Roof Help
 

I usually don't do a lot of building on my sims game, I just download because everytime I build a house the roof sucks. I can't seem to get it to look right, it's all over the place and it covers up windows and whatnot. So if anyone could please, please help me learn to make a decent roof, that would be super.

Thank you

The best advice that I can give is NOT to use the Auto-Roof tool. Select the roof type that you like best. And remember that you can mix roof types to create different building styles. If you are having problems - maybe you should post a pic of the building - and more experienced builders can advise you further.

Full auto-roof often results in ugly rooflines .... but here is an 'easy' way to do roofs, that often looks pretty good:

First, put in the major block of roof, using the roofing tool. Good starters is a long run with a gable roof, or a full block with a hip roof. Or maybe you have a particular place you want an octagonal roof or other special roof.

Press the 'lock roof' key. Then use one of the autoroof selections... if it looks ok, great. If not, do the 'undo' and try another auto-roof selection. This try-undo, allows you to look at a lot of options fairly quickly. And usually at least one is suitable.

The other thing to keep in mind is that the default roof slope is seldom 'perfect'. Use: roofslopeangle xx, wherexx= 15-75. I normally set my to 25 for 'trying out' -- it has enough pitch to get a good idea of how things are going to intersect without overwhelming most houses. Once I get my roofline set as described above, I try a few variations on the slope. Ultra-modern often look best with very shallow angles -- try 15-20. Victorians usually look best with slopes in the 30-45 range. Contemporary houses often work in the 25-35 range. Those are generalities only -- great ultra modern with steep roof and Victorians with shallow roof are possible.

As Eedgan suggested, take some pics and post here for specific suggestions.

What do you mean by what you said about the roofs covering up windows? Yes, you should post pics so we can know what you mean.

I just spent three days trying to get a nice roof - and I quit. Always the same: "You can't place the roof on objects" or: "The roof is too heavy" (I have a german game, so I don't know the right "answers" the game gives in English - just tried to translate).
I tried with "moveObjects on", I tried to cover the floor with tiles - I nearly tried everything. But each time, I want to have a roof not just on top, I have difficulties. For example, if I want to place a roof on part of the first floor and on part of the first floor there is a second floor.
I was so delighted to hear, that there are more roofs with the pets. But even the angled roofs look bad, because the walls show through the edges of the roof.
Not well done by Maxis, I think.

If i understand, it is not very easy without pics, you want to build something like an attic ?

here is a tutorial :http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=156028

my best advice is this:

1) do your roofs first , because you can't build it thru objects (windows and stairs included) even tho the roof may not interfere with said object in the end it still won't let you build it....

2) if you are building the roof.... start to drag and then while still dragging with the mouse use the "home" and "end" keys (walls up/down) so that the roof is not showing...(walls up view).... now you can see the gridlines you need to follow and land the roof on....

3) and if there is no gridline where you need your roof to 'end' put a post or bit of wall there (temporarily) to give it a gridline to land on....

4) Sometimes you need to build up a level temporarily then place a tiny bit of roof up there so that you can make sure your roofs have no odd gaps if they are tall....

The message about objects refers to windows and stairs. You need to place the roof first then the windows. Stairs need a set amout of tiles, I think it was 4, that the wall and roof can't cover. The roof is too heavy means it's lacking support. Either try floor tiles or posts. You can delete both after placing the roof.

Uarrrgh . . .
That's what didn't want to hear
I used to finish the building inclusively the roof and then begin with furniture etc. I don't know where exactly, but around here I read the advice to do the roof as the very last thing. That was my mistake I think.
About the windows: As I thought the message about the objects could have to do with the windows, I deleted them all - but the roof didn't want to take place even with the removed windows. There were no stairs under that roof - the staircases have their own roofs.
But thank you for your advice. I hate it, when I build a house, do the decoration, the gardening and then: a maxis-auto-roof . . .
I'll try to get a screenshot (years later acording to my computer-skills)

edit:
@ Patul: thank you for that link - now I know how I can place windows in the walls at both of the ends of a roof. Got already crazy about that, because of the thing with the sloped walls. (And I am too stupid to manage Numenors special windows *sigh* )

