How do I modify an existing apartment building?

[mhbuck21]

This is driving me crazy, one family that's living on the penthouse keeps using furniture (tables and chairs) located on the first floor. So they're reading the paper, I cancel the action, and the table or end table they choose to put the paper on is (you guessed it!) on the first floor! And this action will not let itself be cancelled. The sim will walk all the way down to the first floor and I'm pulling my hair out!
So I'm not looking to modify anything inside the apartments but the common area with sofas, dining room, exercise machines, etc. I tried entering from the (build) neighborhood view, but it won't let me. The only choice it gave me was to choose a family to play.
Is there anything I can try, that won't involve moving this family out and back in? I'd like to keep the neighbors provided (there's romance in the air... )
Thanks in advance,
Mari

[SenkoTwiik]

If you want to modify an apartment building through build mode that already exists, I have been told it is best to move all of your families out first. Then enter the lot and press Ctrl+Alt+C to open the typing tab at the top of the screen.

Type: changeLotZoning residential

Save your game and leave the lot.
Once back in Neighborhood mode, enter the same lot again and modify it in any way that you want, then bring up the typing tab again.

Type: changeLotZoning apartmentbase

Then save and exit again. Your lot should now be an apartment building, altered the way you want it.


But if you just want to move tables and stuff around, just use build mode.

[mhbuck21]

Ok... I guess it's moving time then. They should be in a house anyway, the family just grew and they don't fit in the apartment anymore.
I tried with empty apartment buildings and I could go in and rearrange all I wanted so I'll just do that with this one too...
Thanks so much.
Mari

[rosesforme17]

There is a cheat to let you use all the build mode tools without having them move out.


boolprop aptsublotspecifictoolsdisabled [false/true]  (for occupied apartment lots)


boolprop aptbaselotspecifictoolsdisabled [false/true]  (for unoccupied apartment lots)

[SenkoTwiik]

I have been told by other Simmers on this site that the aptsublotspecific cheat causes a lot of problems and crashes with the lot it is used on. I used it before and it really screwed up my lot. I wouldn't advise using it. Moving the sims out is more of a pain in the butt, but it is safer.

[rosesforme17]

I haven't had any problems using that cheat and I didn't know of any problems with it. I would much rather use this cheat than go through all the trouble of moving the sim out, go in to lot, change the zoning, go to neighborhood, go back in to lot, make changes, change the zoning, go back to neighborhood, go back in to check lot is still okay, go back to neighborhood, move family in. Way too much trouble just to change a few things. I'll stick with the cheat. Whether or not anybody chooses to try the cheat, it was a suggestion as I have found it so much easier.

[Chaavik]

I usually make a copy of the original apartment building if I liked the style and color scheme for it. Then I go in and edit the apartment lot to the way I like how it looked and fix certain things like adding lights to the outdoor area, removing things that aren't needed from the common area and whatnot.

Then I move in a test family to check for any problems and move them out when I'm satisfied with the remodeling job. I then save a copy of the newly modified apartment lot.

Many of these apartment lots made by Eaxis are nice but they're not efficient when Sims can't get to an object or get into their own apartments because the pathing is either blocked or broken.

It's easier to convert the apartment lot into a residential lot first and then with all of the tools available, you can do your remodeling to your heart's content. Before you leave the lot, turn it back into an apartment lot and save.

[mhbuck21]

Thank you for all your replies. I'd already gone and moved the family out, to make all the adjustments I wanted, so I did not get to try the cheat. But I didn't even need changeLotZoning since it let me go into build mode from neighborhood view right after it was empty... Is that normal?
I haven't tried the apt lot again since the changes, should I be doing something different?
 
Mari