This thread was designed to provide feedback to EA/Maxis regarding things that we need and/or want in build mode in order to make it an even better experience. Contributions and commentary from my fellow builders are always welcome!General Building Adjust level height by room/unit rather than across the entire lot. Apply foundation to room/unit rather than across the entire lot. Add half height stairs (or auto adjust stairs to preset levels) to go with half walls. Free column placement please. Allow fountains to be placed on a foundation and upper stories. 9/23/14 Add a trim tool for foundations (similar to roof trim tool) 9/30/14 Add curved walls. 9/30/14 Add platforms. <-- note that we would not need this if foundations could be applied individually 10/2/14 Let us delete single floor tiles within rooms 10/12/14 Add multi-story traditional columns. 10/12/14 Add a "replace with" tool for objects. 11/7/14 Automatically scale counters and cabinets to fit diagonal walls (as gates do with diagonal fences) and/or give us counter and cabinet pieces sized for diagonals that we can select when auto-counter is off 11/7/14 Add counter and cabinet corner pieces that will fit properly in octagonal designs (135 degree and 225 degree bends) 11/8/14 Let us create floating foundations (by deleting foundation walls but preserving foundation floor) 12/11/14 Add 1 tile square flat piece. 12/18/14 Add Move House clipboard functionality (see pg. 7 for details) (see pg. 12 for further discussion) 12/18/14 Add a diagonal flat piece. 2/11/14 Enable split levels above ground level and also change ground floor splits so that we don't need to carve them out from the foundation 2/18/14 Add highlight for doors and windows on styled rooms to make for easier placement 2/20/15 Consider adding 1-2 *shorter* levels to wall height (see pg. 11 for full description of idea - this could work for enabling split levels) 2/20/15 Let us see under and place objects under the foundation 7/9/15 Please change it so that half walls are treated like walls, not fences, i.e. so they don't enable roof clipping AHQ report. 7/30/15 Please change it so that object collision routing doesn't cross levels (see pg. 25) 7/30/15 When placing a room, please enable the room to recognize the pre-existing flooring and include it in the room 9/22/15 Please add grid counts as we used to have in TS3, so that we don't need to manually count the number of floor or wall tiles to set up or fit into specific dimensions 10/21/15 Add notification when object is not routable (while in build mode), ex) object highlight 12/10/15 Please add a ceiling/roof type object to be used in conjunction with half walls so that they can be used as flat roofs 2/3/16 Please enable diagonals to intersect even when positioned on half tiles orientations (see here) 3/8/16 Let us place/extend walls at additional angles; ideally at any angle 3/8/16 Enable resizing and reorienting the grid 4/1/16 Enable vertical rotation of objects (i.e. tilting) (see pg ) 9/12/16 Add hanging half walls or similar tool to enable us to create wall gaps at various heights 11/17/16 Please add a lot designation for festival or special occasion 10/30/17 Add option to select and copy or move more than one room at once (i.e. by holding down ). 2/9/18 Make trim optional for half walls. 2/15/18 Allow builders to manually select counter size and backsplash/no backsplash option.Basements 4/3/15 Let us expose basements built below rooms using the same steps that we do when exposing them outside (i.e. remove flooring as well as ceiling). 6/27/15 Please enable objects placed in basement spaces (basement areas outside of rooms) to retain their height adjusted settings when we pick them up (with bb.moveobjects on). 9/14/15 Please enable the camera to drop down into basement levels when in TAB camera man mode. 2/13/16 Please improve the graphics of the transition between ground floor and basement when a foundation is present Landscaping Enable adjusting terrain height, at least by a small amount. Please provide a true infinity edge for pools. Add Jacuzzis, preferably with new shapes, such as circular. Consider making modular Jacuzzi pieces that could connect to pools. Eliminate the "machinery" underneath. <-- Hot tubs added in the Luxury Party stuff pack, but we would still like an in ground option. Add smaller fencing options to be used as edging <-- We have one option now in Get To Work but would still like a base game option Let us create bodies of water. Add taller sprinklers, i.e. multi-story. 9/23/14 Add adjustable curved fencing 9/30/14 Add some wall height fences. <-- one was added in GTW; we need more please 10/2/14 Add concave fencing sections 10/2/14 Add variation in sizes to trees/bushes (like in TS3) 10/3/14 Add smaller ornamental trees 10/12/14 Add some 3 tile gates. 10/17/14 Let us build adjustable curved fountains and pools 10/26/14 Let us place fences on half tiles. 10/26/14 Add single tile hedges in the style of "High Hedge" and "Hedge Row" and allow them to intersect or snap together. 10/26/14 Add lights that can be placed on fence posts. <-- can do with bb.moveobjects, but they drop to the ground when outdoors 11/15/14 Let us have the option to turn auto-connect for pools and fountains off. 11/15/14 Let us place fountains directly adjacent to pools. 11/15/14 Let us place individual floor tile styles within curved sections instead of applying the same tile style across the entire curved segment. 11/15/14 Let fences extend to the lot border. 11/17/14 Let us edit neighborhood spaces (to remove trees, etc.) 12/11/14 Add fencing that matches Galvanized Horizontal Railing and Horizontal Aluminum Railing. 2/20/15 Add smaller rocks. 2/20/15 Add a bridge object with various styles and a toolset (similar to roofing tools) to go with it (see pg. 11 for request details) 4/1/15 Please add a diamond shape for terrain paint, so we can get sharp edges on a diagonal. 4/1/15 Add a jet emitter that goes up to but does not exceed a level in height; alternatively let us adjust height of water for emitters. 4/7/15 Let us use terrain paint on foundation or, if possible, on flooring on any level 4/11/15 Add floor tiles and/or terrain paint that match the various sidewalks in the game 4/29/15 Give us access to vegetation used in neighborhood areas and secret lots 6/27/15 Please add wall height glass fencing 7/25/15 Add a modular green house structure that can include outdoor objects inside without requiring bb.moveobjects 2/8/16 Please give us an option to turn off auto-connect for fencing (allowing us to control the distribution of fence posts) 4/4/16 Additional shapes and sizes for debug ponds 6/16/16 Let us replace pool walls with fencing/half walls 8/1/16 Add routable grass (see this thread) 2/27/17 Add half wall posts (columns that would adjust to half wall heights)Roofing Add a true flat roof (or option to remove lines from hipped roof OR see k3oki's great suggestion on 2/20/15 to enable the half gable roof to function as a flat roof). Let us manually draw exterior edging and friezes. 9/30/14 Add Mansard roof 9/30/14 Let us apply a color or style to the underside of roofing. 10/17/14 Let us manually paint individual roof wall tiles 10/26/14 Let us rotate roof styles. It would also be helpful if we could apply styles to specific areas of roof rather than to the entire roof. 10/26/14 Allow us to manually place roof styles on segments of roof using SHIFT (so that we can mix and match). 10/26/14 Let us extend roofs by half tiles or better yet, freely extend them using ALT (as we can with height). 11/8/14 Let us remove individual roof wall tiles 1/5/15 Add thinner strips for the half gabled roof - half tile or even thinner if possible. 2/20/15 Add an option to hide or show roofs. 2/20/15 When a flat roof is added, please let us height adjust it in the same manner as with the half gable roof. 2/20/15 Let us use MOO height adjustment (i.e. 9 and 0) on roofs, so that we can stack them. 2/23/15 Add glass roofing and glass ceilings. 4/11/15 Allow us to extend roof eaves as far as we want, within the boundaries of the lot. 4/12/15 Enable small roof overhangs for hipped and half hipped roofs 4/23/15 Please add a pagoda roof 6/27/15 Allow us to adjust frieze edges with regard to length and shape 6/29/15 Please clean up roofing graphics 11/6/15 Please change it so that curvature control markers function independently (such that one part of the roof could be concave, the other convex)Doors/Windows Allow placing multiple windows on the same wall tile OR add Bauhaus style windows that span multiple wall tiles. <-- While you can place them with MOO, they are glitched graphically Add seamless windows. Make same style of doors and windows available at each level height. Add Alpine style windows. Add Skylights. 9/23/14 Make arches and windows modular 9/30/14 Enable separate colors for front vs. back of doors and windows. 10/3/14 Let us place doors/windows between tiles 10/26/14 Let us place windows and doors on the same wall segment (not overlapping, of course). <-- does not work with bb.moveobjects because one of the objects will not render properly when more than one is on the wall segment 12/18/14 Add windows that are the same height as the basic 1 tile doors. 1/3/15 Add a modern-styled, single-pane medium height window 2/20/15 Add windows designed for roof placement (i.e. angled) or roof style objects with preset windows 5/12/15 Add (or resize) doors and windows that span the entire length of the wall for each given level. 7/30/15 Please add 3 tile doors and archways. 7/30/15 Please add more mirrored windows like the One-way Mirror Window from Get To Work but with different shapes and sizes. 