[Content Creator] How to Stack Props & Place Anything in Mid-Air

[AzraelX 283]

As many hopeful job creators quickly found out, the Content Creator restricts you from being able to place anything on top of props. Attempting to do so will give you a message stating "Placed items cannot be stacked". This is extremely restrictive, and we can only hope that Rockstar will realize the potential that's being wasted and remove this arbitrary limitation at some point.

 

Until then, here is a workaround which allows you to stack props, and any other item, on top of other props. This method also allows you to place anything in mid-air.

 

(Note: Since the in-game phone is disabled inside the Content Creator, I've taken the pictures with an actual phone).

 

 

1) Place the prop which you want to stack something on top of.

 

For ease of stacking, props with a larger top surface work best for the foundation.

 

These are the two most basic building blocks.

 

Large Corrugated Cabin: This is the easiest block to work with. It is a symmetrical, uniform block that is highly versatile and provides consistent results. It can be considered the most basic block, as it will generally be the most functional option for foundations and scaffolding.

 

 

Float Pile: This block has a lot of utility, managing to fill niches that the LCC cannot. It is useful for situations where a smaller foundation or a smaller sized block are required. It can be climbed directly onto, allowing for the quick creation of climbable staircases.

 

In regards to height, 5 Float Piles = 4 LCC.

 

The Float Pile is also the same height as the Large Ramp, which makes it possible to extend the Large Ramp indefinitely.

 

 

This is a list of the props which can be used for foundations, sorted by category. The props that are especially good for stacking are highlighted in orange.

 

Cabins

• Large Corrugated Cabin
• Small Corrugated Cabin
• Cabin with Windows

Construction (can be used as foundation for the Construction Fence)

• High Med Shuttering
• High Long Shuttering

Containers

• Empty Container
• Open Yellow Carriage
• Open Brown Carriage
• Closed Yellow Carriage
• Closed Brown Carriage

Crates and Boxes

• Float Pile

Dumpsters

• Med Metal Dumpster
• Large Metal Dumpster
• Large Dumpster

Machinery

• Electrics Container
• Med Transformer

Ramps

• Small Ramp
• Medium Ramp
• Water Ramp

Trailers

• Hotdog Trailer
• Snacks Trailer
• Catering Trailer 2

Wreckage

• Half Wrecked Bus
• Full Wrecked Bus

There are a few more props which can potentially be used as foundation blocks, but were excluded from this list due to having problems that make them impractical for general use. The issues with each of them are explained below.

 

Diesel Tank: A bar running across the top makes it impossible for most props to be placed on it. Items small enough to fit beside it, such as markers, can still be placed on top.

 

Large Transformer: Some wires and a bar that are attached to the top make it impossible for most props to be placed on it. Items small enough to fit between these, such as markers, can still be placed on top.

 

Small Dumpster Ramp/Large Dumpster Ramp: The awkward shape of the top surface makes it impossible for most props to be placed on them. Markers can still be placed on top.

 

Large Ramp: Every item is either difficult or impossible to place on it, including markers.

 

Catering Trailer 2 almost ended up here, because a vent on the roof prevents items from being placed in some positions over the back tires. However, the area affected by this is a small fraction of the top surface. In fact, they can even stack on top of each other.

 

 

 

2) If you are in aerial view, switch your camera to ground view.

 

Press "Back" on Xbox or "Select" on PS3.

 

If you are creating a Race, be sure to go into first-person view as well, so that you're looking out your car's windshield.

 

Note: If you are using "Edit" on an item that was already placed somewhere, you can still use aerial view.

 

 

3) Place an item on top of the prop.

 

It might seem like a few steps have been skipped, but it's really this easy. At this point, you only need to meet two conditions to stack an item.

• You must be placing the item as far away from you as possible.
• You must be placing the item on an acceptable surface.

The first one is pretty simple, you just keep your cursor as far away from you as possible. This is what tricks the game into thinking you're placing an item onto the ground, instead of onto another item.

