The Sims 4: Building Shortcuts Explained

Quick Links

• All Basic Build And Buy Hot Keys

• How To Rotate Floor Tiles

• How To Select Quarter Or Half Tiles

• How To Enable Cheats On PC, Mac And Console

• Basic Build Mode Cheats

InThe Sims 4 there are many different ways to play the game. While many people love to play out the lives of their Sims, for others the fun in the game is in building and creating. The sandbox mode allows you to create a huge range of buildings and there are many different styles of decor to utilise.

The Sims 4: How To Change Lot Type

It's (sometimes) free real estate.

One of the most useful aspects of building in The Sims 4 are the build mode shortcuts, cheats and tricks. In this guide we take a look at how to quickly unlock all the building tools you will ever need, as well as listing all those hot keys you always forget.

All Basic Build And Buy Hot Keys

There are many different build features that are accessed via clicking the menus at the top of the build screen. However, many of these features also have hot keys to enable you to navigate them faster. Here are the most common shortcuts for builders.

PC And Mac Hot Keys

PC / Mac Key

In Game Use

B

Opens Wall Building Tool

E

Opens Dropper (Copy Items)

G

Toggles Gridlines

H

Opens Hand Tool (Grab and move objects)

K

Opens Sledgehammer (Deletes items)

L

Toggles Time of Day (Visual in Build Only)

R

Opens Swatch Menu

T

Switches To Top-Down View

U

Selects The Entire Building To Move

Hold Alt / Option

Allows Free Placement Of Items

[ and ]

Increases/Decreases Terrain Brush / Build Items*

; and :

Changes Terrain Brush Intensity

, and .

Rotates Items

+ (numpad)

Cycles Swatches For Selected Item

Backspace

Sends Item To Household Inventory

Delete

Sells Item

Arrow Keys

Move Camera

Z and X

Zooms Camera In and Out

Hold Shift + Click

Decorate An Entire Room With One Click**

*Build items are increased and decreased in size only after the move objects cheat has been enabled. Terrain tool must be selected before using this hot key to change its size.

**If you are holding a floor tile then the entire floor will be covered with a click while a wallpaper will cover the walls. If a room is open with an archway the pattern will continue into the next room.

Floor tiles can also be placed on the ceiling. Check out our guide on How To Paint Ceilings to find out more.

Console Hot Keys

PlayStation 4 / 5

Xbox One / S|X

In Game Use

Press Left Stick L3

Press Left Stick L

Contextual Menu

Press Track Pad

View Button

Swap Between HUD and Cursor

Press & Hold L1+R1

Press & Hold LB+RB

Right Stick Free Rotate When Holding Build Item

Press L2+R2+D-Pad

Press L+RT+D-Pad

D-Pad Will Resize Items - Right Larger, Left Smaller*

*Build items are increased and decreased in size only after the move objects cheat has been enabled. Keep the triggers held down while using the D-Pad to resize.

How To Rotate Floor Tiles

One of the more complex aspects of building that requires shortcut keys is flooring. Once you have selected your floor tile, then you can press the following buttons to rotate it:

• < and > - PC and Mac
• Press Triangle - PlayStation 4 / 5
• Hold Y - Xbox One / S|X

To get the triangular bracket keys < and > on PC or Mac you'll need to hold down shift while pressing , or .

Some floor tiles won't look any different, but this is a great shortcut for changing the direction of wooden flooring, or making patterns with ornate tiles.

How To Select Quarter Or Half Tiles

If you want to place half or quarter sized tiles then you first need to select the tile you want. While hovering over the place you want to place it press:

• Ctrl + F

This will turn the tile into a quarter tile. You can leave it this way or keep hold of the keys to place a second quarter tile next to it and make a half tile.

All quarter and half tiles are triangular. There is currently no way to place a rectangular-shaped half tile.

How To Enable Cheats On PC, Mac And Console

Whatever platform you use, you'll need to open a text box into which you can type your cheats.To bring up this menu, press:

• Ctrl + Shift + C at the same time for PC
• Cmd + Shift + C at the same time for Mac
• All Four Trigger Buttons at the same time for PS4/5 and Xbox One Series S|X

You should then see a white bar appear in the top-left of your screen.

Type testingcheats true or testingcheats on into this box and hit enter/select/confirm to enable cheats in the game.

Once this is done, you can then bring the box back up if needed and add any other cheats you wish.

The Sims 4: How To Use The Real Estate Cheat

Here's how to get free real estate in The Sims 4.

Basic Build Mode Cheats

There are also a few basic cheats you'll want to utilise in build mode. These are the most commonly used ones with links to more in depth guides where available.

How To Enable Free Build

The free build cheat allows you to build on any lot, including locked lots. The current locked lots includes all active career lots: Hospital, Police Station, Lab, as well as both sets of University Dorms.

Simply use the cheat:

• bb.enablefreebuild

To visit the Police Station and Science Lab you'll need to join the associated career and go to work. The hospital has more options which you can find out about in our quick guide.

How To Enable Move Objects

Moving objects is a core build cheat. By default, items will snap to the grid to ensure there are no routing issues. However, often you may want to move items to place them in slightly different places and create a more natural look. To unlock the ability to place objects anywhere, simply use the cheat:

bb.moveobjects on

With this enabled, you can also hold down alt to freely place an item. Hold alt and press the rotate key to change the angle.

How To Enable Hidden Objects

You can unlock extra items in the build menu using the hidden objects cheat. Once you have your text box open, simply enter the following:

bb.showhiddenobjects

This will show a variety of different objects that are usually hidden. It includes things like bottles, chopping boards, glasses, collectibles, etc.You can search the word debug to display the items.

Since many of these items are linked to gameplay such as cooking, crafting, or collecting, Sims may wash up dishes or put items away.

How To Enable Live Edit Objects

Live edit objects are environmental objects not usually accessible in build buy mode. They include a wide variety of foliage, rocks, trees and other shrubbery, as well as non-functional shells for buildings and cars. Essentially, almost anything that decorates a world in the game can be accessed. Simply use the cheat code:

bb.showliveeditobjects

This will allow you to use a lot of environmental decorations at no cost. This is particularly helpful if you are making a house on a budget but would like to still have a nice looking garden.

How To Unlock Career Items In Build Mode

The final lot of items not usually accessible in build and buy mode straight away are the career reward items. These items are specific to careers and include skill building items such as a paint easel. To access these enter the cheat code:

bb.ignoregameplayunlocksentitlement

You should now be able to gain access to nicer cameras, laptops, and other items without having to level the corresponding career. Just remember that you will only gain items from DLC careers if you own the pack the careers are from.

The Sims 4: How To Resize, Move, And Rotate Furniture

If you want to start furnishing your Sims's home then these tips will help you get started, on PC and console.