7/30/15 Please update the One-way Mirror Window so that its reflectivity matches regular mirrors 11/13/15 Allow sims to open/close windows and doors, either to preset degrees or via use of a slider 11/30/15 Allow us to rotate windows 2/2/16 Enable windows to scale up properly when enlarged (currently only the frames scale) 3/8/16 Add ability to extend some windows horizontally 4/5/16 Add rounded bay windowsStairs Add full manual control of both railings. Add spiral stairs, elevators, L-shaped stairs, curved stairways, grand stairways (wider at the bottom, narrower at the top), and pull-down (hideaway) stairs. 10/12/14 Add diagonal stairs. 10/17/14 Add corner stairs 11/8/14 Let us remove individual stair wall segments 11/15/14 Allow us to build floating stairs over a fountain or pool (where the top of the stairs is positioned over the water). 1/2/15 Add ladders 4/1/15 Please change it so that stair rails defer to fencing when intersected. 6/4/15 Either do not charge for walls on stairs, or include the walls in the list cost of the stairs 7/24/15 Let us place stairs between tilesDecorating Add more style options, particularly when it comes to wall, floor, roof, and terrain paints. Add more colors, and normalize color palettes across all objects, preferably via a color wheel. At the very least, the primary colors should be available for each object and should be the same with only slight variations for texture. Add recolorable ceiling tiles. Allow manually placing wall styles with edges. Give us an expanded flooring selection with more styles that could be used together. Allow us to freely rotate wall objects, at least non-interactive ones Add curtain sets. Please add a fog emitter type object to bb.showhiddenobjects. 9/23/14 Brighter indoor lighting 9/23/14 More textured styles for furniture 9/30/14 Add more options for taller levels, i.e. more door/window styles, more wall styles designed for taller levels, more curtain styles, and more objects designed to span the entire length of the wall, like bookshelves, also longer hanging ceiling lamps. 9/30/14 Add colors/styles to foundations that will match existing wall styles. 9/30/14 Reduce/eliminate collision boxes for non-interactive objects and do not increase collision boxes for such objects when they are enlarged. <-- sim routing improved in the 2/4/16 patch; would still like to see collision eliminated completely if possible 9/30/14 Add bookshelves of the same style but with different contents. 9/30/14 Add more small bars that match counter styles. 9/30/14 Add smaller end tables. 9/30/14 Add smaller versions of existing large rugs or consider adding modular rug pieces. 9/30/14 Add normal sized telescopes and microscopes. 9/30/14 Make hidden door bookshelves take up space like a real bookshelf OR make some wall mounted bookshelves to go with them. 9/30/14 Add ceiling sculptures/pieces, beams, etc., i.e. to be able to create a tray ceiling or other textures. 9/30/14 Add sectional (modular) furniture. 9/30/14 Add electric fireplace styles. 10/2/14 Make height adjustable for ceiling lights <-- as of the 12/16/14 patch, you can adjust height up for ceiling lights (but not down) using bb.moveobjects 10/3/14 Enable recolor tool for all re-colorable objects 10/8/14 Add chimney breast pieces and stove pipes 10/12/14 Add shutters as a separate wall décor object. 10/26/14 Enable like pieces (such as shelves) to snap together even if the first object has been freely placed (with ALT). 10/26/14 Let us select spandrel piece styles so that we can put a particular shape of spandrel where we want it. Also, let us place them indoors without the game deciding that it's now an outdoor space, i.e. roof pops into room. 11/15/14 Let us paint the individual segments of a wall separately (i.e. the 4 tiles on each wall). 12/18/14 Let replacement wall style cover only designated style in room when holding SHIFT (it currently replaces the entire room, even if there are multiple styles in the room) 12/18/14 Give us the ability to disable wall objects snapping to nearby walls (for instance, if we hold down ALT with MOO on) 1/5/15 Add more modern styled curtains/blinds and in particular, some that are sized for smaller windows. 2/20/15 Add corner counters that are flattened outward. 2/20/15 Add more furniture designed for corner spaces. 2/20/15 Add log cabin wall style(s) that have a rounded log texture 2/24/15 Let us recolor exposed ceiling trim (i.e. under balcony, floating room) 3/9/15 Consider adding scalable dining tables (could be dragged to desired length) 4/12/15 Please let us use the eyedropper to duplicate debug items (once we have bb.showhiddenobjects turned on). 5/12/15 Give us the ability to disable objects snapping to surfaces, like tables (for instance, if we hold down ALT with MOO on). 5/12/15 Enable mirrors and wall signs to scale up when enlarged (and also the mirror portion of windows like the One-Way Mirror Window from GTW. 5/19/15 Consider making future décor objects smaller at baseline (we can always size them up but unfortunately not down) 6/27/15 Please let us enlarge counters, cabinets, and bars. 7/21/15 Please consider an overhaul to interior lighting AHQ report. 7/30/15 Please add one tile dressers and bookshelves. 9/22/15 Please make sure that all debug items are categorized, if they are not already (for instance, as décor), and please create debug specific categories, such as spawners. It would also be helpful if debug items all had names that were searchable. 10/8/15 Please allow us to place objects from saved rooms in the same manner as from styled rooms 10/31/15 Add floor tile sets (and create sets utilizing existing tiles) like we had in TS3 11/1/15 Add more wall styles with baseboards (including dark baseboards) in the basic Paint category or add toolset(s) to enable us to apply skirting, moulding, etc. to base wall styles 11/1/15 Give us the ability to place photos on surfaces like we could in TS3 11/3/15 Please add a larger frame for paintings and photos, preferably about double the size of the existing frame 12/9/15 Please enable more of the existing clutter objects to snap to surfaces 12/9/15 Please add more slots to existing surfaces 12/9/15 Please give us an option to set our own percentage for enlarging objects 12/10/15 Please let us filter the buy catalogue by adding categories for the Winter Holiday pack, bonus content, and custom content categories 2/11/16 Please add a wall mounted mailbox 4/14/16 Add décor to enable the look of a weathered or run-down structure 6/13/16 Let us place base game and Get To Work decals on Dine Out signs 9/12/16 Add color swatches to crafted objects and enable them to raise environment scores 10/6/16 Using CTRL-F, allow us to apply floor patterns individually to the four squares within a tile. 11/17/16 Please add a working radiator. 2/9/18 Let us choose counter size and backsplash option manually (see pg 69) 5/9/18 Add kitchen linensGallery 9/20/14 Mechanism to let us choose our own screen shots of our builds for the Gallery upload 10/2/14 Allow upgraded appliances to transfer 4/6/15 Original By still does not stick for rooms and households (have been reported privately to gurus) 5/30/15 Allow creator to edit gallery description even after sharing 6/8/15 Give us button to clear profile messages (in same manner as notification wall in game) 6/20/15 Let us search by the Original By field 7/10/15 Please change how the Gallery only uses walls to detect the presence of levels for Gallery images 7/13/15 Please add an option to upload to the Gallery with a privacy setting and/or add a View Content By: Favorites filter 11/13/15 Please change the web gallery to display both the creator and original by, as the in-game gallery doesOther Add object catalogues/themes. 9/30/14 Consider giving us a Maxis tool to do CAST like recolors and import patterns into the game 10/2/14 Turn distant objects blur on/off for better pictures 10/9/14 Let us change color and intensity of lights while in build mode 11/15/14 Please add an indication in the object catalogue if an object is not base game. <-- This is being done for new content, but original bonus content does not have an icon 12/11/14 With new worlds, add 30x20 lots where the longer dimension faces the front. 4/18/15 Please smooth camera transitions in build mode and eliminate the camera bounce as it changes levels - induces motion sickness 4/18/15 Please remove the shaking ground animation from building/removing walls - induces motion sickness 4/21/15 Please remove the classification requirements for community lots 5/17/15 Add neutral exterior lighting option to build mode so that we can see true colors (OR overhaul exterior lighting so that there are fewer changes in hue) OR let us forward time in smaller increments (2 hours) in build mode 6/13/15 The W-A-S-D keys movement speed increases with each level up while in TAB camera mode making it difficult to take good pictures; please change it so that the movement speed is consistent across all heights. 12/9/15 Please list lot name as well as household name in hover info for occupied lots. 12/9/15 Please give us the ability to set up hotkeys for cheats 1/11/16 Please allow us to expand menus like we could in TS3 or using the same method as with personal inventory in TS4 2/2/16 Enable multi-designation lots (i.e. café/bar) 6/13/16 Enable customers to be seated at counters in restaurants (Dine Out) 7/15/16 Add a "set/unset as nightlight" option to lights 7/15/16 Add a blacklight/UV light color option for lights 8/19/16 Enable dressed mannequins and sim created artwork to be visible from other lots