 

Note: If you are using "Edit" on an item that was already placed somewhere, this distance doesn't matter.

 

Of course, having your cursor at the maximum distance away from you means that you cannot simply move it towards you. If you want to move it closer to you, you need to walk backwards.

 

The need to move backwards like this is part of what makes LCC such a good scaffolding material. It's fairly long, so aiming it at your work area will allow you to walk forwards and backwards to position your cursor as needed.

 

The second point is also straightforward. You can make the game overlook the fact that you're placing an item on top of another item, but it still won't let you place a huge item on top of a very small surface, for example.

 

 

How can you be sure if you created an acceptable surface?

 

If you're trying to determine whether or not a surface is acceptable, there are three main factors to consider:

1. Is the surface flat?
2. Is it large enough for the item to fit on?
3. Is it too steep?

These should be largely self-explanatory, since they're the same things you need to take into account when placing items on normal ground. Of course, the game tells you if any of these things are wrong by making the item you're trying to place turn semi-transparent.

 

As a point of clarification, "flat" here just means "smooth and straight". It does not mean "perfectly horizontal". You can place items on slanted surfaces, as long as it is not too steep.

 

Keep in mind that the surface does not need to be continuous. The "Construction Fence" prop, for example, only has 3 points of contact with the ground (the 3 visible posts on it). As long as those 3 points are all touching parallel surfaces, it doesn't matter if they're on 1 continuous object or 3 different objects with space in-between them.

 

Many objects work the same way, even if the points of contact aren't visible or obvious. Some objects will also fit on a smaller surface than you would expect, because their points of contact are not right at the edge. As an example, LCC does not need a continuous surface (just the corners and a central point to place it are enough).

 

When in doubt, try it out. A little experimentation can go a long way.

 

 

Can you place props beside each other to create a single surface?

 

Yes. This is as far as you can misalign LCC normally:

 

 

But you're able to misalign it as far as you want to here:

 

 

 

Why are so many props unable to be used as foundation blocks?

 

A block must be above a certain height to work as a foundation, and it must also be treated as a solid object by the Content Creator when placing other items.

 

The first one is hard to miss. If the block is not tall enough, then you will be unable to attempt placing your item on top of it. The cursor will select the prop you're trying to place your item on top of, instead of giving you any indication that you're trying to place an item there.

 

The second one is easy to test for. When you try to move the cursor on top of the prop, it will instead move through the prop. Although quite a few props do this, two props which demonstrate it especially well are the "Small Closed Container" and "Large Closed Container". It will be impossible to put the cursor on top of the prop.

 

If you are unsure, and wish to test if a prop can be used as a foundation for other props, then you will want to try placing the prop which is the easiest to put down.

 

Chevron Road Sign: This has the smallest horizontal dimensions of any prop, making it the ideal prop for testing . There is a "Left" and "Right" variant of the sign, but they are functionally identical. They can be placed on almost any prop, except for those which cannot act as a foundation.

 

Attempting to stack this on another prop will show you whether or not that prop can potentially be used as a foundation. If you only want to place markers on the prop, then you should test by trying to place a marker instead. Just make sure you're aiming high enough to get the cursor above the target prop before deciding that it didn't work.

 

 

Error Messages

 

When an item you're trying to place turns semi-transparent, it means there's something wrong. Attempting to place it will result in an error message. These are the possible errors you can receive.

 

• "Placed items cannot be stacked": You are too close to the cursor. Back up, or try aiming upwards at a steeper angle. The reason this sometimes works is explained under "Tips & Tricks".

 

• "The ground must be level": If you know the surface is acceptable (see previous sections), then the item you're placing is not oriented correctly. The most likely reason is that the bottom of the item is not lined up with the surface you're trying to place it on (like if one side is hanging over the edge, for example). Moving your cursor around will allow you to find the correct positioning. When you do, the item you are trying to place will change from semi-transparent to solid, and the "Place" option will appear in the bottom right corner of the screen.

