mcveighjess
AyaSama3000
priscapup
xixeatxcrayonsx
Rayshizzie
suepea
cbrock7
WrathofCath
HARLEY2
NikkiOfarrell
Britt93414
nerdy3000
DevonandPeter

What should I wear to class today?
zooprofessor
13 years ago
The Blackcat Builders (Student Showcase)

Here you will find the links for threads with student work related to this course.

Abeauty95
BreeMiles
xixeatxcrayonsx
FireFlower29
priscapup
jenny0786
suepea
WrathofCath
Army008
Hidehi

Snowflake-- Official Mascot of the Zoo U Blackcats

Directions for Posting Photos in a Forum Thread:

1. Get a free account from PhotoBucket or any other photo hosting site. This should NOT require a credit card.

2. Follow the directions on the photo hosting site to create an album and upload photos. It will give you an option to Browse your computer to find the photos to upload. If you want to upload screenshots from your game, you will find them in the Electronic Arts folder, in the Sims 3 sub-folder, and in the Screenshots sub-sub folder.

3. Once your photos are in the photo-hosting site, you want a thing called the image code. On Photobucket you hit the little gear icon and choose "Get Links" and then click on the image code one and it copies the code to the clipboard.

4. Open up a fresh forum thread and right-click inside your first post and choose "paste" (that will paste what is in the clipboard-- in this case the image code for your photograph--- into your thread).

5. Photographs that come from a photo-hosting site are too big and will break the thread if you don't resize them. To resize them just type "width=600" (INCLUDING QUOTES) right before the in the long string of symbols which is the image code. Be sure you don't have any spaces added in when you do this and make sure you don't gain or lose any of the symbols from the image code.

6. Choose "preview" to look at what your post will look like before you post it. If you photos all look to suit you then post away!
zooprofessor
13 years ago

Hello Zoo U Students!

It is wonderful to have you here and I hope you learn a lot and have fun doing it. Please feel free to ask any questions and to interact with me and with your fellow students. This thread also has a post set aside to link to student work. I hope you will consider creating a thread in Creative Corner forum with your work from this course so that we can all visit it and see what you've done.

There is no prerequisite to this course in the sense that there is nothing that must be done BEFORE you can understand the course material, however there are some recommendations that I have for you.

1. Visit the Course 9 Prerequisite Thread, read post one and follow the directions. You will find the thread here: http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/675089.page

2. At the end of that thread you will discover which house plan was chosen for our class. It is not required, BUT very helpful and strongly recommended, that you print out copies of each of the photos and the floor plans prior to starting this course.

Here's wishing us all a great course!

Zoo
zooprofessor
13 years ago

Just post the words "Register Me" in this thread to join us this Saturday!
Maylicious
13 years ago
Register Me! Sounds like fun :)

(I'll do my best to be on at that actual time, but real life with a baby may disrupt my plans)
zooprofessor
13 years ago
Maylicious wrote:
Register Me! Sounds like fun :)

(I'll do my best to be on at that actual time, but real life with a baby may disrupt my plans)

If you have to miss you can still view the class as a self-paced, online tutorial. It's more fun to be there when everyone else is, but during the actual class there is not that much posting on the thread because everyone is working on the steps of the lesson. Afterward, there is a lot of posting as people have questions and as they get stuff finished and want to show it off.

I believe I have told you this before, but I love your user name! I may have to name a Sim after you. LOL!

Welcome to Zoo U!
CrimsonSimmers
13 years ago
Register Me :-)

I love it when a new semester starts here at Zoo U. Gives me a chance to get in touch with old class mates :-D
zooprofessor
13 years ago
jenny0786 wrote:
Register Me :-)

I love it when a new semester starts here at Zoo U. Gives me a chance to get in touch with old class mates :-D

Hi, Jenny! I hope this class goes as well as Course 7 did, students really posted some awesome stuff from that course.

Welcome back to Zoo U!
RockyMtnRose68
New Spectator
13 years ago
Hi Zoo!

Is it all right if I register with you? :oops:

In truth, I can't build without a floor plan (except starters) and it would be very interesting to know where I could improve.

I perused the other thread and one of the submissions was of a home I actually used for one of my request builds (albeit it was changed slightly to accommodate the requester) and yes, it was tricky! I agreed with your synopsis of the pros/cons of the home.

Thanks, Rose