Bugs/GlitchesAll build/buy mode bugs and glitches should be reported on Answers HQ. I maintain an index of all known issues here. Please take a look. If your issue has already been reported, click on the "Me Too" button on the thread to bring more awareness to the issue. If your issue has not been reported, please create a new thread. If you aren't sure if your issue is a bug/glitch, or if it's really more of an issue of preference, please post in this thread, and we'll discuss it. :)

I like the new build mode. It has improved in my opinion.I am still exploring but one of the things I miss the most is CASt.I think they should add more color options for walls, floors and decorstuff. It is very frustrating from time to time and I can't remember feelingthat way in TS3 while building. A simple color wheel perhaps? That would really make a big difference.I would also like an option to add and change the pictures that is shownin the gallery. Sometimes you get really weird angles which in turn makes the house look weird. That makes me just wanna http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-basic/atomic.gif

I'm not being rude, it's a really, really long post so I didn't read in whole, skipped few parts. I agree on many things, such as smaller fences, different wall heights on the same level/storey, skylights, flat roofs, multiple windows on same square wall, increase the number of levels and manual wall edges. One thing I'd like to add are circular, hexagonal and hectagonal roofs. Also, ability to extend or shorten the trims on every roof kind, including every edge. For example, the gabled roof can extend the trims only on the lower trims, while the side trims can't be extended. Hipped roof looks really weird as it's floating.