 

• "The area must be clear": Something is physically preventing the item from being placed. Either you are trying to place it on a prop that does not work as a foundation, or you are positioning the item too closely to something solid, which is preventing the item from being placed. If you are sure the foundation is valid, then adjust the position of your item to move it away from the offending object.

 

• "Maximum Props placed": You will notice that your cursor has also turned red and is now displaying an exclamation mark. This error indicates that you've used all 50 props that you were allotted. You will need to delete some props before you can place any more.

 

• There is no error message, but also no "Place" option, only "Edit": Many props which don't work as a foundation will cause this to happen. If you are sure the foundation is valid, then it means you are too close to the cursor. Back up, or try aiming upwards at a steeper angle. The reason this sometimes works is explained under "Tips & Tricks".

 

 

4) (Optional) Delete the prop you used for the foundation.

 

This will not affect any items which were already stacked on top of it, leaving them floating in mid-air.

 

 

When a match starts, gravity only affects people and vehicles. Everything else stays where you put it.

 

 

Alright, so how do I extend the Large Ramp?

 

The first thing you'll want to do is place a Large Ramp, then place 6 Float Piles behind it in a 3x2 grid.

 

 

I recommend not perfectly centering the grid with the ramp, because your next ramp will have difficulty being centered (since it will be more likely for your cursor to fall into the gap which splits the two rows of Float Piles). This doesn't need to be an exact science, so offsetting the grid a little is fine.

 

Then, place your next Large Ramp on top of the Float Piles.

 

 

To extend the ramp further, follow these steps again. Place another 6 Float Piles behind your current grid.

 

 

Then place another 6 Float Piles behind the top ramp.

 

 

And place your next Large Ramp on top of the Float Piles.

 

 

You can continue this process for as long as you want. Keep in mind that you're free to remove the Float Piles as soon as they're no longer necessary.

 

With an efficient use of Float Piles, you can connect as many as 44 Large Ramps this way.

 

Since 4 LCC are the same height as 5 Float Piles, you can place your 6th Large Ramp on top of a single stack of 4 LCC. This stack will need to be 2 blocks wide if you want to place a 3x2 grid of Float Piles on top of it.

 

 

Helpful Tips & Tricks

 

General

 

• The easiest way to stack an item is to simply place it on the ground, then highlight it and select "Edit" to move it onto the stack. When you edit a placed item, you can even stack it using aerial view. This means you're never forced to leave aerial view, since you can still place an item normally and then move it onto a stack.

 

• While editing an item, it is possible to place it in otherwise impossible locations, even places where it overlaps with other items. The first step is to position your cursor near an edge (like on top of another prop, or on a building, anywhere that's higher than your target surface). Then you just need to move the cursor off the edge so it lands on your target surface. This will sometimes make "Place" available for an instant, which means it will be possible to place it there. The time to press "Place" is very short, so it may be necessary to move the prop back and forth from the ledge to the surface repeatedly, spamming "Place", to do it successfully.

 

• If you're trying to stack an item, but are too close to the cursor, try aiming upwards at a steeper angle. This will count as maximum distance since there is nothing between you and the place you're aiming at. Your cursor will still be on the ground, directly below the point where it should have been in the air. The cursor cannot float, it will always drop straight down until it stops on something.

 

• Using the same idea, you can easily place an LCC next to one you're already standing on. Simply aim straight out over the side, and the cursor will be down on the ground, directly below the point where your cursor should have been in the air.

 

• Taking the same method another step further, it is possible to create a perfect stack of any height. Simply go to the desired height, and aim out past the edge of whatever you're standing on, so that your cursor will be positioned on the target location. You are then free to spam "Place", which will create a perfect stack from the ground up.

 

 

• You will need to make small adjustments to the direction you're looking when trying to stack an item. Go to Settings > Controls > Look-Around Sensitivity, and turn it down all the way.

