LBY | Modding 101: Creating a Custom Lot

Join Willem for part four of our 10-part video series on how to mod various gameplay elements in Life by You! For part four, learn how you can create your own custom lot from build 🪚 to storefront 🛍️!
Part 1: Customizing Clothing - • LBY | Modding 101: Cus...
Part 2: Customizing Furniture - • LBY | Modding 101: Cus...
Part 3: Customizing Characters and Outfits - • LBY | Modding 101: Cre...
Part 4: Customizing a Lot - You're here 💜
Part 5: Customizing a Region - • LBY | Modding 101: Cre...
Part 6: Customizing Gameplay - Stay tuned!
We will continue to update this series with links to things like our wiki and more as we enter Early Access!

[@SabrinaRodi]

Love it but the painting individual walls was killing me, haha, please include a 'shift' key paint to all room walls.

[@yuliyaandrachnik2448]

Customized lot size? Modding inside game? This is HEAVEN for creative people and for sandbox lovers. I think it is awesome that you guys make an effort like that on the gameplay, so that EVERY player could have a DIFFERENT experience, adjust it to ones needs. THIS IS INCREDIBLE! 😀

[@dileep_hegde]

Creating a custom school, library, store, showroom, etc., would make this "The Perfect Game." Additionally, owning a building to rent out, being the boss, and hiring staff would be an exciting feature.

[@Photo0021]

As a builder THIS IS THE BEST THING IVE SEEN, THANK YOU

[@angelacooper8973]

And I look forward to downloading your builds

[@NotLikeUs869]

@@angelacooper8973same

[@MayannHanna]

The creative potential of this game is breathtaking. I can't wait to try it.

[@RitoReyes2033]

Lby needs to add a full room tool since i dont want to manually do that to each wall. Just my opinion

[@lois4158]

Round doors and spiral staircases 😮

[@writinggamer8059]

This is really great. I especially like how the foundation adjusts to the terrain instead of the terrain adjusting (and becoming an eyesore and a mess,) to a building. It's brilliant. I do think if I edited this lot, though, I would add railings around the openings for the stairs. I'm clumsy so I kept thinking my poor characters will fall. 😂 But, seriously, I really appreciate these videos and will be re-watching them so I can follow along and learn when the game comes out. Thank you!

[@SarahElizabethA]

If you add a counter to the thing for when you are building walls/rooms to count the approximate number of tiles, it would be helpful. Is there a way to lock a door. For business lots like this one, it would be odd if patrons went all the way upstairs to your bedroom during shop hours.

[@serenitycox217]

Yeah this is an excellent idea... I hope that they'll implement this it would be so helpful :)

[@Sovereign-Gaming]

Super, super stoked for the region editing video for next week 😀!

[@andrewty37]

Take my money! No more delays! June 4th let it come!

[@tristancatholic]

Can’t wait for the region editor 🤩

[@valerielee9875]

Very oool modd edition to building. Can't wait to TRY it. I also like the spiral stair case and LIKE how the work too. Ty for takeing the time to showing us this video. Very cool. Take care LBU team. 👍✌🤩

[@Joy404Error]

TAKE MY MONEY 😭💰

[@Ballora1965]

I hope we'll be able to build basements. My Circus Baby's Rentals building would not be complete without a basement.

[@jfcfanfic]

Damn, purple man indeed. If I see a human wearing all purple in the game I will definitely rename it after you or think it was designed by you. 😅😂

[@-Hunter240x]

Question: Is there a way to have mods specific to one Region/"World" without having to deactive/reactive them when switching between saved games? So can you have a mod installed that allows for a certain type of gameplay but doesnt affect any other person's save file unless you have the mod activated for that specific save file. Example: 1) time periods like the medieval times/prohibition 1920s etc where car models get overwritten to match the time era 2) community challenges that have certain restrictions/advantages. Etc.

[@truckingganes879]

loved this and im even more excited more then ever 😀😀😁😁😂😂😍😍 you guys really love purple.

[@lifebyyou]

Yup, we really do love purple! 💜

[@truckingganes879]

@@lifebyyou i am beyoud excited for life by you i whish i could preoder the game so i can preinstall it befor releases into early access lol 😂😂😂😂😍😍😀😀😍😍😎😎 love the game soooo much. i didnt think some of the stuff you guys showed of was even possible but it is from all the smashing videos of the game im super excited im soooo glad i joined the lovley discord. 😂😂😂😂😍😍😍😍😎😎🤗🤗

[@angelacooper8973]

@@truckingganes879 epic has the pre-order and so does steam

[@babyincubi]

Some fences around the stairs would've been nice, looks like a falling hazard lol.