A lot of great ideas. I'd like to see many of those additions as well :mrgreen:I have a few things I'd like to see added to the game:Biggest thing for me atm is brighter lighting indoors! Everything is so dark I need fill a room with light fixtures to a ridiculous degree. I would love to have more versatile curved fencing similar to the curve adjustment of the roofing instead of the presized sections. For one, if your house is on foundation then any curved fencing has to be as well, which is annoying. It would be great if they introduced a system to create landings for stairs like at 1/2 wall height, which would make grand and L-shaped stairs possible. I had to use CFE to get something like that, but now it's not possible at all. I would love something like modular arched doorways or even windows. They start out as single tiles then you can click and drag them to increase the width to 3 or 4 tiles. Maybe even add the ability to increase the height from small, medium, and large without separate sized objects in menu. Just choose the style you want and size it afterwards.I really like the new chimneys, but they don't work very well when you want exposed chimneys running down the height of the house. You have to create your own using walls, but the wall textures don't match the chimneys very well and the chimneys are smaller than the width of 1 tile of wall so it looks off. It would be awesome if you cold grab one of those chimney pieces and if it reaches the edge of a room it would automatically create new chimney pieces running down the wall.

The one thing I am desperate for is sensible fencing! I totally agree, when you just wanna edge something with a simple rail and all you have is the incredibly huge brick 'edging', it's frustrating. Don't get me wrong, I rather love those bricks, they're pretty, but we need something much, much smaller. I feel like fine detail is missing with this game in regards to the build style.Also, MOO. We all need MOO in our lives. Building a nice garden I find is IMPOSSIBLE without it *cry*.

Forum Discussion

BryonyRae

Retired Hero

11 years ago

Build Mode Feedback for EA

This thread was designed to provide feedback to EA/Maxis regarding things that we need and/or want in build mode in order to make it an even better experience. Contributions and commentary from my fellow builders are always welcome!

General Building

Adjust level height by room/unit rather than across the entire lot.
Apply foundation to room/unit rather than across the entire lot.
Add half height stairs (or auto adjust stairs to preset levels) to go with half walls.
Free column placement please.
Allow fountains to be placed on a foundation and upper stories.
9/23/14 Add a trim tool for foundations (similar to roof trim tool)
9/30/14 Add curved walls.
9/30/14 Add platforms. <-- note that we would not need this if foundations could be applied individually
10/2/14 Let us delete single floor tiles within rooms
10/12/14 Add multi-story traditional columns.
10/12/14 Add a "replace with" tool for objects.
11/7/14 Automatically scale counters and cabinets to fit diagonal walls (as gates do with diagonal fences) and/or give us counter and cabinet pieces sized for diagonals that we can select when auto-counter is off
11/7/14 Add counter and cabinet corner pieces that will fit properly in octagonal designs (135 degree and 225 degree bends)
11/8/14 Let us create floating foundations (by deleting foundation walls but preserving foundation floor)
12/11/14 Add 1 tile square flat piece.
12/18/14 Add Move House clipboard functionality (see pg. 7 for details) (see pg. 12 for further discussion)
12/18/14 Add a diagonal flat piece.
2/11/14 Enable split levels above ground level and also change ground floor splits so that we don't need to carve them out from the foundation
2/18/14 Add highlight for doors and windows on styled rooms to make for easier placement
2/20/15 Consider adding 1-2 *shorter* levels to wall height (see pg. 11 for full description of idea - this could work for enabling split levels)
2/20/15 Let us see under and place objects under the foundation
7/9/15 Please change it so that half walls are treated like walls, not fences, i.e. so they don't enable roof clipping AHQ report.
7/30/15 Please change it so that object collision routing doesn't cross levels (see pg. 25)
7/30/15 When placing a room, please enable the room to recognize the pre-existing flooring and include it in the room
9/22/15 Please add grid counts as we used to have in TS3, so that we don't need to manually count the number of floor or wall tiles to set up or fit into specific dimensions
10/21/15 Add notification when object is not routable (while in build mode), ex) object highlight
12/10/15 Please add a ceiling/roof type object to be used in conjunction with half walls so that they can be used as flat roofs
2/3/16 Please enable diagonals to intersect even when positioned on half tiles orientations (see here)
3/8/16 Let us place/extend walls at additional angles; ideally at any angle
3/8/16 Enable resizing and reorienting the grid
4/1/16 Enable vertical rotation of objects (i.e. tilting) (see pg )
9/12/16 Add hanging half walls or similar tool to enable us to create wall gaps at various heights
11/17/16 Please add a lot designation for festival or special occasion
10/30/17 Add option to select and copy or move more than one room at once (i.e. by holding down ).
2/9/18 Make trim optional for half walls.
2/15/18 Allow builders to manually select counter size and backsplash/no backsplash option.

Basements

4/3/15 Let us expose basements built below rooms using the same steps that we do when exposing them outside (i.e. remove flooring as well as ceiling).
6/27/15 Please enable objects placed in basement spaces (basement areas outside of rooms) to retain their height adjusted settings when we pick them up (with bb.moveobjects on).
9/14/15 Please enable the camera to drop down into basement levels when in TAB camera man mode.
2/13/16 Please improve the graphics of the transition between ground floor and basement when a foundation is present

