Scores too!

Thank you, Judges, I am very happy with my score! 2 points up this time, so I guess I am doing something right (I was very uneasy about my first modern house ). Congrats, everyone else!

Still firing up the juice bar for the scoring party

It might be his own damn fault, Peni, but that sounds pretty worrisome! Hope he'll continue to make a good recovery!

@joandsarah77 ... here's what I mean about the floor plans at present. Yeah. They're hard to see.



Doing a left side and a right side seems to be a better idea than doing the whole thing at a glance. That would mean I'd have to do five shots instead of three, but I think it might be beneficial for all.

(Removed pictures. They are no longer needed.)

FaceBook, IM, text ... or any of the other dozen ways modern children communicate without actually having to move their lips

@gazania You could zoom in a little bit more as there is landscaping that doesn't need to be seen in the topdown images at the front of the lot

I see the problem with floor plans, I worry that mine won’t show much either. Maybe a solution to that could be splitting them to two for each floor for a 4x4 lot? I did that for my resort uploaded here that was on a 5x6 lot and it worked.

Do these work better? One floor is still a little squinty,and it means I'll lose two shots (I'll survive), but at least all of us can squint less now!



I can look at it this way ... the foundation shot will probably have to stay small, since it's supposed to involve the entire lot. I'll have the floor shots if joandsarah77 and the judges approve, and I've already done the back and the lot from two sides. 1+5+1+2 = 9 out of 23. I'm over a third of the way there!

Also, Jo, those are Phaenoh's toddler mats, NOT the pet mats. I think those might be OK. I know my toddlers love 'em in game. And yes, Phaenoh, those are facing the right way now, and the toddlers can both settle in just fine.

(Also removed these pics. I retook them all.)

Thanks judges and Jo. Judge 3, especially thank you for specifically mentioning the floor plans, because the struggle was real, lol. It was hard to find something logical that still fit everything!

A little spoiler



(Yes I know I’m missing ceiling but the lot isn’t finished yet, there are still things to do.)

@Peni Griffin the floor plans are suppose to be each individual building, or each individual story. Those don't count to the count -does that make sense? That was said a long time ago. Also sorry to hear about your friend I hope he's doing better?

@gazania You need to get in closer. If you go look at them you will see you have garden in the floor plans. Everyone please no garden (apart from the bits that can't be helped) if need be turn the lot if it fits better in the frame. Each individual building is supposed to have its own floor plan.

Everyone
On picture count that all comes under the 'floorplan' and does not add to your picture count. If the building is very long then do one showing it all and one showing left and right. Please label it left and right. If you think something on your floor plan is a bit hard to see say so.

I hope that clears it up?

Round 5 - Crooked Beach Community Center 3x3

(The following should be read in a sunny Crooked Beach Chamber of Commerce Spokesman voice.)
Located across from the original public beach, the CBCC has grown almost as naturally as the native wildflowers that brighten its corners. The sturdy cinderblock restrooms and the picnic area were originally provided for the beachgoing public in the interests of public health and safety. Since Crooked Beach is an island, plumbing on the site is provided by a catchment system. The water tower has been replaced several times after hurricanes, but the restrooms have survived everything Ma Nature could throw at them. A local initiative resulted in a bond issue and volunteer drive to construct the actual Center building, providing space for the needs of families with small children on the ground floor and for classes and lectures on the top floor. Under the guidance of numerous volunteers and donors, further facilities have accumulated through the years, including provision for the comfort of pets, attraction of wildlife, and outdoor recreation and relaxation. The most recent additions are the new bandstand, complete with a central sound booth, and the hot tub. The Center has been decorated for Pride by eager volunteers of all genders and orientations.



Some of the pictures that didn't make the cut can be seen on my tumblr, posted yesterday and probably some more in the near future. This is a complicated lot and I had to leave out some of my favorite details. I believe that the pictures under this next spoiler tag showcase the uses, features, and limitations of this lot as well as I am capable of showcasing them. Hope you like it. 'Cause I love it. A lot.


And there you have it! I had a lot of fun with it, and learned a few new dodges, and added to my bird deco folder, and discovered how worthwhile the on-lot neighborhood deco effects are. And I've learned a lot from this contest generally. I'm in no position to win, place, or show, but I didn't disgrace myself, either. Thanks to Jo and to the judges, and Justpetro, I'll have a nice cold lemonade to restore my electrolytes after all this time in the hot tropical sun, thank you.

ETA: Ah, I see Jo straightened us out about the pics while I was posting all that. So soon I can add MOAR PICS! But not right now, since my husband's due home any time now and we'll go out to visit M again. He's doing much better than when he was taken in (his girlfriend and his ex-wife reached a rare unanimity when they agreed his daughter shouldn't see him with the abscess making him look like an orange was tucked in his cheek, but that swelling's all gone), but is frustrated because he's got a tube down his throat. This means not only that he can't talk, but that his hands are restrained so he doesn't flail around in his drugged state and yank the tube out, so his writing capability is limited. Also, even when I finally realized he needed his glasses and brought them to him, the sedation or something is interfering with his vision. However, when asked to give a thumbs up by the doctor he moved his foot (a typical contrary M move), he tried to flirt with a nurse, he was soliciting hugs from visitors, and he uses his limited writing capability to demand Burger King and Mountain Dew, so yes, he's doing very well indeed. (And he loves to be talked about, so there's nothing problematic about my sharing this information with total strangers. Anybody reading this who knows us, knows exactly who I'm talking about.)

