Design Tips Back to Techniques
Set up a Toolbar
If you're just getting started as an interior designer, the first thing you'll need is a dedicated toolbar for all the /move commands. My setup is as follows:Top row: /move forward 1, /move forward 10, /move forward 50, /move forward 100, /move back 1, /move back 10, /move back 50, /move back 100, /move up 1, /move up 10, /move up 50, /move up 100.
Bottom row: /rotate left 90, /rotate left 30, /rotate left 5, /rotate left 1, /rotate right 1, /rotate right 5, /rotate right 30, /rotate right 90, /move down 1, /move down 10, /move down 50, /move down 100.
I miss the old icons with the directional arrows and the pointing hands, but it doesn't really matter what they look like since it doesn't take long to know them all by heart. =)
Avoid "Flickering"
Usually you'll notice this problem with paintings that are pushed as far as they can go against a wall, but flickering can happen with any items that are placed too close together. Check for flickering items by moving around the room and rotating your camera view. If you notice a flicker, try to seperate the items a bit more to minimize this effect. For paintings, move them away from the walls until the flickering stops. For a larger room, you'll need to move them alot more, since things are more likely to flicker from further away. It is better to have a small gap behind a painting than to have it blink in and out of sight for your visitors. Taking the time to make your creations as seemless as possible gives your work a more professional edge that most designers lack.Know Your Medium
Typical interior design involves arranging seperate pieces of furniture around a room. For this reason most interior designers are also architects. However if you are interested in doing multi-item designs, and creating something new out of various items, then don't limit yourself to the things architects can make. Do whatever you can to familiarize yourself with the shapes of all items that can be aquired or crafted. Allakhazam.com has an extensive library of item screenshots in their schematics section, but it is fairly out of date. Websites devoted to a certain crafting profession often have screenshots of their wares and sub-components. Or if you know a few different types of crafters see if you can get them to take a screenshot of their schematics for you. The bazaar terminals are another place to hunt for new kinds of item models. Sometimes the shape of an item is what inspires a new design.Matching Colors
It's tempting to display all of your new, hard to get loot items in one place. But please pay attention to the overall color scheme of a room. Try to keep a single or at most two dominant colors, be it furniture, paintings, or trophies. In order to make a room look balanced, color is just as important as the size and shape of the items you use.Seperate Themes
It's sad to see a room that is decorated to be an entertainment area, a prison, a zoo, and a swimming pool all in one. At the very least try to seperate themes by rooms. Devoting an entire building to a single theme is even better and allows you to do more with that theme while creating a more convincing atmosphere.Keep Trying
There really is no secret method. My work is all just trial and error. If I don't like the way something comes out I just try something else. Don't be afraid to tear decorations down if you aren't satisfied with them. I do this many many times, often to the dismay of my clients. The only way to improve your designs is to keep trying different things. Keep it up and you'll hit on a brilliant solution. Now go amaze yourself. =)