[@DivinityOfBLaze]

For wall building, it'd be useful if it showed how many tiles the width and depth of the building is. So you dont have to count out the 10x10.

[@veridicusmind3722]

Somebody is going to create a hobbit hole with those doors!

[@lance9249]

My first thought as well.

[@smachdos1593]

I will :)

[@veridicusmind3722]

@@smachdos1593 Looking forward to see it!

[@hsmgeek4ever]

Will there be rails to put around the staircase?

[@avrahamishshalom1799]

So excited for LBY!

[@QueenetBowie]

Looking amazing! I wanted to ask roughly how many public/work buildings will be available at release? Will there be things like a town hall, fire/paramedic station, police station, post office, or other generic town service buildings available?

[@Te3time]

I don't think we've seen any of those. From memory id say stores, restaurants, gyms, hotels, office buildings, parks

[@Ikwigsjoyful]

Continuing to love this series - so much good information, and it's really getting us excited for the game! We were wondering if one will be able to create a shop and live above it; in the example, the upper floors did make a kind of house, but it was unclear if the shop owner could actually live there, or if it was just for naps on the job!

[@Mebby06]

I can’t wait! My bday is June 3rd so this will be my bday gift to myself 😁😁😁😁

[@nikkicat254]

One of the things I liked seeing was auto roof, which actually made a octagon roof, which I have always wanted to have in The Sims 4, I hate that with it we have auto rooms which are different kinds of octagons, but there is no way to have a roof that really fit with the shape of the building, if it's an octagon or round either! Neither works, they have some roofs to place, but you have to keep messing with it trying to make it fit, but it won't fit, no matter how you do it! But can we build though within the game, like where there we can see the surroundings and the grass, because I build better when I can see all that while I am building? And if we can build within the game, can we still save it and then share it too, to use in another game and so others can download it? I do wish there was a way to paint the walls and floors of an whole room instantly, I really prefer that, to having to do each wall one at a time!, because it makes it take longer to do that, I would just like it as an option!

[@lance9249]

The house on the hill has confirmed I'm making the Bates Motel in my world.

[@lance9249]

He colored the stairs purple I love this game. 😭

[@warzshadow9701]

Can you match the wood colors? Through the color wheel? Also can you prevent customers from using your shower and bed?

[@simday1396]

Any word on driveways? And can roads be placed, expanded and made smaller (one lane)? Thanks!

[@lance9249]

Driveways are coming during early access just won't be there at the start of it.

[@upstrock]

never actually liked making lots...but alright, you got me excited to try it.

[@ElvisLivesUpstairs]

Will the discord be re-opened if more people buy early access? How can we give feedback

[@lifebyyou]

Hi @ElvisLivesUpstairs! Yes, we will reopen the Discord once we enter Early Access so that more folks can contribute feedback-- and we will absolutely still be pulling feedback from all of our channels like KZbin!

[@ElvisLivesUpstairs]

​@@lifebyyou thanks!!

[@livliv2384]

I LOVE IT! Also, can you fix the character face and body? They kinda look weird, but I like Life By You! I can't wait!

[@neishag2767]

Im not gonna lie. I have been really confused on what these videos have been showcasing. So far I've seen character creator and build mode but with extra steps. Is this to showcase the extra steps you will take when creating custom mods? When are we gonna see a demonstration of lets say for an example -- creating my own custom made from scratch high heel chair and sharing it with the community? Or creating my own custom tribal hairstyle and sharing with the community to add to their game?

[@serenitycox217]

So what I have noticed is that when they are using the word "mod" in this context, it refers to something you can share within to the community. These aren't actual modifications to the game... It's kinda confusing I know

[@JustVizzing]

Those are advanced stuff that needs other platforms(blender) so maybe after early access?

[@Theescapist_87]

No one is going to show you how to go into blender and step by step make a custom chair to download into the game. They will probably show you how to get your CC meshes into the game, but that's it. And part of that will mean knowing how to add scripts to objects( which they showed) and how to set the thumbnail for clothes/objects (which they also showed).

[@rose-1347]

5:05 Why not have a ruler to count out the grid for you?

[@serenitycox217]

That is actually a remarkable idea lol I don't know why this wasn't thought about sooner! I'm going to spread this I hope you don't mind...

[@angelacooper8973]

Hey yall see y’all in 3 weeks!!

[@Lizzikg]

3 weeks?! Thought it was 5 weeks?

[@tomohawkcloud]

It better be

[@Autisticgoldfish96]

Don't jinx it!

[@omarakram99]

Wait, is pre-ordering open again?

