Creating shells without placing a lot

[violeta8l8]

I'm creating a New-York-looking city with lots of buildings. I'm mainly using the metropolitan building shells that come with the CAW tool, but I'd also like to create some shells for houses and other smaller buildings.

The problem is that I don't want to place more lots, because I don't really plan to use these buildings I want to build, and I don't want them to appear on the map when I zoom out either. (I hope I'm making myself clear)

I've read about creating rabbit holes, but that's not precisely what I'm trying to do. I guess it's impossible building without a lot, but since I'm a noob I thought some of you may have an idea of what I'm trying to achieve.

[Simoleon Real Estate]

You can place any of the EA shells in CAW without having to place a lot.
So, you can take some of the Metropolitan Buildings, and place them anywhere in the world, and they wont show up with an icon in map view.

Of course, you wouldn't be able to fill them with anything, or have your sim go inside of them.

As for doing this with homes... You would have to make a mesh for your house in a 3D rending program, and later import it into both CAW and TS3 as a Package file.
You would then be able to place them just as you could place the EA shells mentioned above.

I'm surprised people haven't done this already...
Build a quick shell in google sketchup > import it into blender for texturing and painting.
Seems fairly simple... (compared to the other crazy stuff people make from scratch for the sims) :D

[High Plains Gamer]

Sketchup is horrible for model making. It is designed for one purpose and one purpose alone: making items for Google Earth. And for the privilege of making free stuff for Google, they will charge you $300 for the professional version of the program.

If you are going to make shells for buildings, you are better off making them on your own, from scratch. It's much easier than doing a Sketchup conversion.

Of course, if you look at Manustyle/Daniel's New York world, you will see that it has hundreds of these shell buildings. So if you don't want to make the shell buildings by yourself, with a little bit of searching, you can find hundreds of these shell buildings which already have been made.

[violeta8l8]

Yes, Simoleon Real Estate, I know I can place the shells without creating a lot on CAW.
I've never heard of "Sketchup" though. As I said, I'm only starting with using CAW.

High Plains Gamer suggested that I can build the shells on my own, from scratch, but how can I do that without creating a lot? I'm asking honestly, because I don't know how to do that.

And by the way, to use the shells (if there are any) in Manustyle/Daniel's New York City world, do I have to download and install the entire world?

[High Plains Gamer]

As I recall, Manustyle/Daniel have all of their custom content (i.e. deco buildings) in a separate cc package. I suspect that if you asked Daniel nicely, he would either send you the files, or direct you to where you could get them.

[auntielynds]

This blog may be of interest to you;

http://tjstreaksnotsonaughtysims.blogspot.com/

[violeta8l8]

So, basically, what you are all telling me is that I would have to use another program/software to create the shell there and then import it to caw/sims?

That's an interesting blog, auntielynds. Thank you.

[High Plains Gamer]

So, basically, what you are all telling me is that I would have to use another program/software to create the shell there and then import it to caw/sims?

That is exactly what you are being told. Any sort of serious modding or object creation has to be done outside of the game. It does not matter whether you are making a custom car, a bed or a shirt for your sims. These objects all use the same basic tools.

For some of us, making these objects is more fun than actually playing the game.

Of course, there are a handful of molders making these items, so if you don't want to do it yourself, you can always download someone else's work. But don't you think it's better to make your own?

These shells can be among the easiest object making projects one can make. They are far easier than, say, making a dress or a chair. You basically are converting objects from other sources or are putting texture on simple geometric objects, like cubes.

But if you really want a world which looks different from the worlds everyone else is making, you really need to go this route. If you look at most of the worlds on this site, as opposed to the exchange, you will see they have gone to some pains to be better than your typical exchange world. Look at New York, London, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas in the feedback section. They all use custom deco items to some extent.

Sure it takes longer to build a world this way. And it's a lot more work. Most of these world builders may pop out one or two worlds, at most -- not the dozen or more worlds that one sees from the creators on the Exchange. But the difference in quality and originality is striking.