(Help) Creating Basement without Terraforming

[Josie Nova]

A couple of disclaimers before I get into the issue: I'm a complete noob at building/terrforming and anything of that sort so forgive me if this is a stupid question. I also wasn't sure if this was the correct forum to post this in so please move this if needed.

I live in a sim that doesn't allow terraforming but I've found a house that I'd really like to use that has a basement. The land itself is pretty uneven and on a slope so I'm not sure if I would even be able to make it work down there. I'm okay with using it on a sky platform but I'm not really sure how to make it work like that either with having the house sitting perfectly on the ground/platform but also not having the platform blocking the basement. I'm not sure if I'm explaining this in a way that makes sense so I'll attach some pictures that will hopefully help. I'm also willing to send anyone a TP to come look at it in world if that would help too. 

[Rolig Loon]

Well, let's see....

• Make a sky platform with a hole in it, and then set the basement into the hole. (Use more than one prim for the platform, if necessary)
• Put the house on the ground and build up around the foundation with prims, ground-textured mesh, rocks, shrubbery, a porch, a sauna, a swimming pool, ....
• Move to a parcel that does allow terraforming.
• hmmmm... 

[Alwin Alcott]

use mesh landforms to level around the house, there's no other way to use the basement.

If you use it in the sky, hollow the platform.

as example:

[Bitsy Buccaneer]

Your landlord might be willing to terraform an indentation for your basement if you ask politely.

[Josie Nova]

On 2/17/2020 at 7:44 AM, Bitsy Buccaneer said:

Your landlord might be willing to terraform an indentation for your basement if you ask politely.

Unfortunately I am the landlord. The whole sim (mainland) doesn't allow terraforming.  No way to get around that, I guess. 

[Mollymews]

being new and finding yourself in a position of wanting something more than what comes out of the box is where you decide to learn how to mount stuff in ways that you haven't before

mounting in this case means putting stuff like land formations (rocks, grass, etc) around the house so it appears to be on a hill

is the same as mounting (rezzing and moving) furniture

Edited February 19, 2020 by Mollymews
same as

[Bitsy Buccaneer]

15 hours ago, JosieRotten said:

Unfortunately I am the landlord. The whole sim (mainland) doesn't allow terraforming.  No way to get around that, I guess. 

I didn't know there was mainland which doesn't allow terraforming. (Aside from the Linden Homes regions of course.)

Are you in a prime location somewhere (by water perhaps) that you don't want to move from? Because moving to a different bit of mainland is a way to get around the problem.

Also, could it be that you're at the minimum limit already? Land can only be raised or lowered a certain amount from its baseline, so if you're at the minimum you can only go up. In that case, a work around is to raise a hillock for the house and then make your indentation for the basement.

Just throwing out some ideas in case any help. Good luck.

[MoiraKathleen]

The majority of mainland does allow terraforming (at least within a 4 m - I think -  range up or down from its baseline).  The exceptions that I've come across so far are the Bay City regions, the Shermerville regions, and another old, old planned sub-division region (maybe Brown?) and the Linden Home areas, of course. 

[ChinRey]

2 hours ago, moirakathleen said:

The majority of mainland does allow terraforming (at least within a 4 m - I think -  range up or down from its baseline).  The exceptions that I've come across so far are the Bay City regions, the Shermerville regions, and another old, old planned sub-division region (maybe Brown?) and the Linden Home areas, of course. 

Also Nautilus, Horizons and much of Zindra.

[MoiraKathleen]

45 minutes ago, ChinRey said:

Also Nautilus, Horizons and much of Zindra.

Thanks for the additional info - those all are areas where I haven't owned parcels yet. 

[Josie Nova]

On 2/19/2020 at 12:00 PM, Bitsy Buccaneer said:

I didn't know there was mainland which doesn't allow terraforming. (Aside from the Linden Homes regions of course.)

Are you in a prime location somewhere (by water perhaps) that you don't want to move from? Because moving to a different bit of mainland is a way to get around the problem.

Also, could it be that you're at the minimum limit already? Land can only be raised or lowered a certain amount from its baseline, so if you're at the minimum you can only go up. In that case, a work around is to raise a hillock for the house and then make your indentation for the basement.

Just throwing out some ideas in case any help. Good luck.

Not in a prime location, but it was the only adult mainland plot I could find in that size that wasn't outrageously expensive. When I try to edit the terrain, it will let me select the bulldozer size and strength as well as if I want to flatten, etc, but when I try to actually do it, I get a notification that says "the region Van Tessa does not allow terraforming."  It's the first mainland plot I've had that didn't allow it. Thanks for your suggestions. I'll keep trying and see what I can figure out. 

[MoiraKathleen]

43 minutes ago, JosieRotten said:

"the region Van Tessa does not allow terraforming.

ah.... that's in Zindra, it looks like from the map.  According to ChinRey's comment above, most of Zindra does not allow terraforming. 

(I wasn't aware of that about Zindra, until I saw her comment. That's one area where I haven't owned any land).

[Bitsy Buccaneer]

2 hours ago, JosieRotten said:

Not in a prime location, but it was the only adult mainland plot I could find in that size that wasn't outrageously expensive.

Since collective wisdom is piecing this together.... and this would be on Zindra, said to not allow terraforming.... the next suggestion is if you've looked at the guidelines for Mature rated land. Sometimes people buy land on Zindra when they don't have to because they want to make sure they're within the guidelines. I think most adult activities are allowed on Mature land as long as they're behind closed doors and not advertised.

Which isn't to say that you should move, just adding some information should you decide to relocate.

[Cackle Amore]

Don't know if your still working on it, but your best bet it to just make your own land too

Luckily, a little hill top isn't too hard to make, and you can keep the UV rather simple and just slap on a matching terrain texture to blend in with the region terrain.

As for the mesh hill, just slice out a hole where it tucks in under the house so the basement can hide inside.

 

For example, I made this recently and as you can see, the hill around it is just part of the mesh.

Edited March 6, 2020 by Digit Gears