[@lifebyyou]

You're right, it's definitely five weeks, but we share the excitement! 💜

[@garbski42]

is that a circular staircase? Squeeeee!

[@tobbakken2911]

Can we have severals stores in one lot and make some kind of shopping mall?

[@RitoReyes2033]

I'm wondering that too 🤔

[@Theescapist_87]

They said in an earlier video that there is no limit to how many stories you can have for one building. It's up to what your PC can handle

[@98Zai]

I've not seen any official talk of this, but using the live edit mode you could probably add "rooms" (small lots) into a bigger structure as individual stores. He says you can place lots inside lots in the video. Might be a little hacky though.

[@tobbakken2911]

@@Theescapist_87 stores aka shops is what i'm talking about

[@tobbakken2911]

@@Theescapist_87 i'm talking about stores which is shops, not stories/how tall buildings can be.

[@Ander01SE]

Any chance we can have the vendor shop interface show up on the side of the screen? I really hate it when it's centered over my char and I can't see anything, it's much less disruptive on the side. :O

[@highfive7689]

I like your build. I hope to see more on object alteration and mod-ding in the future. Think you can show us how to mod new objects using Blender 2.8+ to fit the LBY specifications. So we can create original objects from stereos to airplanes. Add scripting classes later, maybe. Thanks, Willem.

[@smachdos1593]

We need round windows as well

[@mojohosavich]

Yo I would like to see if you assign apartment rooms to a You character. I would love to see that video.

[@itsmike64]

I am totally loving this. The game is looking so polished, I can clearly tell you guys are putting work into getting it ready for Early Access! I am blown away by the customization of this game. Well done team :)

[@polinasidorov425]

Will we be able to import our own icons? Either way ive been super excited and can't wait for June 😭

[@kaymann8007]

Been waiting for this since Sims 4 was announced.

[@mimosansgaming8754]

Never related to sth more😂

[@Ander01SE]

Can you set *moving up and down a floor* to the thumb buttons on the mouse? Clicking on Icons, or using PageUp / PageDown is so clunky for something you use a lot. (Q and E is decent btw) 🧐

[@serenitycox217]

I could be wrong, but I'm almost certain that you'll be able to customize your control settings within the game.

[@Ander01SE]

@@serenitycox217 Cool beans, hope so. :p

[@JustVizzing]

​@@serenitycox217definitely, he said "if you have default options"

[@violetskye_]

This looks amazing, i cant wait!

[@realdaalia]

This is amazing! I can't wait for the game already ☺️

[@lifebyyou]

Thanks so much Daalia! 💜

[@Sharkfowl]

Will there be Steam Workshop support at launch? Too many games nowadays are doing away with that and it's frustrating as hell to have to use a third-party program/site to find mods on.

[@JustVizzing]

Maybe not, the mods will be available in the paradox mods' sites like city skylines

[@yannaribeiro5049]

I cant wait anymore! SO EXCITED, Just one month!!!!

[@smachdos1593]

Cant wait to build Hogwarts Castle in LBY 👌😎

[@cielblue63]

I don't know if you already answered somewhere but will the game have multipurpose lot ? Love the video and the purple 😂 Edit : I was specifically thinking building with a shop on the ground-floor and housing above

[@mojohosavich]

This is the perfect game for a trailer park idea 👍

[@EpicRealistTV]

Love this video and the song you used in it! 😋 I am excited.

[@candicebrittian1459]

I am sooo excited for this.

[@cas7698]

It looks great, I'm just worried about lag. Even when presenting this, it seems like it's lagging. I love all these new competitors but I don't think my computer handle all of it. I hope when it comes out it won't have that same slowness I see here.

[@Anon1370]

yeh lag is gonna be in the early access all you can eat lag when they say early access they ain't lying they ain't exagerating..it's gonna be barebones stuff

[@DaDoubleDee]

This looks great, but every gameplay video has stuttering and bad frame rate

[@Anon1370]

yeh and i'll tell you they ain't gonna do nothing about it so be prepared to experience it during early access.

[@RoundenBrown]

Nice reflective alphas and normal mapping.

[@user-wg4qr4wc3e]

So, we'll be able to upload our lots for others to use?

[@anacarolinemartinsdasilva9736]

12:57 I see that Hobbit's door 👀👀👀

[@RitoReyes2033]

Hey everybody 😅

[@jofree2975]

Why does the spiral staircases look so bulky and is anyone working on elevator's ? Is there a past and copy tool . Looking forward to the game. When is it going to be available in steam ? Good job, keep up the great work.

[@ladyleonr1]

Only a few weeks away! College is done, hopefully I have time to play!

