Build mode panel disappears, can't save game?

[girlwhoplayssims]

I've had this problem a few times since Saturday now. While building a mansion, i went from buy mode to build mode and the build mode panel disappeared(not sure if that's what it's called, but I'm referring to the panel next to the sledge hammer and blueprint panel that contains all the building features- walls, floors, etc.). None of the controls are working (walls up, walls down, sledge hammer, live mode, buy mode, etc.) When i click on an object in my house, a button pops up saying "Thumbnail Camera". When i click on doors specifically, it gives me an option that says "Add the ability to add triggers and add behaviors" and "lock". The game isn't frozen- It's just a glitch?  I know how to shut the game down using Task Manager but i wanted to know if anyone else is facing this problem, or if there's any way to get out of it and save my game.

[intl_incident]

This has been happening to me fairly regularly for the last few weeks. It is a gigantic pain in the...

I have found no way to save once it gets into that state, sorry to say.  All I can do is commiserate with you, and hope someone else knows how to fix it.

[girlwhoplayssims]

@intl_incident Darn! Maybe the next sims patch will fix this issue.

[Tigerskin]

I've had this happen to me as well. I solved it by reclicking on the hand tool and it went back to normal. It has happened a few times and that fixed it for me. May have to click it a few times though.

[Gingerkid]

I had this, this evening. I tried clicking on all sorts of things and had the camera option that you mentioned. In the end I clicked on the pause button in the top right hand corner of the screen & it went back to live mode for me so I saved my game just in case it happened again.

Hope you get on ok. Good luck

[MrsFlynn]

This just happen to me tonight as I was in build/buy mode. The screen froze and build/buy menu disappeared and yep at that moment wasn't able to do much. So I came straight to the forum as I saw this thread the other day and read up over the suggestions. Thank you SO much for the suggestions!!

I figured it was already frozen. I couldn't hurt much. So I pressed Shift-Control-C to bring up the console bar or whatever it's called and typed in help. Looked over the options.  Nothing there. However.. I was able to mouse around a little some how. Found out to get to options, press the F5 button on the keyboard. I thought I have nothing to loose, so why not. I tried it and it brought up a menu. I clicked Edit Town. From there was able to get back into my house and save it without loosing anything!! Wha-hoo!!

Hope this helps anyone else that may run into the problem.

MrsFlynn

** Note to future self - Cause you know this will happen again. lol!! Under Spoiler...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Click on the Pause Button up top right of the screen. Just like GingerKid above said, does wonders to get the game back into live mode to where you can save the game if/when stuck in Build/Buy mode. You'll be very thankful!!

Pressing FN and the F5 key like others have said does nothing and may do something else depending on what computer you have. So just don't. -- You're welcome!!

[girlwhoplayssims]

@MrsFlynn - I read that somewhere. Unfortunately i have a Dell Laptop, so where the F5 button is, there is also a "brighten screen" option. Every time i click F5 it just brightens my screen:/
Fortunately, @GingerKid 's method saved the day! All i had to do was click the pause button on the top right, and it brings me back to live mode.

Thanks so much for all the replies and i hope everyone that reads this seeking help for the same problem found a solution.

[Gingerkid]

Fortunately, @GingerKid 's method saved the day! All i had to do was click the pause button on the top right, and it brings me back to live mode.

Thanks so much for all the replies and i hope everyone that reads this seeking help for the same problem found a solution.

Glad it worked for you and it wasn't just a fluke. I wasn't sure if it worked or it was just a coincidence that it started working at that point. At least I know now too lol

Happy Sim'ing

[Trip]

@MrsFlynn - I read that somewhere. Unfortunately i have a Dell Laptop, so where the F5 button is, there is also a "brighten screen" option. Every time i click F5 it just brightens my screen:/

Try Fn+F5 instead. My old HP laptop had the same configuration.

I ran into this problem back in August too. I was able to go to Edit Town and save from there, but I had to give up that file since build mode always bugged out that way no matter what I did.

[ResaLock]

I looked this up because I am having this same problem. I tried all the options above. Accept the pause button. It is not showing.
I just spent the last few hours building a magnificant house on a new lot. This is where it occurred. The panel is faded out. ...and nothing.
I tried the fn-F5. I tried clicking on the hand tool and all the other things. I cannot even click on were you have the menu and options and save.
I cannot save my game. DESPERATE!

[Flynn Arrowstarr]

crinrict has a post on the EA Forums that sounds like it could help out. Gives a couple more suggestions to try out in addition to the ones in this thread.

Flynn

[rlpangahas]

This just happened to me and I read here that F5 would get the settings to appear. It is right though I couldnt Save the game in this mode so I played with the F keys lol. Fortunately F3 worked for me. I was able to get all the buttons appear again. Hope this helps.

[sadsim]

I had this happen to me just now. I pressed f3, f2, then f1 and was finally able to save my game! I played a lot with the keyboard buttons XD

[TurdlyPoop]

Pressing the pause button in the top right like GingerKid suggested worked for me!

Just reporting. I was so sad because I'd just built the perfect home for my sims! PHEW! I saved right away once I got it fixed.

[HaileyCrys]

No pause button or control panel at all for me.... F5 brought up a menu but no way to save game from there

F3 brought up the build panel so that I could go to Live Mode.... then was able to save game....

Thanks for the info everyone.