Landscaping

Enable adjusting terrain height, at least by a small amount.
Please provide a true infinity edge for pools.
Add Jacuzzis, preferably with new shapes, such as circular. Consider making modular Jacuzzi pieces that could connect to pools. Eliminate the "machinery" underneath. <-- Hot tubs added in the Luxury Party stuff pack, but we would still like an in ground option.
Add smaller fencing options to be used as edging <-- We have one option now in Get To Work but would still like a base game option
Let us create bodies of water.
Add taller sprinklers, i.e. multi-story.
9/23/14 Add adjustable curved fencing
9/30/14 Add some wall height fences. <-- one was added in GTW; we need more please
10/2/14 Add concave fencing sections
10/2/14 Add variation in sizes to trees/bushes (like in TS3)
10/3/14 Add smaller ornamental trees
10/12/14 Add some 3 tile gates.
10/17/14 Let us build adjustable curved fountains and pools
10/26/14 Let us place fences on half tiles.
10/26/14 Add single tile hedges in the style of "High Hedge" and "Hedge Row" and allow them to intersect or snap together.
10/26/14 Add lights that can be placed on fence posts. <-- can do with bb.moveobjects, but they drop to the ground when outdoors
11/15/14 Let us have the option to turn auto-connect for pools and fountains off.
11/15/14 Let us place fountains directly adjacent to pools.
11/15/14 Let us place individual floor tile styles within curved sections instead of applying the same tile style across the entire curved segment.
11/15/14 Let fences extend to the lot border.
11/17/14 Let us edit neighborhood spaces (to remove trees, etc.)
12/11/14 Add fencing that matches Galvanized Horizontal Railing and Horizontal Aluminum Railing.
2/20/15 Add smaller rocks.
2/20/15 Add a bridge object with various styles and a toolset (similar to roofing tools) to go with it (see pg. 11 for request details)
4/1/15 Please add a diamond shape for terrain paint, so we can get sharp edges on a diagonal.
4/1/15 Add a jet emitter that goes up to but does not exceed a level in height; alternatively let us adjust height of water for emitters.
4/7/15 Let us use terrain paint on foundation or, if possible, on flooring on any level
4/11/15 Add floor tiles and/or terrain paint that match the various sidewalks in the game
4/29/15 Give us access to vegetation used in neighborhood areas and secret lots
6/27/15 Please add wall height glass fencing
7/25/15 Add a modular green house structure that can include outdoor objects inside without requiring bb.moveobjects
2/8/16 Please give us an option to turn off auto-connect for fencing (allowing us to control the distribution of fence posts)
4/4/16 Additional shapes and sizes for debug ponds
6/16/16 Let us replace pool walls with fencing/half walls
8/1/16 Add routable grass (see this thread)
2/27/17 Add half wall posts (columns that would adjust to half wall heights)

Roofing

Add a true flat roof (or option to remove lines from hipped roof OR see k3oki's great suggestion on 2/20/15 to enable the half gable roof to function as a flat roof).
Let us manually draw exterior edging and friezes.
9/30/14 Add Mansard roof
9/30/14 Let us apply a color or style to the underside of roofing.
10/17/14 Let us manually paint individual roof wall tiles
10/26/14 Let us rotate roof styles. It would also be helpful if we could apply styles to specific areas of roof rather than to the entire roof.
10/26/14 Allow us to manually place roof styles on segments of roof using SHIFT (so that we can mix and match).
10/26/14 Let us extend roofs by half tiles or better yet, freely extend them using ALT (as we can with height).
11/8/14 Let us remove individual roof wall tiles
1/5/15 Add thinner strips for the half gabled roof - half tile or even thinner if possible.
2/20/15 Add an option to hide or show roofs.
2/20/15 When a flat roof is added, please let us height adjust it in the same manner as with the half gable roof.
2/20/15 Let us use MOO height adjustment (i.e. 9 and 0) on roofs, so that we can stack them.
2/23/15 Add glass roofing and glass ceilings.
4/11/15 Allow us to extend roof eaves as far as we want, within the boundaries of the lot.
4/12/15 Enable small roof overhangs for hipped and half hipped roofs
4/23/15 Please add a pagoda roof
6/27/15 Allow us to adjust frieze edges with regard to length and shape
6/29/15 Please clean up roofing graphics
11/6/15 Please change it so that curvature control markers function independently (such that one part of the roof could be concave, the other convex)

Doors/Windows

Allow placing multiple windows on the same wall tile OR add Bauhaus style windows that span multiple wall tiles. <-- While you can place them with MOO, they are glitched graphically
Add seamless windows.
Make same style of doors and windows available at each level height.
Add Alpine style windows.
Add Skylights.
9/23/14 Make arches and windows modular
9/30/14 Enable separate colors for front vs. back of doors and windows.
10/3/14 Let us place doors/windows between tiles
10/26/14 Let us place windows and doors on the same wall segment (not overlapping, of course). <-- does not work with bb.moveobjects because one of the objects will not render properly when more than one is on the wall segment
12/18/14 Add windows that are the same height as the basic 1 tile doors.
1/3/15 Add a modern-styled, single-pane medium height window
2/20/15 Add windows designed for roof placement (i.e. angled) or roof style objects with preset windows
5/12/15 Add (or resize) doors and windows that span the entire length of the wall for each given level.
7/30/15 Please add 3 tile doors and archways.
7/30/15 Please add more mirrored windows like the One-way Mirror Window from Get To Work but with different shapes and sizes.
7/30/15 Please update the One-way Mirror Window so that its reflectivity matches regular mirrors
11/13/15 Allow sims to open/close windows and doors, either to preset degrees or via use of a slider
11/30/15 Allow us to rotate windows
2/2/16 Enable windows to scale up properly when enlarged (currently only the frames scale)
3/8/16 Add ability to extend some windows horizontally
4/5/16 Add rounded bay windows

Stairs

Add full manual control of both railings.
Add spiral stairs, elevators, L-shaped stairs, curved stairways, grand stairways (wider at the bottom, narrower at the top), and pull-down (hideaway) stairs.
10/12/14 Add diagonal stairs.
10/17/14 Add corner stairs
11/8/14 Let us remove individual stair wall segments
11/15/14 Allow us to build floating stairs over a fountain or pool (where the top of the stairs is positioned over the water).
1/2/15 Add ladders
4/1/15 Please change it so that stair rails defer to fencing when intersected.
6/4/15 Either do not charge for walls on stairs, or include the walls in the list cost of the stairs
7/24/15 Let us place stairs between tiles

