If you?ve ever looked up mods for The Sims 4, you have probably come across TwistedMexi’s Take Objects Off Lot (T.O.O.L) mod. For builders, it’s a must-have, but this mod can add value to anyone’s game.
As you might have guessed from the name, the mod allows you make changes beyond the boundaries of your lot. Obviously, that’s not all it does (seriously, every day you learn something new), but that is what the mod is best known for.
The thing that makes the T.O.O.L mod so powerful is that the objects placed off lot are functional. This can fundamentally change not just how the worlds look, but also how you play your game.
We have already done a very basic tutorial for T.O.O.L, and while this is slightly more advanced, it’s not overly complicated and even players who are not overly familiar with build/buy will be able to edit Sims 4 apartments after a bit of practice.
Using the T.O.O.L mod to change apartments
Apartments in The Sims 4 have been a bone of contention ever since the release of the City Living expansion pack. The buildings are extremely restrictive and despite some promise that some of that might change ahead of the Eco Lifestyle expansion, it was not to be.
While The Sims 4 planned to roll out the ability to edit a balcony in one of the new apartments that came with the Eco Lifestyle expansion, it was not part of the final release.
With the T.O.O.L mod, however, it is not just possible to edit the balconies in Evergreen Harbor, but you can also change the windows and door on apartments in this neighbourhood and in City Living’s San Myshuno.
You can also make the entry ways of the San Myshuno apartments look a little less drab. You can also change the exterior to look a bit more lived in.
If you are new to using mods in The Sims 4, all of this might scare you a little, but you do not need to be. Obviously, always make a back up of your save files and your game and remember that you use mods at your own risk.
The T.O.O.L mod is widely used and TwistedMexi is super helpful and quick to fix any issues that crop up with game patches.
Adding some life to San Myshuno apartments with the T.O.O.L mod
While we highly recommend that you watch the full T.O.O.L mod tutorial by TwistedMexi himself, we hope our tutorial on how to change doors, windows and the exterior of apartments in The Sims 4 helps you take your game to the next level.
We are not going to cover how to actually install the mod here, though, and we?ll assume that you are comfortable with using mods and custom content. If not, start by watching TwistedMexi’s tutorial.
We are also going to assume that you are familiar with the basics of using the mod. If not, our basic T.O.O.L tutorial might be useful. It covers how to toggle objects on, select them and move them. And that you need to be in live mode to move objects after placing them in build/buy.
Let’s start with one of the easier things: changing the hallways in the apartments that came with City Living. All these tutorials will include a short video to help you get the hang of stuff.
- Start by placing the objects you want to move into the passageway way in your Sim’s apartment.
- In live mode, select any items you want to remove from the passageway with the T.O.O.L mod and place them in your Sim’s apartment so you can delete them later.
- Now, move all the objects you chose into the passageway. It is as simple as click and place thanks to the Toggle Object option on the mod.
Editing the Pinecrest Apartment Balcony with the T.O.O.L mod
This process is very much the same as with the passageways in San Myshuno, but you can get a bit more creative by using the elevate option, too.
This will allow you to place plants and other objects on the balcony wall or add hanging baskets above the balcony ? the options are endless. The rotate function is also very useful here.
Place the items you want on the balcony inside your Sim’s apartment. Move the objects onto the balcony as you did before with objects into the passage and they should snap into position.
You can have a bit more fun by using the multi-select option (ALT-clicking objects after toggling one as active).
The rotate function is also useful to quickly flip a hanging basket outside. Place the basket where you want it and then rotate 180. You can then go ahead and tweak the placing a bit more.
How to change doors and windows of apartments in The Sims 4
This process is slightly more complicated, but works the same for windows and doors.
Start by drawing a wall behind the door or window you want to replace. You can also place the new door or window you?re going to use so long.
In live mode, select the door or window you?re removing and place it somewhere you can delete it later. One of the things that is so cool about doing this with apartments is that you can actually change where the front door of the apartment is completely ? or have two doors if you wish.
Now you need to move the replacement door or window into its new spot. This is where you will need a little bit of practice and patience.
Select the new door and click to place on the wall. Sometimes, you will need to use the ?gravity pull? feature to make sure the door works. This is done by ALT clicking with the object toggled as active.
Some apartment buildings are at an angle that can make the process a bit complicated, so we recommend you either watch TwistedMexi’s tutorial explaining some of the more complex features of the T.O.O.L mod. Or you can dive in the deep end and learn as you go.
Change apartment exterior in Sims 4 City Living
Finally, it is is also possible make changes to the outside of City Living apartment buildings. These are a bit tricky because the buildings themselves are selectable and, as you?ll see in the video below, can sometimes toggle as active.
For adding a basic flower box to the window, we?re using the same rotate method as we did with the Eco Lifestyle expansion. Once we have done that, we?ll place the box slightly higher up and then ALT click (many times) to move the box into the correct position.