 

• "Rotate" does not rotate the item you're placing, it rotates the cursor itself. Otherwise, the cursor will always face the same compass direction, along with any items being placed. You should avoid using "rotate" whenever possible, as your items will stay perfectly aligned, regardless of which way you're facing. This is extremely useful when stacking items.

 

• You can switch your camera to aerial, move the cursor, and then switch back to ground view to teleport to the cursor's location. This makes it possible to cover large vertical distances instantly, so you can immediately teleport on top of a stack, or any other obstacle, no matter how high it is. This is useful to remember when scaffolding, especially if you fall off while stacking items.

 

• When you're trying to stack an item that seems tough, keep an eye on the bottom right corner of the screen. The "Place" option will only show up when your item will be successfully placed, making it a reliable visual indicator, even when you're unable to see your cursor.

 

• When laying a foundation on the ground, aligning multiple blocks will sometimes be easier if you switch your camera to aerial view and look straight down.

 

• When placing an item on the ground, making slight movements is easier when you're positioned as close as possible to it.

 

• If your cursor will not go on top of a prop, make sure you're aiming high enough before trying anything else.

 

• If you set the time of day to "Noon", the shadows created by items can help you line them up before placing them.

 

• If you get too close to a foundation while trying to stack an item on top of it, your cursor can end up on the opposite side. If you think you stacked an item but can't find it, check the other side of the foundation to see if it's there.

 

• When you edit an item that was already placed, it will continue to face the same direction that it was already facing. However, if you have placed all 50 props first, then editing an item will automatically rotate it to match the direction of your cursor. This rotation can be undone by canceling the edit.

 

• If you're unable to switch to ground view for some reason (such as the surface being too steep), then you can switch to ground view elsewhere, pause, and use the map to warp to the target location. Even when in ground view, warping on the map will always work.

 

Deathmatch

 

• You will need to make small movements to adjust your cursor's location. Use stealth mode.

 

• It is sometimes necessary to move somewhere manually. Back out of the menu to regain your ability to sprint and climb.

 

Race

 

• When trying to switch your camera from aerial to ground, more space is required in Race than in Deathmatch. If you're using LCC for scaffolding, it must be at least 2 blocks wide for you to teleport on top of it.

 

• You can turn your vehicle without changing your location by steering sideways while holding Brake and Accelerate simultaneously. This can also help if your vehicle gets stuck somewhere.

 

• It is possible to place checkpoints on top of props while in ground view. Create a surface that is large enough to teleport onto when switching from aerial view, and teleport on top of it. Park near the edge of the surface, so that the arrow on your checkpoint is aimed over the side, and you should be able to place the checkpoint.

 

• Placing checkpoints on top of props can be somewhat touchy. If you are unable to place a checkpoint regardless of your position, you can try rotating the checkpoint. If there are any valid directions at your position, the checkpoint will change from red to yellow for a moment while it is rotating. It is possible to place a checkpoint when this happens by simply pressing "Place" when the color changes.

 

• When placing a checkpoint, if the checkpoint turns purple and shows the name of a prop, back up in the menu to select "Checkpoints" again. Make sure your cursor is not targeting a prop when you select this.

 

• Checkpoints that are placed on top of props will extend downward to the ground, meaning any player that moves between the prop and the ground will receive credit for the checkpoint. To prevent this, you can block off the area below the checkpoint. This area can be covered by 4 adjacent LCCs.

 

• After a checkpoint has been placed on top of props, the props cannot be removed. Removing the props underneath a checkpoint will render it invalid, causing it to be deleted when you test the map.

 

• When switching from ground view to aerial view, keep the button pressed until you're in aerial view. Otherwise, your camera view for driving will be changed the next time you switch to ground view.

 

tl;dr: It's basically Minecraft, except you can only place blocks on top of other blocks, and only at the maximum reach distance.

 

Hopefully we'll be getting some interesting maps out of this Enjoy!

