I've never written a tutorial before, but the original one by HabboArwen has been removed from the exchange, and people keep asking for a replacement. (I hope it works okay for you, I'm kind of nervous ...)

To view it, extract the contents into a folder, and open the file called "swimmable_lake_illusion.htm". It should work with any browser.

Before starting the tutorial, you may want to download the water terrain and recolors included here.

I sometimes forget to respond to PMs. So if you have any questions, please ask them in this thread. You might ask something that someone else needs answered too

This is very interesting! I didn't know!
Thanks, TDK!

(moving to the Build Tutorials)

Wow, being able to swim in lakes! Even if it is an illusion, it would still look cool, so thenk you, Tkd!

This is great! I'll try it tommorow!

And dont be nervous, your explanation is so accurate that I would be a fool if I cant creat the lake following the istructions! (Well, I hope I'm not! lol)

Thanks again!

It's more detailed than the disappeared one...:D

That's pretty neat...

Just a few suggestions,
May add fences and/or sims-inaccessible plant or rock objects to surround the lake randomly to further reduce the chance sims swim out of the lake, yet they can still swim out through the dive board or ladder in rare cases. I don't know of any solution for that yet.

Added: a solution provided by Loverat
http://www.modthesims2.com/showpost...580&postcount=7



Swimmable lake tutorial linkage (These're different methods to attempt to create swimmable lakes/beaches/ocean/sea/ponds or else) (alphabetically ordered in terms of username):

corvidophile2
Tutorial:Making a swimmable lake-The safe way (for all game versions) (terrain paint approach)
http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=171505

HabboArwen
Tutorial-SWIM in a lake (for all game versions) (terrain paint approach) (yes, it's back again.)
http://thesims2.ea.com/exchange/sto...?asset_id=20008

JustTheBast
Tutorial: Making real lakes swimmable (for all game versions) (water tool + fake pool approach)
http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=158216

patul
Easy swimable real lake -Tutorial
http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=245795

sunni9676
Tutorial for creating pool lakes & beaches (for only the base game TS2 and/or EP1-UNI) (swim-pool approach)
http://www.modthesims2.com/showpost...45&postcount=21
http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=85093

tkdjunkie
Tutorial: The Swimmable Lake Illusion (for all game versions) (terrain paint approach)
http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=131752


Trouble-shooting threads:
Help - Swimmable Lake
http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=190297

Thanks, all -- I hope it works for you!



If you place the pond plants under the dock in each tile that was unable to be raised, then that should block them from swimming through the dock. At least, it has worked for me in the trials I had done. Maybe I missed something

The most important thing to remember when you build a lake like this on your lot -- remember not to use the Terrain raising/lowering/leveling tools near the lake -- it might ruin it. And when placing fences, walls, or foundations near the lake, do not have the ConstrainFloorElevation cheat set to False, as the active cheat may adjust the terrain levels near the lake.

Lol, I meant sims can swim through the objects themselves in some very rare cases for some reasons, in other words through the same pool accessory pathways they enter and exit the lake These cases happen randomly rather than controllably. That's what I know so far. :confused:

So if partitons like walls, foundation walls, fences or else will be by the lake, they are better built before working on the lake with boolprop constrainfloorelevation false, and then level their tops (except those of fences) from the relative highest point after counting the 4-click-high limit. Yet, for foundation wall, one can start tobuild it from the highest point and spread it without the cheat and much problem coz it's bottom is flexible, unlike its top. it won't affect the lower base layer except the 4-click-high limit. That's why start building it from the highest point. Fence archs cannot block sims accessment. Yet, Mikeiside's "Easy wall" can make the default wall easier to be done in this case.coz its top and bottom are both flexiible without that cheat set to false, yet one has to know how to level their tops back later.

Lol, it's not really such a big deal... Every method can have its own limitation(s).

This terrain paint approach for lake and sea or else is already very good. , especially after installation of EP02 NL or a newer EP.
I'm still not satisfied with the combo-water tool approach. The graphical glitch is killing my eyes. :gonemad: or it takes too many plants or objects to cover up the big graphical glitch. Maxis should have allowed users to recolour the tile sidesand bottoms...

I really wish Maxis didn't alter the pool tool. Instead, they would create a new pool tool, so the old ways would still be available as well as the new ones. But, Maxis is often dumb in this way... Or is it assuming the players can't handle two pool tools with proper naming and descriptions...or an additional option setting for both.

I feel like i'm making a lectue or whine... I'll mute myself ... :bandit:

Thanks so much! :gonemad:

Hey, sounds very interesting, but I can't get the water terrain! (shame on me, it seems that I'm the only one who has this problem) I mean, it's not in my ground cover tool, nor everywhere else. What should I do??
Thanks in advance

Water terrain doesn't come in the game -- you either need to make it yourself with HomeCrafter or download it.

If it helps, I made some water terrain that is included with these accessories here: http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=104748

Thank you!!

Thank you soooooo much tkdjunkie!! Your tutorial was Chelby proof! LOL I can understand it, then you have no worries!!!!!!! hehe

Thanks again!

The tutorial was great, although I had to raise the lake sides 3 clicks to keep sims from swimming through them. I do however have an interesting problem. One of my sims has now started swimming everywhere instead of walking. Any ideas on how to fix this?

[edit] Well, I would up just deleting and then resoring the sim using InSIM; which fixed the problem. Now I hope my fixed lake keeps it from happening again! [edit]

I re-did my lake four times before relizing it was water TERRAIN and not the Water tool! So where can I get me some water terrain, I checked that link with the ladder, but it wasn't in that file.

Oops I could have sworn that there was a water terrain with those recolors. Apparently I was wrong about that :sorry:

So I've just added a rar file with four water terrains in it. It's the second file in the download list here.

Sorry for the confusion!

sweet deal, swimmable lake here I come!

For some reason after the sims get out they just start falling into the ground and back again :?: :?: :?: :?: :?: :?: :cranky: :grrr:

gear_guy,
get your sims to use the ladder to "get out" again.


All,
How about some invisible barrier to bound the sims in place? The barrier can be even like shadowless carpets but with a block setting to disable sims access, or maybe no mesh at all! So, when outdoor, it can barely have any shadow done by the game engine, and it can keep the pool/pond/lake/sea shore look seemless without seeing some visible rock, plants or else... This type of invisible barrier may not take up much of the resources.

Thank you so much, This is exactly what i needed. Thank you so much, the turtorial was easy to follow and understand....well done!

waaah, for some reason i can't get this to work for me! It keeps saying I need to put the divingboard on the side of a pool! help please

Worked like a charm the FIRST time....thank you so much

thanks this is cool! i cant believe its that SIMPLE though!!!! and i thought it was complicated

Same here..What am I doing wrong?Im sure i followed the directions perfectly...I think :sadpanda:

Uindo no Kurada & sunnyshine14,

Have tired to input moveObjects on?

Just remember to input moveobjects off after using this cheat...

Oh no..Thank you!