(Thread and Sandpaper)

On top of our playable floor we need to build a dummy floor. This is what makes the lots stacked below and above appear seamless in the neighborhood view. Build an 8x8 second floor on top of the first. You can also delete the mask tiles, we are done with them.


We only want our dummy floor to be 4 clicks tall. In the open space beside the building make one tile of foundation, put a wall on top. Open the cheat console and type: boolProp constrainFloorElevation false. Create a floor tile above the wall  then drag the floor across your the second floor of the building, like so:


Open the cheat console and type: boolProp constrainFloorElevation true. Delete all the floor tiles you just placed, the wall on the foundation, and the foundation. That's it for this lot, easy right?  It should look like this:

For the residential lot what we really need is a 4x2 lot, but EAxis didn't give us one. Plunk down a 5x2 residential lot. This is important: make sure you place it in the same orientation as your community lot. The road on the same side! Facing the same direction! If you don't do this the shadows won't match up. Name it 0 -1LB -2R. Enter the lot and mask out the tiles we won't be using, that's 10 on the left and back and 20 on the right.


Now place some walls to represent the two 8x8 community lots that will sit underneath:


Alright, close up the space between the two community lots. That 2x8 corridor will be the access to the lot above. After you finish the tutorial and go back to decorate, that's where you will put the stairs/elevator. Also add those 4 little wing to the outside, those are our row house walls. they will give the illusion this lot is connected to the next. If you decide you don't want them, you can take them out even  after you shrink the lot. For the time being just go along with it. You can also delete the mask tiles, we're done with 'em.


Now we have to do a funny thing. We need this wall to be exactly two clicks higher than it is. Using the change elevation tool, move one land tile up two clicks. Place a wall on top.  Open the cheat console and type: boolProp constrainFloorElevation false. Put a tile on top of the wall and drag across your building, just like before. Turn off the cheat: boolProp constrainFloorElevation true. 

*Wait! why did we just do that? Because the lot impostors (the neighborhood versions of your buildings) are proportional to your buildings, but sit slightly too low. If you don't do this, the residential impostor will clip into your active building when you play the community lots. VERY ANNOYING!

[There really should be a second picture here but in my infinite wisdom I forgot to take it, sorry.]

Now for the dummy floor. First delete all those floors you just made and the stray wall. DO NOT lower the elevation on that tile though, you'll need it again. Next build a copy of your first level on the second level.


Place a foundation on that elevated tile over to the side (the one I told you not to level). Put a wall on the foundation. Turn on the floor elevation cheat, place the tile, and drag it across the building.

Turn off the cheat, delete all those floor tiles, the stray wall, and the foundation. Level the little hill you made. Your building should look like the picture below. Now build your building on top. I'm just making the next two floors exactly the same and throwing a cornice fence on top.



Taa daa! I put windows in too. If you try to put any windows/doors on the first level you will notice the mask for them is incorrect, we'll fix that in the next step.  I have continued the row house walls up the sides AND i've put windows in. That gives you the maximum possibilities later. You can delete the row house walls OR the 
windows. I have also continued the cornice out over the row house walls.



To fix the masking problem we need the unleveled wall (you did go get it right?).


Delete the entire dummy layer. replace it with the unleveled wall. You don't need to turn the cheat back on, this is what they are for!


Do the same thing on the bottom level.


Apply door. Apply wall texture. Write down the name of the wall texture you use, unless you think you can just remember it smarty pants.


Time for another strange step. We are going to delete the walls on the first level that are redundant with those of the community lots but are not part of rooms we need for residential lot. Yeah, just copy the picture. Then replace those walls with an invisible fence. Two pictures for clarity.


Now go add the roof. Place tiles between the row house walls. Yes it's okay to put them all the way up to (but not over!) our boundary.


More weirdness! Place a row of floor tiles around the outside edge of your building on each floor that has windows. Just trust me on this one.


Holy Cow! We're done building! It should look like this:


CLOSE YOUR GAME! START THE LOT ADJUSTER!
Navigate to your neighborhood and select the lot named 0 -1RLB.
Hit the advanced button at the bottom. 
Check the box next to Enable Shrinking.
In the main window enter -10 in the boxes next to right, left, & back.
Hit finish. 
Hit restart. 
Open 0 -1LB -2R.
Hit the advanced button at the bottom. 
Check the box next to Enable Shrinking.
Enter -10 in the left and back boxes, -20 in the right box.
Finish.
Close program.

[Should there be a picture here? Yes. Is there? No. Fail!]


LOAD YOUR GAME.
Find your little community lot and enter it. Awwwww so cwute and wittle! Put a roof on (because I forgot before) it needs to be between the first and second floors NOT on top of the second floor.


Use the same walls you used for the residential lot. Go back to the neighborhood screen. Rename the lot some thing useful and put it in your lot bin.


To the residential lot! That looks more or less how I remember it... hey, wait.... weren't there some windows on the side there? 


Oh, there they are. Inside. Which is a great place for windows. The lot adjuster sometimes moves objects that are on the edge of the lot back one space. Normally you wouldn't be able to put them back in place (at least not facing outwards), but remember that last weird thing we did? We put all those tiles around the outside of the building? Those will let us move them back into place.
*They also will let you put paintings/signs on the outside wall. As long as the tiles are there, the game will 'see' those spaces. When you delete them you will no longer be able to place things outside the building on the upper floors. You have been warned!!!!


When you've put the windows back you can delete those perimeter tiles. This is what you should have:


To the neighborhood view! Pull two copies of the community lot out of your bin. Arrange them and your residential lot like so:


Rename residential lot 0 M2L
*Thats move 2 left, but you guessed that.


CLOSE YOUR GAME! START THE LOT ADJUSTER!
Navigate and open 0 M2L.
Hit advanced.
Check the box next to Move Lot.
Hit the left arrow 2 times.
Hit Finish.


You are DONE.


Well, you still need to decorate. You could also add a second copy next to it, or go in and just delete the row house walls. SO MANY POSSIBILITIES! Here's an example of a similar set of buildings. 2 residential lots, 4 community lots.


The community lot can be more than one story! 2 residential and 2 community, next to 1 residential and 1 community.


You don't just have to build boxes! 3 residential, 4 community.


Its a whole urban enclave! 19 residential, 21 community. It's enough apartments for 46 families plus one building is a dorm that sleeps 8.