ETA Again: Okay, added two pics, a plan of the restrooms and a shot of the parenting restroom. I sense a theme.
M is now no longer drugged, convinced the (female) doctor his hands could be untied safely, and is writing verbosely, egotistically, and almost coherently on a whiteboard his brother brought him. He flirts with all the female staff who come in, including the pregnant one, and somehow since yesterday it's all female staff. They tested his breathing without the machine and he did well, though it tired him, so maybe the tube will be gone when I visit tomorrow. And he's delighted to know that people he doesn't know from Adam's off ox are talking about him.

I went ahead and rebuilt on an expanded lot. I have room for the carousel now And the coaster does work. Finally. After MSD pointed out my ridiculous mistake, lol.

Thanks for the clarification. Now I know to take individual building floorplan shots. I'll add them later today.

Those all In this case here is what happened:

My graphics card hates me for torturing it with all those polys.

Round Four Play Along comments

I've edited my pics to hopefully make them clearer with two for each of the larger floorplans. I had three crashes just getting them so still no change on the being able to play front! It's so frustrating not being able to work out what the problem is but I'll keep working on it. That's if my son will let me. He has just finished school and has me playing Dragon Age Inquisition and Mass Effect Andromeda multiplayer with him Oh well at least he starts college in August!

Oh and just because here is a pic of the restroom sign. Part of it can be seen in the fenced play area shot but it doesn't show the braille well so...



I really like it! as I think it might be a first but then what do I know!

Thanks to the judges again for all their hard work. Now off to the bar with you. I bet if you ask nicely Justpetro has something special hidden behind the bar!

Scottiedoag

As I was finishing this lot, I realized there were two flaws in it. One, I can't do much about, and may not even be a flaw at all. It depends on how you look at it. One is driving me absolutely bonkers. I'm almost ready to give up, but I'll probably come up with something, even if it's something crappy. So unfortunately, I can't bring this all to a close just yet.

Honestly, I'm getting at the point where I just want this DONE already! Usually, I do a dozen or more iterations of a lot. I'm up to almost two dozen with this one! Lots of tweaking, and it seems that just as I think I'm finished, I find or think of something else.

(Looks longingly at scottidaog's sign and remembers how hard it was to even find a sign that was non-gendered, never mind handicapped-accessible ... thanks to Aysarth, I at least found SOMETHING. Uploading perhaps, scottiedoag?)

You don't have to have a sign a plain door will do.

I have two questions regarding my comments.


How do I make a stage or dummy level? I often don't like how taller windows are swallowed by the roofs edges on the upper storey.

How do I get the camera to sim eye level? Unless I'm in 45° view, when it looks like toddler eye level, it feels kind of random to me where the camera ends up.

A dummy level is a wall at 4 clicks high. So you draw it out and lower it with CFE. I find the simplest method for that is simply cover with floor tile,place modular stairs on top so it lowers that floor then smooth level with the terrain tool. Place and smooth until it's the 4 clicks height. (That is foundation or stage tool height)

When the camera is in TAB mod you simply use your keys, I think W,E,S Q maybe? I can never actually think what they are when asked! Z is zoom in and X zoom out. You place the camera where you want it, don't let it dictate to you. With a house on a foundation you can go down as low at the carpet. You should also be able to hold down and use your mouse wheel.

See here

By the way, in my case, I'm still not 100% sure how many shots I'm allowed, since my buildings on the left side connect, and I'm not sure whether one particular floor counts as two rooms or two buildings. So in the case of that, I plan to just go with function. A lecture hall might logically be considered part of a building, so I'll treat that as such. But I consider the coffee shop and food stand as franchises. The coffee shop is part of my Barstucks chain, and the food stand is a common presence in the game. The parent room is separated from the main building by the food stand, so it's a building, too. That makes sense to me. Then again, I'm just not sure how much sense I have left at this point.

Still trying to fix the one flaw. I've settled on the best alternative, IMO. Family members are shying away from me now when I ask, "Can you take a look at this, please?" They CAN take a look. They're able to. I don't think they WANT to. Just a hunch. (And yes, I know my grammar is going out the window too, apparently.) What I did will have to do.

Well you made me do it! I've uploaded the signs. Don't know if they'll be accepted but time will tell lol. Oh and yavannatw I'm trying to find a link for the mesh I used for the Rhodes artwork but no luck so far. Just so you know I didn't forget you!
Scottiedoag

Well, I got my downloadin' fingers ready if they're approved!

Got a stupid question for more-experienced lot builders. Right now, I have my boardwalk on the latticed foundation, for the most part. But aren't boardwalks usually on the beam foundation? (Searching, though, I have found plenty of lots on the latticed foundation, so I believe I'm overthinking this.) And someone mentioned something about hiding them ... do you use the half-walls for those? (I know there are half-walls without anything on top of them. I'm really kind of tight on time and lean on experience to try stuff like this:

http://modthesims.info/t/142826

I'm still a little "meh" about the idea of two stories on a latticed foundation. I know that maybe you can explain that the lecture hall is cantilevered with the coffee shop tucked beneath it, but that might be a stretch. I've seen two stories on a latticed decking, but that is not common.

Another option would be to at least put beams under the upper room to give some semblance of support ... if I can find a beam that goes from the ground to the second floor without going through the second floor. This building is going almost right to the edge of the lot, so faking a raised foundation with CFE is not an option. Even with the lot expansion, I had to use every space I could to make room for large enough classrooms.

Just how fussy are the judges going to be about this?

I'll keep looking to make sure there are more examples of two-story buildings on latticed decks ... or if there are examples on beamed decks. One or two aren't enough for me.



This is a non-beach lot, by the way.

Right, now, I'm up to Revision U. Egads. I will indeed be going through the alphabet at the rate I'm going!

Drinks all around, with toasts to gazania and Scottiedoag