Homestead - placing books in shelves

Sigtric · February 2017

I find placing books into bookcases horribly frustrating and difficult when the intent is to keep the book readable.

Basically when you place a book in a bookcase shelf, if the book touches the shelf in anyway you can no longer interact with the book to read it.

Very tedious and careful placement allows it to work if you leave the spine of the book hanging off the shelf some ways, but if you screw up the placement of ONE book you can no longer select it to move it, and you have to use the retrieve function, which is only viable if you remember exactly which book it was.

Or, remove the shelf, move the books and start all over again

runagate · February 2017

You definitely have to activate the push/pull via mousewheel to make it even remotely viable. I don't recall which button activates it but it's on the bottom menu bar in the Housing Editor.

Sigtric · February 2017

Yeah, it's the only way to move it in as precisely as needed but even then if a single part of the book touches the shelf it seems to break it.

Nestor · February 2017

You can put books on the 'Shelves?

Hmm, maybe just read them from the Eidectic Memory, as this sounds way to tedious to do lining things up just so. Then again, I can't place a shrubbery without it blocking something else or floating off of the ground.

Maybe I should just pile a bunch of stuff and pay someone to decorate.....

Sigtric · February 2017

Yeah, eidetic memory works for me but not for anyone browsing my memory for those volumes, it makes the fact that they are readable pointless, unless you just pile the books up on the floor. It's the only way I've been able to reliably interact with them

TheShadowScout · February 2017

Yeah, noticed the thing too... you can either place the books neatly but unreadable, or keep them readable and then things look "meh"...

Makes me wish you could actually put them -in- the bookcases, containter style, instead of placing them as individual objects.
Like... a bookcase has some slots depending on size, and a "content" option, you put the books into the content, or other bookcase-able objects (skulls, scrolls, potion bottles) and the system fills the available slots with the objects you put in (some may take more then one slot - like a skull might take two book slots, etc.). And then you can move the -filled- bookcase as -one- object in your home...

LordGavus · February 2017

TheShadowScout wrote: »

Yeah, noticed the thing too... you can either place the books neatly but unreadable, or keep them readable and then things look "meh"...

Makes me wish you could actually put them -in- the bookcases, containter style, instead of placing them as individual objects.
Like... a bookcase has some slots depending on size, and a "content" option, you put the books into the content, or other bookcase-able objects (skulls, scrolls, potion bottles) and the system fills the available slots with the objects you put in (some may take more then one slot - like a skull might take two book slots, etc.). And then you can move the -filled- bookcase as -one- object in your home...

This would be perfect. Hopefully they can change it to work like this.

Sigtric · February 2017

TheShadowScout wrote: »

Yeah, noticed the thing too... you can either place the books neatly but unreadable, or keep them readable and then things look "meh"...

Makes me wish you could actually put them -in- the bookcases, containter style, instead of placing them as individual objects.
Like... a bookcase has some slots depending on size, and a "content" option, you put the books into the content, or other bookcase-able objects (skulls, scrolls, potion bottles) and the system fills the available slots with the objects you put in (some may take more then one slot - like a skull might take two book slots, etc.). And then you can move the -filled- bookcase as -one- object in your home...

I like this idea, it's similar to what I've been thinking would be nice

Sigtric · February 2017

@ZOS_MandiParker @ZOS_PhilipDraven apologies for trying to summon, but any tips/tricks/words of advice or information on making this easier in the future?

sumisu1 · February 2017

What really grinds my gears is when I get stuck inside a bookshelf after stabbing an npc who was standing next to the bookshelf.

Loves_guars · February 2017

*Sigh* I'm glad I'm not the only one, it's driving me mad! >:[

First I noticed that the books I bought don't fit in a vertical position in my breton bookshelves!

Then the problem that it's impossible to place them in a way to make them readable

(and btw 5000 gold for 10 books that actually I already have?

)

Shimmer · February 2017

Yes its been bugging me too....

Wolfenbelle · February 2017

@Sigtric, placing any small object into a larger object like a bookshelf causes the editor to no longer recognize the small thing as a separate object. When placing a vase on a bookshelf, I wound up moving the bookshelf out of the way, then using a plank like a rough rule to place the vase approximately where I wanted it. Then I moved the bookshelf back. Took about three tries before I got both objects where I wanted them.

The object selection tool appears to be too imprecise to enable what you want to do, unfortunately.

Nestor wrote: »

You can put books on the 'Shelves?

Hmm, maybe just read them from the Eidectic Memory, as this sounds way to tedious to do lining things up just so. Then again, I can't place a shrubbery without it blocking something else or floating off of the ground.

Maybe I should just pile a bunch of stuff and pay someone to decorate.....

Lol, @Nestor, I'd decorate for you for free. Seriously. If you want help, just call on me in game. Wolfenbelle, PC NA, eastern US time zone. I was a really good builder in the virtual world, Second Life, where they have very robust building tools. So I find the tools here in ESO extremely primitive and limiting. Still, some techniques I learned in SL are helpful in ESO. Here's a pic of a scale model of the famous Guggenheim Museum in New York City that I built from scratch in SL. What we are limited to in ESO is so basic, it's sad.

Hjelmerina · February 2017

If you think ESO housing is sad, try BDO's attempt at it. You'd praise how good ESO is, like I do.

I'm not saying it doesn't have any problems and I've had the same situation of being overly frustated by trying to put a single piece to its place unsuccesfully. Then I remember at the end of the day, I still can put the damn book or candle or whatever I want exactly where I want (as long as I try hard enough lol). And that makes me happy.

Can't wait for more updates to it though!

Imryll · February 2017

I've given up trying to place a tapestry on the floor of my room in Mara's Kiss. Maybe if I removed the bed and then tried to place it, things would go better, but given how long it took me to place the bed, I think I'd rather my characters went carpetless.