Okay I decided to used this lot of mine to demonstrate one complex roof idea (Klarabella). Okay the house was fully furnished before I removed the roof. I was forced to remove ALL furnishing in the dormers - or I would get an error message - "Cannot intersect objects"

1. Rear view



2. Street View



3. Now I used the Remove Roof Tool - I will show step by step how the roof was created... Can you see the floor tiles I used above the ground floor columns? Those are to support the roof height... Okay now remove all the windows in the dormers (sorry I forgot one pic)



4. Okay now we will first put roofs on each dormer - one at a time... (I used the long gabled roof). I roofed the three small dormers in the front of the house and the single small dormer at the rear.



5. I used the the same roof type to cover the entire roof top - simply place over the other smaller roofs.



6. Use the shed gable roof to place over the floor tiles over the pillars. Drag from edge towards the main roof.



7. Now for the rear - remove all windows again - make sure that there is no furniture inside that may interfere with the roof.



8. Again the shed gable roof



9. Long Gabled roof



10. Now use the shed gable roof to cover the entire dormer



11. Add windows - and you're done!



N.B. Roof slope angle of 36.7 was used to created seamless joining of the different roof pieces. It might seem like a tedious method of creating a roof - but you will be pleased by the results. You may have to try various angles before you achieve the correct one.

That's a wonderful explanation. I will go and try at once.
Just one more question: Do you remove the "walls", that come with the roofs (and are "inside" the roof, I mean: those ones you can't see), before adding the next / a new part of the roof?

Am I understanding you correctly? Are you referring to walls created by roofs that are visible from outside? Or internal walls? I do not mess with outside walls - if a window fits into it - then thats what I add. I usually delete internal walls - so that I can have more living room.

In the example that I used there were no walls to delete. (I used maxis dormers - and after I added the roof I had to delete some walls at the end of the dormers to provide access to the them - but thats all) -

If the roof slope angle is high, then yes the roof might create new walls internally. But I usually select an angle that is less the 30 degrees. It is visually more appealing in my opinion.

"walls" that come with the roof tools are normally called "attic walls" [according to the wall.txt script] or "roof wall" whether they are shown externally and/or internally.
Like foundation wall, pool wall, or the default wall, attic wall/roof wall share the same basic graphical components for walls but with its individualised property settings.

Just back to tell you, that I'm getting nuts . . .
The house I was talking of - I can't delete everything. (You can not imagine, what I place in my houses because I'm deco-nuts. Each time I thought there couldn't be anything left, there was still a radiator, a wall lamp, a curtain . . . ) After four hours deleting I quit without saving. I'll leave this special roof as ugly as it is.
But this evening I'll try to build something similar and - direktly after building the walls an before placing anything in the rooms - construct the roof. And then I will report.
You are so nice to give me help and share your experiences! Thank you so much!
and yes, I was not
"referring to walls created by roofs that are visible from outside" but the "internal walls" those ones you only see when you look at the attic without the roofs.
And yes, eedgan, it can't only refer to windows and stairs, because I deleted them first. There was no window, door or stairs left and the roof was still laughing at me. It must be the furniture. Perhaps because I use so often the "boolprop SnapObjectsToGrid false"-cheat?
But you know, I'm never sure what's going wrong when something doesn't go the way I want to. I also have a lot of "boolprop constrainFloorElevation false"-things because I love basement-garages and staircases with landings - at least - after eight steps. And often I believe I just did too much and the game shows that forbidden finger to me . . .

(off-topic: I spent a night to build a real swimmable lake. In the end - or better: in the morning when my familiy rose - I had it done. But don't ask with how many clicks up and down and again and again. I admire you all, who do those wonderful tutorials!)

To delete attic walls just use the wall tool or the fence tool to do so with the button "ctrl" and theleft mouse click. just the same way to delete a default wall segment.

When you delete the attic wall the roof stays, btw. And if you have a first floor with a second floor covering part of it, roof the second floor first. Then proceed to roof the first floor. The roof of the first floor under the second floor roof will disappear.

