Now what? Terrain can't be leveled. And it's already flat.

[clem]

Well, as I say. I'm trying to build a Legacy manse, and I have this one spot right in the middle of the damned lot that I can't build a foundation on. It's as flat as a mid-Ohio farm. I've already tried dipping the area and then leveling it again, and that just made things worse. Any ideas about what's going on here? 

I've attached a JPEG if you want to see exactly what's happening.

EDIT: Just wanted to add that I don't think it's a stuck kicky bag--I sent one of the sims over to explore the area, and he got around just fine.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[LK]

I've had this happen before.  Try to start building the foundation on the far edge of the foundation that already exists (instead of only selecting the gap).

[clem]

I should've mentioned that that's how I started, from the edge and over, and the whole thing turned red when I hit this spot. I've taken the picture to show the boundaries of the weirdness.

UPDATE: I think my official motto for this game is WTF?? I put down floor tiles in the space and voila, the foundation allowed itself to be put in.

[LK]

Oh.  Huh.  Then I have no idea.  As if I really had one to begin with.

[Brynne]

I agree. WTF.I just had that problem the other day. Drove me nuts. I finally had to forget the idea of adding a second story to my guest house because the damn terrain couldn't be leveled on about 6 tiles smack dab in the middle and I couldn't build a foundation large enough to accommodate a staircase. Guess I'll go add some floor tiles and see if that helps.

[LK]

Maybe an invisible object?*  Use moveobjects on and just click randomly.

*From THAT Sim in the invisible house?

[ZephyrZodiac]

It's like sometimes when you try to remove a swimming pool, the pool just doesn't want to go!

[baratron]

This is complete & utter guesswork, I know nothing about the TS2 code (except that it's buggy, we all know that). I suspect that the reason the foundation-building tool won't work is because it "asks" another part of the game whether the ground is flat, and sometimes the information gets misreported. So you end up in a situation where you can't level the terrain because the terrain tool thinks it's flat, but you can't lay down foundation because the foundation tool thinks it's not flat.

I'm guessing that the reason floor tiles work to correct the problem is because floor tiles also require the ground to be flat. Maybe they "ask" a different part of the game/variable whether the ground is flat, and this other variable doesn't misreport? Or maybe having a second tool ask in close succession is enough to make Build Mode check that the ground really is/isn't flat?

I wouldn't be surprised with what I know of Maxis code that the information about flatness of terrain could be stored in 3 or 4 separate variables which don't talk to each other and don't all get updated at the same time .

If you have problems like this in the future, try what you did - try using other tools which also require the ground to be flat and see whether any of them will believe that it really is.

[SickPuppy]

Try control+foundation tool(same as the delete foundation function) and drag to desired size, then release the mouse and control key and left click. If it doesn't work the 1st time try dragging from a different spot. This has worked for me in almost every instance...I've never seen it listed anywhere, but it's just a variation of a swimming pool trick I saw at MTS.

[MsMaria]

I've had this same problem on 2 different houses. Never thought to question why. Just another glitch to deal with.

[Bane~Child]

Well, as I say. I'm trying to build a Legacy manse, and I have this one spot right in the middle of the damned lot that I can't build a foundation on. It's as flat as a mid-Ohio farm. I've already tried dipping the area and then leveling it again, and that just made things worse. Any ideas about what's going on here? 

I've attached a JPEG if you want to see exactly what's happening.

EDIT: Just wanted to add that I don't think it's a stuck kicky bag--I sent one of the sims over to explore the area, and he got around just fine.

Sometimes if you start from another corner it will work. However what I found is that you have to take it all the way down to the ground level to fill in the spaces.  With each section you add the view will, by default, return to the foundation's first floor level, so you have to take it back down again to add the remaining sections, assuming they are not in adjoining areas.

Also, in other cases, you cannot put a foundation block within one square of any other objects, including the 1-tile space reserved at the bottom of the modular stairs.  Everything has to be moved away from the construction site and then the level taken to the ground before you can fill in the empty spaces.  Also remember that you do not have to have a solid floor- only an outline of blocks to support the outer walls.  The inner walls need only a floor covering for every 9 sqaure blocks or so.  On occasion you will have to place a column temporarily out in a large open area just until the floor is laid, then you can delete/sell back the column.

It is also possible to put fence material along side of a foundation and to line a basement with sheetrock/wallboard material, but this is a bit trickier.