You can get TS2 from EA customer service. Then you can install Origin on a thumb drive, download TS2, and remove Origin forever. You don't need Origin to launch TS2 once it's installed.

Ts2 has cfe as well. I don't remember the details more than that. I have been experimenting with the limits more in 3, so I don't know much about those in 2.

When I download a lot, I may remodel it, but I don't usually renovate- change the lot itself, so the use of CFE isn't really an issue for me. If anything I appreciate all the cool stuff that can be done using it.

When you start a build, do you do the interior or exterior first? Obviously they go hand in hand. I have built lots both ways and I'm not sure which way makes more sense. Does it depend on what you're building?

I always finish the exterior first. And I always end up with some crazy shape and then it is really hard to make the individual rooms :P
I also usually make the whole front first with all the detailing and stuff and when I like the color scheme and all I proceed to finish the rest of the house. I focus on making it "interesting" from every angle. I cant stand having "boxy parts" on houses. I also HATE HATE HATE HATE symmetry:P

Sounds like I have pretty much the same approach (and the same ensuing issues- Hooray for weird-shaped buildings! ) as Crowkeeper, with the exception of hating symmetry. There are definitely cases where it makes a lot look boring and dull, but there are also times when it's entirely appropriate, and in fact NOT using it can make a lot look ill-conceived.

I do the exterior first - I want to get the proportions of the house right (with 'right' just meaning it looks good to me). Then I look inside to see how the rooms might be divided up and I might make changes to the exterior based on that.
I don't try to make an exact copy of a real world house - I use them as inspirations. And I can't do CFE so a lot of real world houses would be impossible for me to make exactly anyway.
(Also I love to renovate EA houses.)

I try to lay down the shape of the foundation first. Sometimes I'll actually put flooring on the ground to map out a house.
So, I'd have to say that I'm probably building the insides and outsides at the same time. (The first floor, anyway.)

If there's to be a basement, I'll place that underneath then I'll put in the stairs.

Then I'll erect walls on that, and CFE the walls to foundation height, remove the "flooring," and the guides for my interior walls, and build upwards.

@tsyokawe In your new upload- Family Victorian, there is a bedroom with bunk beds with black and white pictures of dogs over the desk. How did you do that?

Shout out to Crowkeeper and tsyokawe for new downloads today!

As Rose city I do the interior and exterior together through the building. It all has to follow the same style. The garden usually ends up being taken at last, because I prefer using the same or similar furniture, and again the style has to fit.

I do the landscaping last because it's my favorite part. Though sometimes I do it in the middle of a project if I get "stuck".

I wanna give a heads-up regarding the DBF.

It turns out that if you back out from build mode (up to Edit Town) and save,
the numbers that identify your objects are reset, changed.

I am in the process of making an MTS calendar image. Doing so involves moving many of one particular object up and down.
To help me keep track of the objects, I only placed one at a time.
I found it in the DBF list, and made a note of its last 4 digits/letters.
This way, when I placed the next one, I could look for the number not yet recorded.

I don't need to tell you, but this is tedious as all hell. After an hour of, I took a break. I backed out to Edit Town, and saved. Right?

I just came back. And the objects have all been assigned new numbers. I had to write them all down. (most were in succession, so not as big a deal as maybe I'm whining about.)

I just wanted to let you know. If your project involves scores of one object type. You may not wish to back out and save.

If you find that you need to, expect to re-record the numbers on your objects. :lovestruc

Oh my I am sorry to hear that. I use the DBF thing only when absolutely necessary...I only recently "found out" the option to add the function to all objects in the room which makes it easier to locate objects (by clicking on them)
But it still doesnt work on the objects that are not "clickable" like trees etc. so it is not a big help

I was building a house today and first the game crashed and when I got back and made the changes again it was impossible to save the lot to the bin...so I had to make the changes another timeSo I did the same thing three times:D
Really unlucky day for builders:P

Woah. I'm glad to learn that I can do many objects at once (that are clickable). I can't help but believe that's going to come in handy at some point.

Maybe EA put a spell on us. mwahaha

New topic: I choose to build something because I need it, or something inspires me or intrigues me. If we build only for ourselves, and share only pictures, then we can do whatever we wish. The question I have is: how do you change your build if you are planning to share it? Do you make any adaptations for potential downloaders? I try to limit the EPs and SPs and cc I use. I try to think how play- friendly my build is. I am still new at this, with 4 build uploads to my name. I am trying to find the balance between what suits the build, and what suits downloaders. What are your thoughts?

I find myself torn. Part of me doesn't see the sense in uploading stuff if no one is going to want it.
The whole purpose of uploading is to share. But if I am using EPs or Store Content that others don't have, then I'm not really sharing.

Obviously, there are creations that benefit greatly from EPs. For example, some modern structures need stuff from LN,
most Victorians need stuff from SN, and many of the farm/rural/rustic lots look better with stuff from PETs.

In just the last couple of weeks, I was reminded that most of the downloaders out there want lots with as few EPs as possible.
So from now on, every other upload (one upload in every two) I put up will be as near to basegame as I can get it.
That is, if it isn't actually basegame, it will use objects from only one other EP. I mean, I can't see the point in uploading if I'm not offering something that other people actually want.

My main goal is to have fun. I love building fantasy and crazy houses and I do not limit myself by choosing only specific EPs because it is terrible to filter it all the timeI am not sure If I would be able to make a house with only basegame... I guess it wouldnt be fun at all for me...
For the sake of downloaders I dont use stuff packs, CC(used a roof recolor twice:P) or store content but I almost always use absolutely every EP possibleCC is amazing and I love working with it but only for my "personal use". When I started playing sims I have been working on one house for more then a year. The house was really huge and filled with CC. I thought that I would share it after I finish it but it was so big that it wouldnt even exportAnd that was a moment when I stopped using CC and started to think a bit more about the people who will be downloading it...:D

@tsyokawe You mentioned in another thread about CASting the edge of a floor or wall. I know Don Babilon has a tutorial about improving the textures when you do. I don't know how you get the edges to CASt. I can never seem to "grab" them. Is there a trick I don't know about, or a better angle to reach them?

It's usually easier if you drop the walls all the way. Other than that...I think it's just a matter of practice.
I've been CASting the sides since the first time I saw one light up as I passed over it. It's been a couple of years.
It's hard to remember if it was difficult at first. I guess it must've been. You're not the first poster I've heard from who said they couldn't select the edge of the floor.

I know that grabbing the sides of a ceiling/floor in the stairwell is sometimes bothersome unless I drop the walls.
Then it's right there for the grabbing.

So I guess I'm saying this the long way....drop the walls first. See if it's easier to see and to select the sides then. :lovestruc

I will try dropping the walls to CASt the edges of floors- thanks! Any suggestions for edges of walls- or is that not even possible?

oh, I WISH.
I've gotten to the point that I use the half-walls or fencing instead, because I HATE the tops of those effing walls.

How about using the shelves from generations for the tops of walls?

oooh, Crowkeeper, I will check that out the next time I'm in game.

Great I just wanna add that you will have to use the "DBF" thing to place it to the right height and to "center" it on top of the wall

I don't think it's possible to cast the top of wall, only the floordividers. What I often do is use those garden edges for the top of walls. Some of them can be casted. Using some DBF mod is just a step too far for me. I can even cover them up with plants.

I am considering building a London flat. I like the floor plan for this one, but the exterior, well less so. I can change it, of course. The floor plans are for the first floor, but I don't understand how the second and third floor flats are accessed. Could there be separate entries on other sides of the building? The floor plan seems to imply no interior access to the higher floors.