Updated Building a Yacht!! a basic framework by Ralphael (Expanded version)
See http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/40355.page
The actual finished yacht can be downloaded here:
http://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=348328
Also this post has been expanded for part II following the basic framework.
Part I
Please keep this post alive by adding your comments (good or bad).
This is the second time I've built ships in the Sims game. The first one was in Sims 2 which gave us up to 15 floor levels (before it crashes the game), elevators and transparent tiles to work with, thus I was able to build a cruise ship with something like 8 floors of living space.
The framework for the ship hull is probably the most difficult, however now that I've done it twice, it is now second nature and once you have tried it once you will agree.
1. Step one. lay out the outline of the ship outline using the ground fences and build 3 walls around the ship outline.
2. Raise the terrain under the one of the walls (with constrainfloorelevation true) and use the level terrain to raise the wall higher (arbitrary amount).
3. using the terrain level, raise the sides of the ship framework.
4. now the following is actually quite fun as you selectively raise the outside pieces of the ship.
5. now it will look like a giant bathtub... now hit E (clone) and select a tile. Then press ctrl-shift and point the mouse pointer at one of the tile and click to delete all the tiles. (use ctrl-z to recover to continue working).
This is the basic of the yacht framework (cruise ship in sims 2).
Please feel free to comment or ask questions here in the tutorial, or make comments on the upcoming yacht in this thread.
http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/40355.page
Thanks for viewing,
Ralphael
Part II
Recap: The first part was a quick test and it really only takes a few minutes to build a basic framework for a ship.
Now we need to lower the whole framework so that the frame is partially submersed in water.
1. So we begin again, this time lower the land with the pond terain brush and bring up the height of the frame working area just above the water. You can do this by setting constrainfloorelevation off and laying out a foundation at a corner, then flatten out the whole first floor using the foundation piece as the height.
2. now build the 3 walls surrounding the frame and raise the walls up by an arbitrary amount (arbitrary meaning I don't know as I design by feel and so should you :P).
3. Now before we raise the sides to create a gigantic bathtub, lets add a floor which forms the bottom floor of your ship. We do this by laying out a bunch of pillars then adding the floor.
4. Now that we have a floor, go ahead and delete all the pillars.
5. Now as everyone knows how to lower a floor by setting constrainfloorelevation off, then using a stair on the bottom of the boat (not the floor), then deleting the stair, then using the terain flatten tool to lower the bottom until it is submersed underwater. You repeat this as a few times.
6. now lets go back to up one level back to the floor and wrap the sides around the floor.
7. Add another floor to the ship by using pillars and then another layer of floor.
8. You can check how it looks by removing all the tiles, press e (clone) and select a tile, then ctrl-shift and point the pointer at a tile at the corner and click. This will delete all tiles. Use ctrl-z to restore the tiles as you will need the supporting floor structure as you work. Definitely needed if you wish to put a staircase connecting the main floor to the side of the ship, then from the side to the ground.
All this sounds more difficult then it seems, but once you have done it, it really only takes about 10-15 minutes to create the basic foundation of a ship.
The hardest part is afterwards when you attempt to fit various walls, stairs on the ship.
Good luck on your ship if you choose to give it a try...
Ralphael
The actual finished yacht can be downloaded here:
http://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=348328
Also this post has been expanded for part II following the basic framework.
Part I
Please keep this post alive by adding your comments (good or bad).
This is the second time I've built ships in the Sims game. The first one was in Sims 2 which gave us up to 15 floor levels (before it crashes the game), elevators and transparent tiles to work with, thus I was able to build a cruise ship with something like 8 floors of living space.
The framework for the ship hull is probably the most difficult, however now that I've done it twice, it is now second nature and once you have tried it once you will agree.
1. Step one. lay out the outline of the ship outline using the ground fences and build 3 walls around the ship outline.
2. Raise the terrain under the one of the walls (with constrainfloorelevation true) and use the level terrain to raise the wall higher (arbitrary amount).
3. using the terrain level, raise the sides of the ship framework.
4. now the following is actually quite fun as you selectively raise the outside pieces of the ship.
5. now it will look like a giant bathtub... now hit E (clone) and select a tile. Then press ctrl-shift and point the mouse pointer at one of the tile and click to delete all the tiles. (use ctrl-z to recover to continue working).
This is the basic of the yacht framework (cruise ship in sims 2).
Please feel free to comment or ask questions here in the tutorial, or make comments on the upcoming yacht in this thread.
http://forum.thesims3.com/jforum/posts/list/40355.page
Thanks for viewing,
Ralphael
Part II
Recap: The first part was a quick test and it really only takes a few minutes to build a basic framework for a ship.
Now we need to lower the whole framework so that the frame is partially submersed in water.
1. So we begin again, this time lower the land with the pond terain brush and bring up the height of the frame working area just above the water. You can do this by setting constrainfloorelevation off and laying out a foundation at a corner, then flatten out the whole first floor using the foundation piece as the height.
2. now build the 3 walls surrounding the frame and raise the walls up by an arbitrary amount (arbitrary meaning I don't know as I design by feel and so should you :P).
3. Now before we raise the sides to create a gigantic bathtub, lets add a floor which forms the bottom floor of your ship. We do this by laying out a bunch of pillars then adding the floor.
4. Now that we have a floor, go ahead and delete all the pillars.
5. Now as everyone knows how to lower a floor by setting constrainfloorelevation off, then using a stair on the bottom of the boat (not the floor), then deleting the stair, then using the terain flatten tool to lower the bottom until it is submersed underwater. You repeat this as a few times.
6. now lets go back to up one level back to the floor and wrap the sides around the floor.
7. Add another floor to the ship by using pillars and then another layer of floor.
8. You can check how it looks by removing all the tiles, press e (clone) and select a tile, then ctrl-shift and point the pointer at a tile at the corner and click. This will delete all tiles. Use ctrl-z to restore the tiles as you will need the supporting floor structure as you work. Definitely needed if you wish to put a staircase connecting the main floor to the side of the ship, then from the side to the ground.
All this sounds more difficult then it seems, but once you have done it, it really only takes about 10-15 minutes to create the basic foundation of a ship.
The hardest part is afterwards when you attempt to fit various walls, stairs on the ship.
Good luck on your ship if you choose to give it a try...
Ralphael
