Do we have a basic Edit Town walkthrough or guide anywhere on the site?

[SimPoseyYum]

Even though I've been playing for a few months, I'm just now beginning to explore the features offered in Edit Town.  It's not as intuitive as I would have hoped.  I'm muddling through, I think, but I have tons of questions about things that are probably fairly basic.  Do we have a basic, step-by-step walkthrough for first-time users of Edit Town?  An "Edit Town for Dummies?" or "Edit Town 101"?

I've been searching and researching and have found a lot of information but it's scattered all over the place and often assumes a bit of prior knowledge.  Am I just not looking in the right place for the consolidated version?

[kiko94]

I don't think there is such thing, if you have questions ask theme here I will be glad to help you with them, I have been using Edit Town for some time now

[SimPoseyYum]

That's very kind of you, Kiko!  Thank you!

I just took a peek at your shaped swimming pools guide.  You're quite creative! 

I've been trying to teach myself via a methodical, step-by-step process.  I'm making a lot of notes.  I've got pages and pages now.  I *think* I'm beginning to understand, and get a handle on, these very powerful tools.  I'm to the point where I can even come up with intelligent questions!  Well, I hope they're intelligent!

Anyway, here we go:

1)  According to what I've seen, both in practice and in research, there's no way to smooth out terrain that is not on a lot.  Is that correct?  So, I cannot smooth out some of the hills in Twinbrook so I can place lots on them?

2)  Is there any way to put roads in?  I've been able to place some lots out in the wilderness but there are no access roads.  I'd love to put in roads, the way one can in Sim City.

3)  I understand that I need to designate a zoning type for lots.  I'm not sure why or when I'd use Visitors Allowed (or No Visitors Allowed) as a lot type.  When are those applicable?

That's it for the moment.  I'm sure there will be more, but I'll try my best to answer them on my own so I don't become a pest.  Thanks!

[mtglady]

1)  According to what I've seen, both in practice and in research, there's no way to smooth out terrain that is not on a lot.  Is that correct?  So, I cannot smooth out some of the hills in Twinbrook so I can place lots on them?

2)  Is there any way to put roads in?  I've been able to place some lots out in the wilderness but there are no access roads.  I'd love to put in roads, the way one can in Sim City.

3)  I understand that I need to designate a zoning type for lots.  I'm not sure why or when I'd use Visitors Allowed (or No Visitors Allowed) as a lot type.  When are those applicable?

I'm not Kike but perhaps I can help you.

1)  Sorry, but no.  You can load SF and RV into CAW and smooth out the hills that way, but those are the only towns that I know you can do this way. 
You can try just placing the largest lots over the hills and try to smooth things that way but I think it would be almost impossible.  Another idea is to place the largest lot and smooth all around the edges leaving a flat spot in the middle or wherever it looks the best.  Then you can bulldoze that lot and place another smaller lot in the flattest area.  I tried this a few times and only had two lots that looked natural. 
 
2)  No, there is no way to put roads in by using Edit Town.  Only SF and RV can have roads added to , and then only through CAW.

3)  'Visitors allowed' means that ALL Sims will route to that lot and 'No Visitors allowed' stops NPC Sims from routing to the lot in question unless invited.  Sims under your control could visit though.  So if you want a "decorative" community lot, "No Visitors allowed' would be the best choice. 
When creating community lots for the Rabbitholes (Spa, Bistro, Market etc.) the rabbithole marker will override your choice, so you can set the blank lot as either 'Visitors allowed' or 'No Visitors'.  The other community lots assignments will also override however you designated them.

Hope that I explained these questions for you.

[kiko94]

Well mtglady explained very well , I have nothing to add ^^

[TheChronicR]

In addition to what Mt said, there are some areas in the town that are simply unroutable. For example, the western area of Sunset Valley. You'd think it's the perfect place to place those big lots in World Editor. Wrong. You simply can't place any lots there, not to speak of moving Sims in. From my experience, the town with most free space is Twinbrook, next come Barnacle Bay and Riverview, respectively. Don't hold your hopes too high for Bridgeport, both it and Sunset Valley are "packed". Hope that helped.

[SimPoseyYum]

Thank you, Mtglady!  What a shame about the terrain smoothing and roads.  I placed the 64x64 in a fairly level spot out in the wilderness of Twinbrook but felt guilty that there was no access to it.  Bulldozed.   I placed a different lot (I think 50x50) on a road on a hill but when I performed a "level lot" action, it raised the entire lot up to the highest point.  It ended up about 3 stories above street level with no way up or down.  Bulldozed.  Hehe oh, the power of the bull!

With regard to CAW, I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet.  Perhaps after I've had some time to settle in with Edit Town, I'll get brave enough to allow the CAW bug bite me.  Especially if I still have a hankering to add roads and smooth terrain .  Right now, I don't have any downloaded content at all (no Riverview, Barnacle Bay) so I'm reluctant to even attempt downloading an editing tool.  By the way, did you mean SV (instead of SF)?  I'm not sure what SF is.

I *think* I understand Visitors vs No Visitors now but still not sure when or if I'd ever use it.  Do many people use that designation?

Kiko, thank you, too, for echoing Mtglagy's answers.

Chronic, thanks for the extra info.  So sad that there is empty space that can't be used, but I guess that's just the way it is.  Thanks for letting me know, though, so i don't tear my hair out wondering "why, oh why can't I do this -- what am I doing wrong???".

Again, thanks, all, for the help and guidance!

[TheChronicR]

You're welcome. I do believe Mt meant SV instead of SF as the letters "v" and "f" are very near on most keyboards, must have been a typo.

Regarding your question, I hardly ever use No Visitors Allowed, but it's sometimes good for abandoned junkyards, for they will look really abandoned in this case. Or a house you build for your Sims to be used in future but don't want the game to let NPCs inhabit it.

[CSquared2]

No Visitors Allowed can also be useful if you want a lot for your active family to visit, but not others.  You could make an entire park next door to your Sims' home, designate it as No Visitors Allowed and treat it as a sort of private park, even though they don't really own it.

[SimPoseyYum]

Ooo CSquared, in other words, I could *cough*expand*cough* my property by making a garden or personal fishing spot without actually using my lot!  Hmmmm this has possibilities!

[TheChronicR]

Ooo CSquared, in other words, I could *cough*expand*cough* my property by making a garden or personal fishing spot without actually using my lot!  Hmmmm this has possibilities!

But always keep in mind that you can't plant plants on a community lot.

[SimPoseyYum]

But always keep in mind that you can't plant plants on a community lot.

Oh, right.  Pesky little rules.  The only alternative then would be to cheat and place harvestable plants in the community lot.  Not that I'm advocating that, of course .

[mtglady]

You're welcome. I do believe Mt meant SV instead of SF as the letters "v" and "f" are very near on most keyboards, must have been a typo.

Good catch Chronic.  I cut my fingernails back yesterday and I can't type accurately without them.  I am going to have to keep telling myself to slow down and be careful until my nails grow back again . 

[MarianT]

Even though you don't have access roads, your Sims will run across the grass to go to buildings you've placed. It's not like Sims 2 where you had to have a road.

[SimPoseyYum]

Good catch Chronic.  I cut my fingernails back yesterday and I can't type accurately without them.  I am going to have to keep telling myself to slow down and be careful until my nails grow back again . 

We're the opposite, mtglady!  I can't type *with* them!  For me, a marked increase in typos indicates it's filing time .