Decorating

Add more style options, particularly when it comes to wall, floor, roof, and terrain paints.
Add more colors, and normalize color palettes across all objects, preferably via a color wheel. At the very least, the primary colors should be available for each object and should be the same with only slight variations for texture.
Add recolorable ceiling tiles.
Allow manually placing wall styles with edges.
Give us an expanded flooring selection with more styles that could be used together.
Allow us to freely rotate wall objects, at least non-interactive ones
Add curtain sets.
Please add a fog emitter type object to bb.showhiddenobjects.
9/23/14 Brighter indoor lighting
9/23/14 More textured styles for furniture
9/30/14 Add more options for taller levels, i.e. more door/window styles, more wall styles designed for taller levels, more curtain styles, and more objects designed to span the entire length of the wall, like bookshelves, also longer hanging ceiling lamps.
9/30/14 Add colors/styles to foundations that will match existing wall styles.
9/30/14 Reduce/eliminate collision boxes for non-interactive objects and do not increase collision boxes for such objects when they are enlarged. <-- sim routing improved in the 2/4/16 patch; would still like to see collision eliminated completely if possible
9/30/14 Add bookshelves of the same style but with different contents.
9/30/14 Add more small bars that match counter styles.
9/30/14 Add smaller end tables.
9/30/14 Add smaller versions of existing large rugs or consider adding modular rug pieces.
9/30/14 Add normal sized telescopes and microscopes.
9/30/14 Make hidden door bookshelves take up space like a real bookshelf OR make some wall mounted bookshelves to go with them.
9/30/14 Add ceiling sculptures/pieces, beams, etc., i.e. to be able to create a tray ceiling or other textures.
9/30/14 Add sectional (modular) furniture.
9/30/14 Add electric fireplace styles.
10/2/14 Make height adjustable for ceiling lights <-- as of the 12/16/14 patch, you can adjust height up for ceiling lights (but not down) using bb.moveobjects
10/3/14 Enable recolor tool for all re-colorable objects
10/8/14 Add chimney breast pieces and stove pipes
10/12/14 Add shutters as a separate wall décor object.
10/26/14 Enable like pieces (such as shelves) to snap together even if the first object has been freely placed (with ALT).
10/26/14 Let us select spandrel piece styles so that we can put a particular shape of spandrel where we want it. Also, let us place them indoors without the game deciding that it's now an outdoor space, i.e. roof pops into room.
11/15/14 Let us paint the individual segments of a wall separately (i.e. the 4 tiles on each wall).
12/18/14 Let replacement wall style cover only designated style in room when holding SHIFT (it currently replaces the entire room, even if there are multiple styles in the room)
12/18/14 Give us the ability to disable wall objects snapping to nearby walls (for instance, if we hold down ALT with MOO on)
1/5/15 Add more modern styled curtains/blinds and in particular, some that are sized for smaller windows.
2/20/15 Add corner counters that are flattened outward.
2/20/15 Add more furniture designed for corner spaces.
2/20/15 Add log cabin wall style(s) that have a rounded log texture
2/24/15 Let us recolor exposed ceiling trim (i.e. under balcony, floating room)
3/9/15 Consider adding scalable dining tables (could be dragged to desired length)
4/12/15 Please let us use the eyedropper to duplicate debug items (once we have bb.showhiddenobjects turned on).
5/12/15 Give us the ability to disable objects snapping to surfaces, like tables (for instance, if we hold down ALT with MOO on).
5/12/15 Enable mirrors and wall signs to scale up when enlarged (and also the mirror portion of windows like the One-Way Mirror Window from GTW.
5/19/15 Consider making future décor objects smaller at baseline (we can always size them up but unfortunately not down)
6/27/15 Please let us enlarge counters, cabinets, and bars.
7/21/15 Please consider an overhaul to interior lighting AHQ report.
7/30/15 Please add one tile dressers and bookshelves.
9/22/15 Please make sure that all debug items are categorized, if they are not already (for instance, as décor), and please create debug specific categories, such as spawners. It would also be helpful if debug items all had names that were searchable.
10/8/15 Please allow us to place objects from saved rooms in the same manner as from styled rooms
10/31/15 Add floor tile sets (and create sets utilizing existing tiles) like we had in TS3
11/1/15 Add more wall styles with baseboards (including dark baseboards) in the basic Paint category or add toolset(s) to enable us to apply skirting, moulding, etc. to base wall styles
11/1/15 Give us the ability to place photos on surfaces like we could in TS3
11/3/15 Please add a larger frame for paintings and photos, preferably about double the size of the existing frame
12/9/15 Please enable more of the existing clutter objects to snap to surfaces
12/9/15 Please add more slots to existing surfaces
12/9/15 Please give us an option to set our own percentage for enlarging objects
12/10/15 Please let us filter the buy catalogue by adding categories for the Winter Holiday pack, bonus content, and custom content categories
2/11/16 Please add a wall mounted mailbox
4/14/16 Add décor to enable the look of a weathered or run-down structure
6/13/16 Let us place base game and Get To Work decals on Dine Out signs
9/12/16 Add color swatches to crafted objects and enable them to raise environment scores
10/6/16 Using CTRL-F, allow us to apply floor patterns individually to the four squares within a tile.
11/17/16 Please add a working radiator.
2/9/18 Let us choose counter size and backsplash option manually (see pg 69)
5/9/18 Add kitchen linens

Gallery

9/20/14 Mechanism to let us choose our own screen shots of our builds for the Gallery upload
10/2/14 Allow upgraded appliances to transfer
4/6/15 Original By still does not stick for rooms and households (have been reported privately to gurus)
5/30/15 Allow creator to edit gallery description even after sharing
6/8/15 Give us button to clear profile messages (in same manner as notification wall in game)
6/20/15 Let us search by the Original By field
7/10/15 Please change how the Gallery only uses walls to detect the presence of levels for Gallery images
7/13/15 Please add an option to upload to the Gallery with a privacy setting and/or add a View Content By: Favorites filter
11/13/15 Please change the web gallery to display both the creator and original by, as the in-game gallery does

Other

Add object catalogues/themes.
9/30/14 Consider giving us a Maxis tool to do CAST like recolors and import patterns into the game
10/2/14 Turn distant objects blur on/off for better pictures
10/9/14 Let us change color and intensity of lights while in build mode
11/15/14 Please add an indication in the object catalogue if an object is not base game. <-- This is being done for new content, but original bonus content does not have an icon
12/11/14 With new worlds, add 30x20 lots where the longer dimension faces the front.
4/18/15 Please smooth camera transitions in build mode and eliminate the camera bounce as it changes levels - induces motion sickness
4/18/15 Please remove the shaking ground animation from building/removing walls - induces motion sickness
4/21/15 Please remove the classification requirements for community lots
5/17/15 Add neutral exterior lighting option to build mode so that we can see true colors (OR overhaul exterior lighting so that there are fewer changes in hue) OR let us forward time in smaller increments (2 hours) in build mode
6/13/15 The W-A-S-D keys movement speed increases with each level up while in TAB camera mode making it difficult to take good pictures; please change it so that the movement speed is consistent across all heights.
12/9/15 Please list lot name as well as household name in hover info for occupied lots.
12/9/15 Please give us the ability to set up hotkeys for cheats
1/11/16 Please allow us to expand menus like we could in TS3 or using the same method as with personal inventory in TS4
2/2/16 Enable multi-designation lots (i.e. café/bar)
6/13/16 Enable customers to be seated at counters in restaurants (Dine Out)
7/15/16 Add a "set/unset as nightlight" option to lights
7/15/16 Add a blacklight/UV light color option for lights
8/19/16 Enable dressed mannequins and sim created artwork to be visible from other lots

