Building Basements: After Terrain Tools

[mebagl15]

How do you add a basement on to a previous built house with a raised foundation, without getting terrain outcropping?

When I try to add on a basement, following the footprint of the building above, the terrain bulges out. This leaves an unsightly look to the foundation as well as disrupts the landscaping. It works Ok when the level of the building and the terrain are the same.

Has anyone else had this problem? Is there a solution?

[mebagl15]

This is a screenshot of what I'm talking about. (Bear with me I'm a noob with screenshots and attachments)

[TaliaSimmySim]

Well since basements are technically underground it makes sense that the terrain adjusts to keep it underground. Instead of a basement you can try to make it split level. For instance you walk into what looks like the first floor but really its the 2nd and the back is open to both. That way the ground is even with the walls. Imagine it like this, instead of laying to Lego bricks direct on top of each other stagger them slightly than rise the ground around them. Covering the empty space and giving the appearance that they just popped out of the ground. Or take away the foundation build a room and then sink the level into the ground using the foundation tool and then cover the ground back up around it. Theres some trickery there since the ground cant just go up to the wall so you're going to need to cleverly landscape to get the sane look.

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[reggikko]

The only solution I've found is to keep the basement area one tile less than the building. For example, if your build is 10X10, the basement needs to be 9X9 and not extend past the outer walls of the build. It's really annoying.

[mebagl15]

Thank you. That's what I had been doing making the foundation 1 square smaller. But I found my answer in another forum.

 "just lowering the basement works everytime. Sometimes it takes a couple of clicks to eliminate the elevated ground"

You use the same vertical arrow tool that you use to control the height of the foundation, but you do it for the basement instead.

I tried it and it worked.

[Heart Foam]

I think if you draw the basement on flat ground -- not the ground floor of the house -- you can recreate how basements were before the terrain editing update. Then you do get the awkward transition when the stairs go through the foundation, but it does keep the ceiling of the basement at ground level, as opposed to top-of-foundation level. It's worth knowing that.

I discovered this when building the Reasonably Priced Mansion on Vacuous Green on the building thread. On a big lot like that, it's fine to keep the basement size to within the size of the house above. I worked around it, caused some design issues, had to move the money vault to where it is etc. But on a tiny 20x15 lot where max space is wanted I'll take the awkward stairs through the foundation. Like I said, in that case, just draw the basement on the terrain, not the house.

Disregard if this has changed!

[reggikko]

Thank you. That's what I had been doing making the foundation 1 square smaller. But I found my answer in another forum.

 "just lowering the basement works everytime. Sometimes it takes a couple of clicks to eliminate the elevated ground"

You use the same vertical arrow tool that you use to control the height of the foundation, but you do it for the basement instead.

I tried it and it worked.

I'll have to try that. Thanks for passing on the information!