Brightuatha · February 2017

Remember, housing is new, I'm sure there'll be improvements, I'm happy to have it.

Osteos · February 2017

I made a topic about this on the pts when it first launched. The only bookshelf I was able to put books in that were still interactable was the Orc bookshelf.

I haven't found this furnishing plan yet live to see if it still works.

Quigster · April 2017

Small necro, here. Just trying to update. Still seems as though this is not functioning very well. Nearly impossible to place books onto / into bookshelves. Placing onto tables are fine, and I will do that for the time being. But addressing this would be nice so I can accomplish my goal of creating a personal library in my home. Also, the entire Mages Guild Reprint takes almost 300 decorating slots. Makes a nice library, but sure uses a lot of decorating slots. My large home with ESO+ allows 600 total decorating slots. Basically 50% used up by library contents seems odd. Not sure this was thought out too well.

Vanthras79 · April 2017

Sigtric wrote: »

I find placing books into bookcases horribly frustrating and difficult when the intent is to keep the book readable.

Basically when you place a book in a bookcase shelf, if the book touches the shelf in anyway you can no longer interact with the book to read it.

Very tedious and careful placement allows it to work if you leave the spine of the book hanging off the shelf some ways, but if you screw up the placement of ONE book you can no longer select it to move it, and you have to use the retrieve function, which is only viable if you remember exactly which book it was.

Or, remove the shelf, move the books and start all over again

I agree with this. I wish the book shelves were like the ones in ES V, where they would place the book on the shelves when you stored the book in them. Oh look there I did it, I mentioned storage with player housing.

Vanthras79 · April 2017

Sigtric wrote: »

@ZOS_MandiParker @ZOS_PhilipDraven apologies for trying to summon, but any tips/tricks/words of advice or information on making this easier in the future?

I agree lets summon those devs. @ZOS_MandiParker and @ZOS_PhilipDraven

Sigtric · April 2017

Quigster wrote: »

Small necro, here. Just trying to update. Still seems as though this is not functioning very well. Nearly impossible to place books onto / into bookshelves. Placing onto tables are fine, and I will do that for the time being. But addressing this would be nice so I can accomplish my goal of creating a personal library in my home. Also, the entire Mages Guild Reprint takes almost 300 decorating slots. Makes a nice library, but sure uses a lot of decorating slots. My large home with ESO+ allows 600 total decorating slots. Basically 50% used up by library contents seems odd. Not sure this was thought out too well.

Yeah, nothing at all has changed regarding this. I've given up for now

nimander99 · April 2017

I was literally just griping about this in guild chat last night, whats the point of an empty bookshelf if you cant read the book you place in it?!?

This really needs to be fixed.

@ZOS_GinaBruno @ZOS_JessicaFolsom

Has this been brought to the attention of the Housing Team? Is this working as intended?

ZOS_MandiParker · May 2017

Hey folks!

We are revising some of the collision in bookcases so it’s easier to place books (or small knick-knacks like skulls or human hearts) on shelves. The collision revision also improves your ability to interact with items placed on these shelves, so reading books on shelves will also be much easier.

Here are some that have been adjusted with Morrowind, which will affect all currently placed bookcases in the base game when Morrowind is Live:

Breton Bookcase, Knotwork
Breton Bookcase, Tall
Dark Elf Bookcase, Sectioned
High Elf Bookcase, Verdant
High Elf Bookcase, Winged
Imperial Bookcase, Scrollwork
Imperial Bookcase, Swirled
Khajiit Bookcase, Arched
Nord Bookcase, Alcove
Redguard Bookcase, Arched

We are continuing to evaluate & revise collision for other bookcases, too. Please feel free to /bug or add call out other bookcases to this thread though, and we’ll make sure they’re ones that we’ve already identified and started working on internally. Any modifications on other bookcases not listed above will come in updates after Morrowind, but this is something that's on our radar.

Osteos · May 2017

Thank you!

Sigtric · May 2017

@ZOS_MandiParker thank you so much!

MissBizz · May 2017

Sigtric wrote: »

ZOS_MandiParker thank you so much!

lol I thought you fixed all yours already @Sigtric

Sigtric · May 2017

No i gave up @MissBizz

All my books are on the floor

Galwylin · May 2017

I can't even put a quill in an inkwell. You guys much more patience than I.

nimander99 · May 2017

TY! @ZOS_MandiParker ! You guys have done an impressive job with housing. It is completely up to par with the single player games Housing, which is impressive considering this is an MMO.

I know Housing is going to keep getting better and better with time.

nimander99 · May 2017

Galwylin wrote: »

I can't even put a quill in an inkwell. You guys much more patience than I.

@Galwylin it gets easier the more you practice with it. Have a Hot Key set to Zoom in and out of 1st and 3rd person while placing items, use the "Turn off collision" key liberally, you will get the knack for it, trust me. Just takes practice.

Coincidentally it was placing the quill in the inkwell that got me good at placing stuff.

Earrindo · May 2017

On a similar note, can we please have books default to vertical, instead of horizontal? If bookcases are going to get fixed, that means I will have to re-place all my books, and it took hours to get them square and vertical, thanks in large part to the perspective base pitch and roll system >.<

in case that is unclear, its why when you pitch and roll stuff, it often goes off in weird directions; the direction it pitches and rolls is based on where your character is/is looking, as opposed to anchored to the object itself.

Most of the time this is not a big deal, but for books, where nice, aligned, vertical placement is important, it becomes a nightmare. Certain books are event askew by default! which makes it doubly difficult (I'm looking at you, books with the Oblivion "O" on the cover!)

anyway, somewhat tangential but relevant in the discussion of books and housing.