[@noellarose]

I want to see the actual world when I make (or edit) my builds. Can I just save an empty plot and edit in game?

[@citrusbutter7718]

Oh and trailer homes too. I'm not just talking about a house that looks like a trailer with the flat roof, i mean actual trailers with the wheels and the hitch in the front. If you want to impress me that would do it because it would be way different than what's typically offered in the sims franchisee. Completely different buildings and homes, like domes, round/curved walls, super thick walls like castle walls type of thick, tall sealings or short, strange geometric buildings, buildings that look like works of art with out of the box unique modern shapes, buildings without walls but are open structures that count as a building like a hut for example being a beach shack restaurant, and vehicle homes like trailers, busses, planes, train cars and boats and yachts. Buildings that look more clunky and thicker IE not so straight and perfect like a hovel cottage home that tends to look lopsided/wonky/imperfect and lumpy like an English thatch that isn't too angular. Or buildings/homes/ hangouts like a cargo container. And rooms we can designate for a purpose, like asinine a room as the bathroom for example where if one character is in their ethe others must wait for them to exit to enter unless they're in a relationship or something, and rooms like a closet so you could actually store things like brooms and vacuums in them. Also, a custom tool to create our own unique wall structures, wallpapers, tiling and what textures they come in. That would impress me.

[@Shellll]

This is so awesome yall I am mind blown seeing how freely lots can be placed. Im so ready to fall in love with this game through early access, bugs and jank and all

[@Fenestron]

Will there be a published process for adding our own externally software created icons/flooring materials/objects/etc(drag & drop)? Are basements possible and is there a height limit if we want to make residential skyscrapers? Are there terrain tools like water tools for creating lakes & ponds? (I can see building a large lake then smaller home lots around it). Are there any plans for object snapping on/off? (the stair case placement did not appear to snap in place) I noticed the lighting does not change when adding windows & light objects. Is the lighting/shadows/reflections going to be addressed? Side note, as someone who creates additional game functionality, objects and landscapes for other games, where the entire community has always called these "mods", the LBY team calling this ingame process of editing exiting objects as "modding" is VERY confusing. It would be better for the community if the verbage surrounding this process did not use terminology already used for a different process.

[@DelulahBatchet]

Loving these videos! Just wondering if we'll be able to delete sections of floor. The box around the spiral stair looks a little awkward to me. Also, will we be able to scale staircases?

[@citrusbutter7718]

I personally don't think ill be making a hobbit style home, but i can think of maybe other things to build in that round dome shaped building style, like maybe a natural semi burred home for when i want to make unusual architecture. Could there be more kinds of structure shapes than just straight, square, and geometric? I'm thinking something like an upside-down bowl shape aka "the round" building, or a compactly different shapes, i'm just thinking outside the box. I'm still crossing my fingers and toes that we get to play big families and individual people equally than it being a 1 main character thing, if not i want options because i can't do the 1 main character thing, i never like life sims that play like that.

[@Godoiab]

Adoraria ver uma casa mal-assombrada nessa vizinhança! Haverá neblina? Adoro clima de mistério. Aguardo o próximo vídeo.

[@valnadis8577]

So in LBY we can just change the word "mod" with "editor".

[@kpowka_ehot9821]

26:17 What specs of pc it was recorded on? Just curious.

[@MartysPizzaRaccoon]

I appreciate these videos so much more than the forced influencer videos posted lately.

[@voice4406]

omg i wanna move in

[@mr.racooney4306]

I can't use the discord server! "The invitation is invalid" How can I joyn it?

[@Thyana-ig5no]

Sorry, the discord joining is closed until Early Access at 4th June

[@livliv2384]

Is this on base game?

[@TheBoyNub]

This is all in the base game

[@user-wg4qr4wc3e]

My brain hurts

[@OutOnTheCurbAgain]

Modding should be when people add their own stuff to the game, like the custom content S4 has. Show creators making a bed from an external source, then add it to the game as a custom content.

[@Anon1370]

seems like modding means anything with these people its building a house.

[@fransmith3255]

There are different levels of modding, right? Script modding - changing the game and how it works, CC modding changing colours and textures. It's just that they've added the ability to change some of these things ingame that would normally be in the realm of mods. Even the colour wheel was once only a mod thing - now it's ingame. They've just given us not-so-smart-non-modders some access to what might normally be script modding. 😀

[@NotLikeUs869]

@@fransmith3255it’s basically like when people create stuff for the sims 4 gallery. I’m not mad at it.

[@NotLikeUs869]

I think they have said before that they have plans to show us how external custom content modding works, so probably sometime this month for sure. This is still a good video for creators that build tho.

