Free place with Alt w/cheats on doesn't work

I am on a windows pc, I have the game and several dlc installed but have deleted my mods. I have just uninstalled and reinstalled the whole game because of this and have restarted the computer, app, and game several times. I have repaired the game files both through Steam and the EA app at separate times since the most recent install.

I cannot get alt-free-placing/rotating in build mode to work. I have it set to Sims 3 camera mode. bb.moveobjects on, and testingcheats true, and I have tried the other key options- enlarge and reduce with the brackets work, and moving objects up with the 0 works, and to move objects down with the 9 I also have to press control or else the camera skips me over to another spot but with control it works. I'm not sure if the F5 quarter tile thing works? I don't seem to get better quality rotating, it doesn't change anything as far as I can tell.

But everything's stuck to the grid no matter what I do. My keyboard map is default, the alt key works in other applications.

Am I missing something? I've spent hours on this.