I tried to rebuild the house last night.
I got the roof - not really nice, but better than before. But it was very tricky anyway.
When I tried to do a screenshot my pc said good-bye to me.
This afternoon I thought I could go on - but nothing happened.
The computer tried for TWO(!!!!) hours before he started.
Last time when I had such a building-session (14 days ago) my old one wouldn't start again. He is now at the "computer-doctor" with a crashed motherboard and a crashed processor.
I'm nearly hysteric now.
Do you think it is possible that excessiv sims-building (with a lot of "boolprop constrainFloorElevation false") can crash a computer?
The one I now use is only one year old.
I don't dare to start the sims now.
I'm really down.

Another word to the roofs: Again I had the button: "cannot place roof on other things" (I hope you know what it is in English). Then I removed the inner attic walls because I thought they would cause this button.
Actually I don't know, why it worked on one side of the house but not on the other. I had no furniture at all. Then I went down to the basement and levelled the floor in the basement. At the third try after that I could place a tiny roof (that I wanted) on the other side of the house.
But I don't know wheather it was by chance or by a certain angle or whatever. And then I couldn't place tiles on the first floor. After a while it worked again.
I have no idea at all why or what . . .
Do you also have such problems or is it just stupid me?
Did I miss something essential?
First I had a swimmable Lake, then a basement-garage with a split staircase to the first floor. Another staircase to the second floor.
Basement, first and second floor shouldn't be too much for the game.
And the two levels in the swimmable lake from that tutorial: http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=158216
Any idea anyone of you?

simsjeanie, your crash is perhaps due to an intensive simming ! Our favorite game need a lot of graphic and processors ressources and of course the inside temperature grows, the air cooler is not sufficient for give fresh air and it is the burning of the motherboard and of the processor.
One solution with no money : open you computer when you are playing a long lime. With about 30 euro and a single screwdriver add one more ventilator and/or, a little more uneasy to do, improve those of the processor.

For the tiles of the first floor, try first to flatten the floor without cheat, the grid will be near the ceiling after some floorelevation true/false

simsjeanie-
Did you remember to close the cheat before putting on the roof? I have never had any problem with roofing in my game (the editing terrain gets my computer down lol) but I have a new computer so I wouldn't know.

So your computer crashed when you tried to post pics? If so, then the video card is probably out of date. When you get your computer back, try building a test house to roof, on a flat lot. Don't have the cheat on, and don't do anything that might cause the roof to go bezerk. I tried building stealth stairs without the roof, but I got the message "Can't intersect other objects" (I thinkg that's what your message reads). So I had to go back and leave the roof on and then put the stairs. Just a little advice. :D

simsjeanie,

May start to save your lot after doing some significant step or feature to save some HD resources...

May tune down the graphical settings when necessary.

Also, may turn off most optional softwares like browser, word processor....
Scan and remove spywares, etc... if not.

I had the roof just the way I wanted it...and now when I enter the lot it's stretched super tall. Does anyone have any idea why it did this? I did not use roof cheat when I made it. I tried removing but when I try to redo it it still comes up ten stories high!
Please help

I think it is an EP4 problem ? Had you try to adjust it with the cheat ?
Try it, save quit and back to the lot... tell us the result !

As sai kakhidoo below the roof adjusted the top to the highest building of the level. Had you try the manual roofing ?

That has happened to me a few times....sometimes it's because (I don't really know why) I have a raised area in another spot of the lot with a tree on it....seems like maybe the top of the tree pushed the 'top' of the lot up higher and then the roofs are that high too?.... other times, if you have a bit of fence right under a roof overhang...like fence coming up and attaching to the wall of the house that can cause it.... other times it happens and I can't figure out what the problem is and then I can't fix it in those instances...



It's not just you, I have those sorts of problems with roofs all the time....like you said, it's tricky, and sometimes it just takes a bunch of "try and try again" And each roof is different, I wish I could tell you that you will eventually be able to do roofs with no problem... but it's always tricky, every time.... at least for me it is...

khakidoo,

That sounds like the roof layer grid has been affected just like the grid layer for the fences has been.

I'll take your word on that, niol, I really don't know a thing about the grid layers or anything....I had heard the fence tip from someone else, and then it solved the scary tall roof problem for me a few times....