Tutorials: Landscaping Help Section

[lunaura]

I always seem the have the most trouble doing landscaping. I would love to get some help, if you all are willing. I'm making a ranch, but would LOVE some color in the front yard/path way as well as the two tracks. Below are pictures of the mostly unlandscaped front area and tracks.

Jumping Track

Front Yard/Path

Race Track


Thanks for the help!

[samoht04]

Sorry I am so late in replying, it's been hectic for me lately.  Anyway about your Ranch. That front path, it looks like you want it to stay like an Avenue type style? It would probably be easiest if you are having horses walking up and down it. I'd suggest some trees, spread out along both sides of the Path, add some flowers/bushes at the edge of the Path, Fences and the Walls of the Barn.

Your training fields could do with some blending terrain. Add in some lighter grass and a very light layer of dirt, also go over some of that dirt with some grass using the lowest opacity available for the slider. As much as it makes sense to have dirt on the track it's not that likely if Grass is growing there as well, there will be a patch of dirt in the middle of the path of course but at the edges it will be more blended where a Horse is less likely to be running. You could add some trees but think tall and thin not low and fat trees to make it easier to see but also break up the space with some bushes in clusters or something like that.

[kiko94]

Well I wanted to ask if anyone has any tips on doing landscaping for modern houses, because the usual cluttering of bushes and flowers gives a weird aspect 

[Agneza]

Tray make boxes 1x2 ( cheat CFE) 1/4 wall and put lowly flowers, maybe its help

[ZapKid]

Kiko, I don't have my Sims 3 Computer on hand but one key idea would be this phrase: Less is more. Too many bushes ruin the whole aspect. Here are some great combos for plants. Make 3x4 or 4x5 areas (flower dividers) and put in the following:

Birch Tree [Black Gum Tree] > Average Green Bushes > orange or pink flower bush - [Dark] Dirt
'Autumn' looking trees > Purple Flower Bed > red flower bush - Light Dirt
Palm Trees > Average Yellow Bushes > Orange flower bush > sunflowers - Dirt or Sand

I think I have had the best results with those ^ but feel free to "mix and match" as I would put it. 

[Agneza]

 Kiko94
I made few photos to show you what I meant. The pictures on the wall painted my sims from the patterns.

[kiko94]

Thanks Guys for the tips, they will be much help for my upcoming project

[kiko94]

I was gonna post this in the buidling remodoling thread but hten though it owuld be more aproppriate here since it is a natural park, I'm still unable to build 60x60 lots from scratch, so I though of trying to upgrade an EA made one, and chose butterfly esplanade, it's beautiful and has a nice layout, but it was missing colorful atmosphere and a few items here and there, here is what I have done, I didn't want to add a lot of items to keep natural, also I hope it would be somthing that could satisfy Pally, I have been trying to do somthing from scratch but couldn't , hope you can help me imporve it

I know still missing a few terraint paint:


View on entrence from the stairs


A small sitting area :


view of the small eating area:


another hallway


Pond:

[ZapKid]

Very nice! I should try building a nature park too, even though landscaping is definitely not my forte. 

[kiko94]

I'm sure if it's modern, you can do it making that was really fun, you just put a lot of flowers and bushes and trees, most fun I had in the entire week

[ZapKid]

Hm, a modern nature park! That gave me some ideas... 

[VampirePlasma]

Cannot wait to see Zap, I love your modern houses and am sure I'll love this too!

[ZapKid]

Cannot wait to see Zap, I love your modern houses and am sure I'll love this too!

Well, if people want to see it,  I guess I'll have to do it. I can't do it now; but I will be able start in about 2 hours. 

[Agneza]

Kiko it's really very nice, I like this park, very good job  . Try putting terrain tool on softer, I believe it will be a little better.

[kiko94]

Indeed, that's the only thing I haven't touched yet, I will have to do it tommorow, once I will have the time and energy to deal with that