BryonyRae
Retired Hero
11 years ago
"sociala9133;12728185" wrote:
For those wanting MOO, a modder has created a mod that will provided this! Head over to SimsVIP and there will be a link there. I am not allowed to post links here.

Just wanted to respond briefly as I took a look at the mod. The problem for some of us is that in order to have the objects stay in place, the downloader will also need to have the mod. As a CC free builder, at least in terms of my output, this won't work for me.
petalbot
11 years ago
"BryonyRae;12729881" wrote:
"sociala9133;12728185" wrote:
For those wanting MOO, a modder has created a mod that will provided this! Head over to SimsVIP and there will be a link there. I am not allowed to post links here.

Just wanted to respond briefly as I took a look at the mod. The problem for some of is that in order to have the objects stay in place, the downloader will also need to have the mod. As a CC free builder, at least in terms of my output, this won't work for me.

I agree. MOO needs to come from the creators of the game, one reason being is that the objects need to remain in place for people who will download the build and don't want to mod the game.

I'm only working on my first build and I'm getting pretty desperate for MOO though. Landscaping without MOO was kind of frustrating. Hopefully they will get this cheat working correctly soon.
BryonyRae
Retired Hero
11 years ago
Hey, everyone! I have re-organized the list and hope it's a bit easier to follow now. I have also added many of your contributions. There are a few that I want to discuss further:

Manssom, I don't like the default gallery images either. However, I'm hesitant to add this as a request to EA because I can understand why it is set up the way it is and why they might not want to change it. I'm guessing that the primary reason is to prevent posting unsavory or irrelevant images. I also think that we will eventually get a program or mod to do this like we had in TS3 anyway. I'd like to take a "wait and see" approach on it for now.

GreenLion, you asked for upside down roofing. I think you may be able to do that, to an extent, with the roofing tools that we have now. In addition to height adjustments, we can also make adjustments to make the roofs more concave or convex. Have you experimented with it much? Also, I think I know exactly what you mean about the window pieces you mention; like the ones they released in TS3 via the store, right? Those were definitely nifty, and I'd like to see them make a comeback, but I would predict it to be store content again (or maybe in another futuristic expansion).

Yanti, you asked for bigger neighborhoods. I would like to see that too, but I am also okay with just adding lots more small neighborhoods. Since sims can travel across all of them, and with the way they have engineered TS4, I'm just not sure big neighborhoods make sense or are possible anymore...
JanaLove1213
11 years ago
Did anyone else notice how if you size up a mirror only the frame sizes up? Is this just me or is it a bug? It happened when I tried to resize the 'Great Wall Mirror'. Just wondering...
PurpleKachina
11 years ago
"BryonyRae;12736187" wrote:

Manssom, I don't like the default gallery images either. However, I'm hesitant to add this as a request to EA because I can understand why it is set up the way it is and why they might not want to change it. I'm guessing that the primary reason is to prevent posting unsavory or irrelevant images. I also think that we will eventually get a program or mod to do this like we had in TS3 anyway. I'd like to take a "wait and see" approach on it for now.

I was thinking more about a game feature that allows the player to choose and rearrange pictures.
That way they don't have to worry about irrelevant images being posted :) But it wouldn't surprise me
if someone else comes up with something like the image changer for TS3. Maybe the same person, who knows.
MasonGamerBoi
11 years ago
Terrain tool my top want. I want to build and style my own lakes, hopefully basements become a thing where we don't have to place stairs into the ground.
Hexagonal roofs, etc yes.
Garages with operational garage doors. expected in a cars stuff pack.
assuming in time we'll be able to exceed 3 floors.
foundations, hopefully we can build on different levels or no foundation like if i wanted to build a shed out in back of my house.
wall heights I love it, but sometimes I would like my living room walls higher than my kitchen walls in the next room.

more of a game play feature locking doors. i felt that should have been a thing.
kaylyred
11 years ago
Fabulous post, Bry! I think you hit all of my hot button issues and then some. I mostly love build mode, but there are a few frustrations.

Allow us to copy a modular object. This would be such a time saver! For instance, if I have built an octagonal fountain, I now have the option to move and rotate it, but if I could also copy it, I could then quickly place a second instance of that fountain rather than building it from scratch again.

A thousand times this! If you're working with a complicated roof style, it would be infinitely easier if you could exactly replicate a segment than to have to match the pitch, curvature, etc. I don't know how many times I've uttered this: "I wish there was a copy/paste tool!"

Circular, hexagonal and hectagonal roof shapes (9/23/14 requested by marrecar)
Ability to extend or shorten the trims on all roof types, including every edge. For example, the gabled roof can extend the trims only on the lower trims, while the side trims can't be extended. (9/23/14 requested by marrecar)

Yes, yes, yes! And please add the Mansard roof to the list of roof styles. I know we can replicate it, but it's a pain.

My own list (so far)...

Pot/can lights! I need small recessed lighting so I don't need to cover my ceilings with large lights in order to illuminate a room. OR...
The ability to make individual lights invisible. You know how we can set light color and intensity? Let us set the object to visible or invisible, too, while you're at it.
As I understand it, CASt is not coming back due to limitations with the new engine. That's fine, but then how about giving us an external tool for creating our own CC so I can easily recolor a wall on my own, or create a new wallpaper, or add a different texture to furniture, etc.? If we can't have CASt in-game, then let us have something similar outside the game where we can choose colors (with hex codes, eyedropper, etc.) and also import patterns (floral chintz, gingham, for example). I would pay for a tool like this, made by Maxis, that lets me EASILY recolor and retexture build mode items like walls, floors, furniture, curtains, etc.
Please, please fix the roof bug issue as discussed here.
BryonyRae
Retired Hero
11 years ago
Well, having gotten another build under my belt, I have several more suggestions/comments regarding build mode improvements (surprise!). I will also add these to the first post, but thought it might be helpful to see them grouped here first, as there are a good many!