[@Theescapist_87]

Making custom shops is modding. Making custom objects in relation to a specific lot is also modding. A mod is literally anything that changes the default game mechanics.

[@emorydream3251]

we could literally make the most realistic life sim game ever using LBY, imagine court houses, Jail cells, county buildings, STADIUMS, MALLS the POSSIBILITIES

[@user-wg4qr4wc3e]

What Discord?? I never got the email.

[@serenitycox217]

You had to sign up to their News letter to receive an invitation. But they're not accepting new joiners anymore for now. They said that they'll open it back up sometime soon. When early access drops I think...

[@warzshadow9701]

This is build and buy mode..I thought modding meant "Changing the text" to create something thats in the game to look or perform differently than stock game items.

[@warzshadow9701]

Awesome to see showers!

[@nathaliecarluccio7559]

STAIRCASES 🤩🤩🤩 YOU ARE AWESOME 👍👍👍👍

[@ashleyjohansson230]

I want to preorder this already on steam

[@nessthecat]

HYPOTHETICALLY, would it be possible to create something that is technically larger on the inside, than the outside?

[@lemusictube]

Emphatically Yes. YES TO IT ALL.

[@fjmg2003]

I love all the build options so many possibilities. But I have to admit that’s the ugliest build I have ever seen. In the plus side is WAY better than the shoeboxes I’m only able to build LOL.

[@vlads9652]

25:53 I'm glad you're adding aliens to the game, but can you show us some humans?

[@smachdos1593]

Yeah, she looks like an Alíen 👽

[@tomeksocha3440]

Polish language please so much ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@MystM]

How come people who bought the early access were only given 20 hours to join the Discord they paid to be in?... 😢 Might have to cancel my preorder now.

[@Theescapist_87]

Preorders were cancelled like 3 months ago...

[@MD20239]

I joined because I signed up for newsletter on the site and got it in the email. I did not get paid for it. You should have gotten your refund because they canceled the pre-order 2 months or so ago.

[@DieWurzelAllenUebels]

You guys probably know the true spiritual meaning of purple. ;) Still...sometimes something subtle isn't a bad thing. :D

[@nelumboandrews6762]

The things lby calls mods were just typical features in sims 3, not a critisism just an observation

[@LS-wi3jc]

Same features that are missing from Sims 4, so we need it.

[@CrossfacePanda]

This is one of the tools in the chain you use for mods, allowing there to be multiple levels of depth to modding and how deep you want to engage with them, as well as keeping a lot of it in-game rather than having to rely on external tools. If you create external assets such as models, textures, animations, etc, these are the tools you would use to bring them into the game and actually assign functions to them and categorize them. While obviously external assets are what people typically think of as “mods”, they aren’t much use without being assignsed properties and functions in game, and so these internal tools are just as important for creating mods as any external assets are. It also allow players to dip their toes into modding by taking an asset somebody else has made, and changing their in game properties and functions.

[@JustVizzing]

Can you set shops in ts3? I thought so

[@Theescapist_87]

Didn't know you could create custom shops in Sims 3. I must have missed that

[@JishinimaTidehoshi]

A spiral staircase. I see what you did there 😏

[@Seff2]

How is this modding? This is just build mode with infinite money...

[@lifebyyou]

Hey @Seff2! Great question-- this is how you will be able to share your creations with other players on the mod store. So, for example, if you build something through the Lot Editor tool, it will create a "mod" for you to share. It will allow you to add/remove elements of the building, create a Store like Willem covers, add tags, and more! While you can craft your own buildings in your own town still, this is a way to dip your toes into the modding space with tools that are all in-game. 💜

[@TheDawnofVanlife]

Exact thought I had, this is just building in a different tool. For reasons…I appreciate the answer given but I am still like 🤷🏽‍♀️

[@serenitycox217]

So one thing I've noticed is that (I think) every time they use the word "mod" in this context it refers to something that you can share on their equivalent of a gallery (Sims 4) I am however still unsure of how exactly actual mods will work or how we'll access them. But yeah it's kind of confusing...

[@Anon1370]

@@serenitycox217 yeh but that isn't the modding we are all thinking of when we say modding we mean changes to the structure and behavior of the game looks like alot of people are going to be disapointed with the ''modding'' i think people will be fed up after awhile of only being able to have adult humans in the game also lets see

[@serenitycox217]

@@Anon1370 well I know for sure that they're planning on including all of the expected life stages throughout early access. And I am fairly certain that this game will be *actual mod* friendly. I just don't think that's what they're talking about with these videos. I do believe though that they will get into how actual modifications will work at some point though... But I guess we'll have to wait and see :)