Little questions about adding created/collected things to builds

I can't answer all of your questions but anything associated with a Sim will stick to that Sim. Such as things the Sim is made. But you can break the connection by evicting the Sim to the clipboard and removing the from the game before saving the lot to the library or uploading. I managed to get the Sim made stained glass windows to stay in my Indoor Outdoor Wedding Venue using this method.

Thanks, @Karritz . That sounds logical and what likely was the issue with paintings. In the house where the paintings disappeared, the sim who had lived there painted them. In the house where they didn't, they more likely were from a lot I have that contains all the possible paintings in the game. The sim I'm using to test and upgrade right now has both her own paintings and ones collected from that paintings lot in her bag, so I'll have to be careful.

So, my current photos are probably going to be a problem because they were made by my tester sim who I had living there, who moved out normally. (Edited to add: Except the photos I was able to keep in an upload were taken by a sim living in the house at the time. They were in digital frames, though.)

Thinking this may not be a problem then with collected things, but I'd still like to hear anything anyone knows. :)

@suzses, On the paintings the only thing I was aware of was that if you framed the painting they would not stay with the upload. Left unframed they would. I have also discovered there is a framed basegame photo/painting of a red car that the small sim paintings will set into so you make make it look framed. The other sizes I have yet to discover something to make them look framed.

On the digi photos, I got tired of having to reset the photo and if I remember right they don't fall with the wall so I quit using them. So no help with those.

The gnome. I always try to get rid of those before I upload tho they tend to reappear so some may have snuck into my uploads! LOL

As for seashells, message in a bottle and nectar bottles and such I have found that anything bought by my sim or from a spawner or chest I've placed on the lot, stay with the game. The chest and spawner I usually always delete before uploading.

Thanks @romagi1 ! I didn't know about using the frame from the red car painting - that's a great idea.

I'm usually one who deletes gnomes, but my sim went home with the diver gnome, who keeps getting nose-to-nose with the whale sculpture I have on that lot (which I'm planning to upload eventually). It's so cute that I thought I'd leave him there and just wondered if he'd transfer. It really doesn't matter if he doesn't - I was just curious about that.

Good to know I don't have to worry about the shells, nectar, etc., which I have scattered about here and there.

My understandings on these subjects from back when...

Paintings. If your sim painted them from the "paint" interaction, yes. This way the game has that image already available for use in everyone's game. If your sim painted them from "paint still-life" or "paint portrait" then no.

Photographs. Yes, but if you put them in one of the frames the person downloading the lot has to click on the frame and start the display all the time. Much better to just drag the photograph from the camera to the wall. The game will put a frame on it. And... I believe this frame is also available to edit in CASt.

Gnomes. I built a whole lot around the troglodyte gnomes and they definitely transferred with the lot.

Collectibles. They have always transferred for me. But if you transfer an uncut gem, no matter what the gem is, it will look like a lighter version of the blue topaz uncut gem. Cut gems transfer just fine. If you have cut tiberium on the lot you upload, it will start in whatever cut you have it, but it will eventually morph into a large spire cut tiberium in their game. This killed some cool effects I did with skull cut tiberium gems, sniff...

Nectar. Definitely will transfer. I used to make batches with specific names related to builds and put them into the nectar racks or around the house and see if anyone ever got back to me about finding the easter eggs.

Books. Same as the nectar above. If a sim writes books and puts them in the bookshelves, those titles you gave the books will transfer. Also a great easter egg I used on a number of lots. I had WAY too much fun with this one if I am honest.

As for technique, I always stocked them in the house with the sim(s) living there, moved the sim(s) out who made the items through edit town, saved to the library, uploaded the lot to the exchange, and did a test of downloading it (or having a buddy do the test) to see what transferred.

@MeestorMark Thank you so much for all that helpful information! When you moved the sims out in edit town, did you put them on another lot or leave them on the clipboard?

That was 49 troglodyte gnomes you placed :) at least according to your description. That's a great looking martial arts academy lot.

I can see you must have had a lot of fun!

@suzses I used to have save towns just for building, not playing. So I move a talented sim in from the library to do the crafting types of things. Then when I move them out, they just go to the clipboard.

Thanks for your compliment on the martial arts academy. That was one of my all-around favorite sims creations as there was a story and tour video to go with it.

I just realized I forgot to mention sculpting. That is another craftable that you can get to transfer with lots. As long as they aren't "sculpt sim" types of interactions, they will transfer correctly. If your sculptor can craft ice sculptures that don't melt, they will even transfer and not melt.

@MeestorMark Thanks again :) Good to know about the unmeltable ice sculptures! That could be interesting to use.

I do the same with having build saves, and I can leave the sims on the clipboard - I just wondered if that was the technique.