Other objects cannot be placed outside and must be inside a structure.
Indoor-Outdoor Placement: Some objects, like landscaping objects and trees, can only be placed outside on the terrain without the use of cheats or Into the Future's soil rugs. Using this method can make suspended or even hovering futuristic houses. This is because the game does not check whether a floor is supported by something once it has been placed down. However, placing floors on top of a column and then deleting the column will not remove the placed floors. Note that these rules do not apply if building above an already-enclosed room. If building off of a straight wall below, 2 tiles outward from the wall may be placed without requiring more support below. When placing flooring, there is a restriction as to how far out beyond the support below is allowed. Proper Support: Especially important when building on foundation or when building multiple floors, walls or fences cannot be placed on areas that are not supported by the floor below, either by walls or by columns. Fences can be placed all the way up to the edge of the lot. Walls and foundations cannot be placed within 2 tiles of the lot's edge or within 2 tiles of the front sidewalk (The sidewalk marks the forward limit of the property). Lot Boundaries: Building or placing objects outside the limits of the lot is not allowed. The ESC key: Using the ESC key will immediately cancel any action being performed and will deselect any object selected with the Hand Tool.ĬTRL+Z and CTRL+Y: Build mode allows previous actions to be undone and redone, but using CTRL+Z (undo) and CTRL+Y (redo) is a quick and handy way to undo or redo actions without clicking any buttons.īuilding in Build Mode requires that the builder follow certain parameters laid out by the game. turning on a light or changing the channel on a television) that trigger actions on another. In The Sims 3, CTRL+SHIFT clicking some objects opens a menu with additional options, such as setting a light's color and brightness, and configuring actions on one object (e.g. Flooring that is underneath an object may not be removed, especially on upper floors. In The Sims, using CTRL+SHIFT will remove all flooring, regardless of type. When placing flooring, using CTRL+SHIFT will remove all of the same type of flooring in the room. If the wall creates a complete room, using CTRL+SHIFT will remove the paint from the whole room at once. In The Sims 2 or The Sims 3 those items are automatically deleted when removing the wall.ĬTRL+SHIFT Key Combination: When painting/covering walls, using CTRL+SHIFT (hold down both keys at the same time) will remove the paint from the whole wall section at once, returning it to its bare appearance. In The Sims, any items on the wall being removed must be deleted or moved.
Using the Wall Tool, hold CTRL and drag the Wall Tool along the length of an already-placed wall to remove the wall (also works for fences and half walls). When building walls, holding CTRL will remove entire lengths of wall. When placing flooring, holding CTRL will remove a single tile of flooring, returning the tile to its initial appearance - either grass/ground or foundation, depending on the game and what is being built. The CTRL Key: When painting/covering walls, holding CTRL will un-paint a single section of wall, returning it to its initial, bare appearance. Many objects will automatically duplicate, like trees and windows. When placing some objects, holding SHIFT will duplicate the object. In The Sims 2 or later, there is a tool specifically for creating rectangular rooms. This can be done with half walls and fences as well. When placing walls, holding SHIFT will create square or rectangular rooms. When placing flooring, holding SHIFT will place flooring in the selected area. If the wall creates a complete room, holding SHIFT will paint the whole room at once.
The Shift Key: When painting/covering walls, holding SHIFT will paint the whole wall section at once. For example, all Build Modes make use of the same keys for performing actions. If one is already adept at using one version of the Build Mode, other versions can be mastered with very little effort.
In The Sims, The Sims 2, The Sims 3, and The Sims 4, build modes are all relatively similar. Regardless of the version of the game being played, building using the game's Build mode can be made simpler with some basic knowledge, use of the correct key combinations and use of suitable Build Mode Tools.