Building Tips and Cheats

Tips

 

Building Cheats

To enable the cheat box press CNTRL SHIFT C - all at once. The main screen will darken a little and a dark command line will appear at the top of the screen. This is the "cheat console".

Then copy the commands in bold into the command line\console, if necessary replacing names and numbers with the appropriate - eg familyfunds Newbie 20000 will set the funds for the Newbie family to 20000 exactly. SPELLING matters. Computers are very literal.

TURN OFF CHEATS when finished with them.

ctrl+5 up to 9 save camera angles, while in cameraman mode I think you just need to hit 5 without the control key.

moveObjects [on\off]

Allows movement of objects and Sims into places onto places on the grid where they would normally not be allowed.

 You can't delete the mailbox and trash can
constrainFloorElevation false Default is true

Just as in Sims 2, allows some special building techniques
  • Walls, floors, and objects will move with the terrain, allowing creation of sloped walls and floored hills.
  • BUT Placing new walls/floors will still flatten terrain.
  • BUT Placing objects will still require the terrain to be flat initially if the objects normally require it.
  • Turn it off when you have finished using it!
disableSnappingToSlotsOnAlt [on\off]

When on, objects will not snap to slots while holding ALT. Default is ON

OFF to return to normal snapping

 Useful for placing objects such as chairs near tables without them snapping or placing counters near other counters.
TestingCheatsEnabled [on\off] or [true\false] This is a precursor cheat, opening up a whole new range of cheats.

allows dynamic dragging of motives, which in Sims 2 would be called debug mode. For instance, you can fill a Sim's hunger bar rapidly when they are starving. Or empty it fast and completely to kill them. (No action will be seen until you return to Play Mode).

Turning off TestingCheatsEnabled AFAICS does not work - if you really want to clear it, turn off ALL cheats, save and exit game.

needs TestingCheatsEnabled True

buydebug [on\off] or buydebug [true\false]

 Allows purchase of special items.

needs TestingCheatsEnabled True

 RestrictBuildBuyInBuildings [true/false] or rbbb [on/off]  

Started with Late Night

Usage:RestrictBuildBuyInBuildings [on/off] Removes restrictions for build/buy in buildings

Use in Apartments.

Once you go into Buy/Build Mode, enable 'restrictbuildbuyinbuildings off' and 'buydebug on' in order to make changes (I also like to use moveobjects on'), and then BOTH 'restrictbuildbuyinbuildings on' and 'buydebug off' before you exit Buy/Build Mode.

Important: turn BOTH cheats off or the game may well freeze, or crash, or fail to save, when you try to go back into Live Mode.
needs TestingCheatsEnabled True

placeFriezes [on/off]

Sets the deck foundation product to type frieze. This allows building of foundation above ground level. Multiple layers if required.

You can place roofs on placefriezes!
needs TestingCheatsEnabled True familyfunds Bloggs 20000 sets Bloggs family's funds to 20000 IF all family members have the same surname.
needs TestingCheatsEnabled True When building, Ctrl+Shift+Click any side of the lot, you have the option to set that side as 'front of lot', so that your Sims will mostly access the lot from the selected side.