For those of you who have built freestanding homes

StabbityDoom

This will be my first freestanding home, and I'd like to ask you how you went about doing it. Did you sketch it out or did you just start throwing up walls and stuff?
Any advice?
I will be using Alinor building materials.

angelncelestine

So far I have completed 2, and working on a 3rd. I haven't built anything immaculate though. I tend to build smaller so that i have plenty of slots to decorate. I pretty much look for my ideal place on a property and go from there. No sketching, just start building. At my villa i used alinor materials. If you ever wanna check it out let me know.

StabbityDoom

angelncelestine wrote: »

So far I have completed 2, and working on a 3rd. I haven't built anything immaculate though. I tend to build smaller so that i have plenty of slots to decorate. I pretty much look for my ideal place on a property and go from there. No sketching, just start building. At my villa i used alinor materials. If you ever wanna check it out let me know.

Some people are just darn impressive. I'm using EHT to make my floors and walls right because I have arthritis and nothing will line up properly. Trying to start with something over the top, of course, because i'm an idiot.

Sharalei

Hey Stabby!

This is my system, and I'm certain there are better ways to get it done, but it works for me.

I start from the bottom and work upward. Laying the bottom floor with the help of EHT of course.
Then I place a couple of walls up, just so that I know what height to make subsequent floors of the build.

For subsequent floors, I build on ground level, then lift the entire slab up with EHT into place. Once the floors are in, the walls go up.

Roof goes on last. I build the roof by laying it out flat on the floor, then lifting it into place with EHT.

Then I stand back and check that the entire build is lined up with the land in the way I like. It's easiest to change things at this stage, as you can grab the entire build with EHT and manipulate it around.

Then add stuff.

sueblue

First, not sure why I thought your user name and ShabbityDoom before now. (Figured it out. But the answer reveals my age).

Second, I always have graph paper or a sketch pad in front of me when working on the layout of a house. With the strange dimensions of Alinor structures, though, it is a test in-game, sketch, ponder, trial, error, and creative thinking situation.

Sometimes it's perfect the first time. Just make sure your concept is flexible enough to adapt to limitations.

Can't wait to see what you dream up!

bayushi2005

@StabbityDoom

Imagine it first. As detailed as possible. I do it like painting, bit of this, a bit of that to match previous "this" and slowly fill up the canvas. Stare a lot at where you want to build and try to imagine it. Is it tall? Does it shine in the sun? How many windows?

And you are no idiot, just bold. Like me

kaisernick

These are images of a design i did for a mini Telvani tower for my amaya lake lodge.
Its the first time i did a freestanding home (of sorts) and i used one of the massive mushrooms in the home to build around to make a necromancer tower.
Sometimes i think seeing others can get your creative mind flowing as that what happend with me my friend makes some amazing free standing homes/buildings and thats what got me to make this.

Chryseia

Stabby, for what it is worth, I always imagine the structure first, then use graph paper to work out the kinks of how things will actually lay out to make sure there is enough space for everything - it is really helpful to mark the width of the walls in this stage, because they do take up space and that can affect things. Then I pick an item in game that is square in shape to be the "relative" size of a single grid from my graph paper design (for example, when I did my Grotto, 4 graph paper grids = 1 alinor floor timeworn - but any square decor will work). I then lay out a "grid" using my square decor item, so I can judge the relative placement from my graph paper design. I find this system to be very helpful in getting the basic layout organized and laid out, however, sometimes things will not translate perfectly, so it is important to be flexible as well. That being said, I have always found great value in having a plan and a relative size guide, and even when I have to change something about the build, it tends to come out far more organized and thoughtful than if I had just built organically without a plan or a relative size reference.

StabbityDoom

Yeah Chrys, when you mentioned that graph paper thing I went and found a graph paper site (and then of course that had a zillion options and I was overwhelmed). I made my first floor using that method, but now i wanted to make something round as the second floor and I'm having trouble finding a platform that's round (other than the glowing disks)

Zypheran

I have made many homes and here is a few things I've found;
- a central reference line is very helpful. I usually start every build by laying down a straight line of planks down the centre of the area I'm building in
- decide what functions you want from rooms or areas. For me, that's typically a central living area, a kitchen and dining area, a bedroom and a study.
- A frame can be extremely useful. Something like the Elsweyr Bridge platform can be used either singularly or in a U-shape to create a central frame from which to hang your build.
- Use blocks to help you allign things (especially if not using add-ons) I turn the Alinor tombstone thing upside down and use this like a set-square to align walls and ceilings etc.
This video might help or give you some ideas. It's a quick and easy build using the Elsweyr Bridge platform for a frame

Chryseia

@StabbityDoom try using physical graph paper? No options there whatsoever to get overwhelmed with, and honestly, sometimes scratching things out on paper, making something tangible, is an easier way to translate what is in your head.

Also re circular platforms: you can always try an octogon as well! Assuming it doesn't sacrifice your vision ofc.

TheImperfect

I've never tried the housing tools because I worry about it glitching but I wished I'd tried it building my structure because lining things up is extremely difficult and if you get one little thing out of alignment it throws everything else off.

If it wasn't so much work I'd start over because the end result would be a lot more satisfying. As it is my structure looks like cowboy builders have been in.

StabbityDoom

mrsrobot wrote: »

I've never tried the housing tools because I worry about it glitching but I wished I'd tried it building my structure because lining things up is extremely difficult and if you get one little thing out of alignment it throws everything else off.

If it wasn't so much work I'd start over because the end result would be a lot more satisfying. As it is my structure looks like cowboy builders have been in.

You always build it better the second time around, tho

StabbityDoom

I'm scrapping this and all other projects for now, thanks for the advice, I appreciate it, and especially you @bayushi2005 for reaching out to me privately.

You are all great people.

sueblue

Physical graph paper is the way to go. Like I said, I always have it in front of me.

StabbityDoom

@bayushi2005 thanks for reaching out to me. You inspired me to try again, and ignore the haters. You also inspired me with your pariah's build, so i'm building something (completely different) in that space too. Thank you. I'm excited to show you it when it's done! AND IT HAS LOTS OF EHT FX! Ha!

bayushi2005

I knew you gonna like the song xD
Omg if I'm to login into NA you will see my poor lvl 4 Khajiit with a meaningful name Summerset Helper xD