General Building

Working with the taller level heights was pretty limiting. In addition to the lack of doors/windows, we also need more wall styles designed for taller levels, i.e. with bands of color/patterns at top/middle. A mix-and-match option is probably too out there, but it would be pretty cool to be able to pick a style for each level, i.e. to be able to treat the levels individually. We also need more more objects designed to span the entire length of the wall.
Please provide foundations with colors/styles that will match at least some of the existing wall styles. I had a very difficult time coming up with a combination that didn't clash.
Please add curved walls. I can imagine these would be a pain in terms of roofing, but it seems like if you used pre-sets in the same way as with the curved fencing, it could work; the foundation's already taken care of.
Please consider adding platforms. These were a nice way to add a little height variation in TS3 without actually requiring sims to climb stairs.

Landscaping

Please add some wall height fences.

Roofing

I had some problems in my latest build with gaps in the roof wall. I had built some single tile "rooms" on the same level as the roof, and where the roof was one tile behind and intersected the wall, the roof wall went missing. Because the roof extended above the level of my "room," the gap was visible. I had to bring the roof forward, so that it passed through the "room" to the other side in order to fill the gap.
I would like the ability to apply a color or style to the underside of roofing, useful in cases of roof overhang.

Doors/Windows

Please allow us to color the front vs. back of doors separately. In my last build, I tried not to let the orange doors defeat me, but in the end, they might have! This would also be helpful for windows.

Decorating

Smaller collision boxes for non-interactive objects please. In many cases, the collision boxes are so large that you can't place the object up against the wall, which can look really strange in some cases, like with the shoe rack. The Falling Water Modern Fountain is another good example. You also can't get the object as close to other objects as should be possible. I'm not asking to overlap them; I think that should definitely be done via a cheat, which has already been requested, but placing them edge to edge, especially if they are non-functional, should be possible. Also, in many cases, re-sizing objects also increases (exponentially) their collision boxes. Again, with a non-interactive object, I wish this was not the case.
Shift-sizing up of curtains works well in some cases but not others. We really need more curtain styles that fit taller windows and look good that way.
Could we get bookshelves of the same style but with different contents? Often, you want to put in a row of shelves, but the absolute sameness of them looks odd in cases where there are books and décor placed on the shelves in a specific way. It would be helpful to also get bookshelves set to taller heights (or adjustable). You can shift-size them up, but they don't always go to the height you want or fit the space properly.
I would like to see some smaller bars that match with the counters; most that blend are the very large size bars.
Would you please also add some smaller end tables? Most of the existing tables are just too big when compared to chairs that should look big & cushy but actually look small by comparison.
Please allow us to re-size rugs, and there are some great rugs available that are just far too large for most spaces; I would love to see smaller versions of them (or be able to size them down). Another idea for rugs is to have modular rug pieces that we could fit together to suit the space.
Please bring back normally sized telescopes. The backyard observatory is way too big and dramatic for a typical family home. A normal sized microscope that sits on a desk would be helpful too!
Regarding the hidden door bookshelves, I love the concept, but please make them take up space like a real bookshelf OR make some wall mounted bookshelves to go with them.
We could use more very small sized pieces of décor; we can always size them up, so I'd rather start at the lowest common denominator.
Please consider adding ceiling pieces, i.e. to be able to create a tray ceiling. You can *almost* do this right now by re-sizing wall shelves and placing them as high up the wall as possible, but there are problems in rooms that aren't a simple square shape or when you want to create a shape within a room rather than just following the wall edges.
Sectional furniture - miss it and really hoping to see it make a comeback.
Bring fire pits back please. I would also like to have some electric fireplace styles in the game in addition to the more traditional fireplace styles we have now.

Other

There are some strange things that happen with colors and the interior lighting. Please take a look. It's like instead of just brightening or darkening an object's appearance, the hue itself gets changed. I don't remember this occurring in TS3 unless you were actually using colored lights. I had a lot of this going on with window coverings in my latest build. This is also going on with exterior colors and lighting in different worlds as well (perhaps intentional?). For instance, I created a roof in Oasis Springs that looked off white with very little hue change throughout the day/night cycle. In Willow Springs, it was a glaring yellow color.
Some paintings create a weird shadow on the wall below them if they are sized up. The Superasymmetry painting is one example. I'm guessing that it's because these decorations have an emotional component, but since you can already interact with all of the paintings to "view" them, I'm not sure why this additional interaction would cause a problem in re-sizing.
BryonyRae
Retired Hero
11 years ago
"KaylyRed;12775326" wrote:

As I understand it, CASt is not coming back due to limitations with the new engine. That's fine, but then how about giving us an external tool for creating our own CC so I can easily recolor a wall on my own, or create a new wallpaper, or add a different texture to furniture, etc.? If we can't have CASt in-game, then let us have something similar outside the game where we can choose colors (with hex codes, eyedropper, etc.) and also import patterns (floral chintz, gingham, for example). I would pay for a tool like this, made by Maxis, that lets me EASILY recolor and retexture build mode items like walls, floors, furniture, curtains, etc.

Please, please fix the roof bug issue as discussed here.

Kayly, I like the idea of an external tool made by Maxis, but I just really doubt it's something on their radar. As I understand it, modders have already created or adapted such tools, and EA doesn't want to be responsible for stuff people make outside of the game, probably even if you use their toolset to build it. And even if you built it with an EA toolset, you'd still have the issue of downloaders having to get the content as well in order to see it in their game.

As for the roof bug issue, it looks like it's already on their list, thankfully!
DippyDesigns
11 years ago
If I could choose one new thing it would be half walls, I miss them terribly, they were so useful!

The first thing I would ditch is the huge telescope and microscope - very silly and with the smaller lots there is no real space for them, I hate them!

@BryonyRae Great thread and you have covered a lot of what I have been thinking. Glad to know they are working on proper flat roof options too as that is another thing I have had problems with.