Edited January 3, 2014 by AzraelX

[Zoobz 9,834]

Damn dude. Nice thread. Really helpful info for content creators.

 

I'll have to try stacking some props now.

[AzraelX 283]

I was considering finishing a real map that utilized it first, but I figured it'd be better to spend that time sharing the details so that other people could potentially get more enjoyment out of the Content Creator in the meantime I know that's what I'd want if I was on the other end.

 

I was just spending all my time online trying to find a way to break it, and after that, figuring out how to do it reliably. I can't speak for anyone else, but I couldn't really enjoy using it otherwise, when there was so much potential staring you in the face that was just being arbitrarily restricted.

 

That being said, I'm definitely enjoying it a lot now. Some of the stuff I made while messing around with stacking was pretty hilarious, and I wasn't even trying. Sky tunnels and climbable towers reaching into the sky and spawns that rained enemy bots from the clouds. You can build your own areas and arenas, or drastically edit preexisting places.

 

The things you can do with this are pretty much endless, aside from the limit of 50 props at a time. Luckily it's easy to cannibalize scaffolding, thanks to the fact that switching cameras lets you teleport to the top, so you can get your money's worth from the 50 props you do have. There's still a lot you can do with that Maybe someday I can see a recreation of Rainbow Road lol.

 

I'm going to start working on a real deathmatch tomorrow. My goal will be to make people to go "Wtf, where are we?!"

Edited December 13, 2013 by AzraelX

[RedDagger 23,309]

Time to start creating Halo forge style maps, floating bases... oh man, this is better than finding out about floating objects in Halo 3 - didn't know you could delete the foundation to make them float. Thanks!

[tony.parente 69]

AAnd the next thing to be patched by cockstar is...

[jtet37 309]

Time to start creating Halo forge style maps, floating bases... oh man, this is better than finding out about floating objects in Halo 3 - didn't know you could delete the foundation to make them float. Thanks!

imma gonna start joining more custom game invites that come my way

[Hayzer 0]

How do I stack Large ramps? Like I want to make a bigger/wider ramp built out of Large Ramps but I Don't know how to do it, I tried following your instructions about having the cursor as far away as possible from you but Im in a car when i go to Ground Cam and I can't move my cursor further away from me.

[gtaplayer1990 108]

It works, thanks !

[Pong Lenis 8]

Its f*cking impossible to stack these containers and jumps like you say, i tried for over an hour now and so far i can only put 3 float pile on top of eachother, but i cannot put jump on that or stack more float piles next to it... Wtf, make a video or something this is useless..

[AzraelX 283]

How do I stack Large ramps? Like I want to make a bigger/wider ramp built out of Large Ramps but I Don't know how to do it, I tried following your instructions about having the cursor as far away as possible from you but Im in a car when i go to Ground Cam and I can't move my cursor further away from me.

It works the same way in Race as it does in Deathmatch, except you have to stay inside a vehicle. I figured out a way to get out of your vehicle, but the Content Creator will immediately reset you back into it, even if your race is set to GTA mode. You have no choice but to do this from inside your vehicle.

 

The first thing you'll want to do is make sure you're in first-person view inside the vehicle (so you're looking out the windshield). When you're not in FPV, your ability to stack is greatly reduced from being on foot. When you are in FPV, your ability to stack is greatly increased from being on foot (due to your additional height off the ground).

 

As for how to stack Large Ramps specifically, I've added a section to the OP detailing it for you. You should find the process to be much easier now.

 

I've also added some Tips & Tricks for Races, and separated Deathmatch-specific information from Race-specific information.

 

It works, thanks !

No problem

 

Its f*cking impossible to stack these containers and jumps like you say, i tried for over an hour now and so far i can only put 3 float pile on top of eachother, but i cannot put jump on that or stack more float piles next to it... Wtf, make a video or something this is useless..

... It doesn't become harder to stack things as the stack gets higher, it actually makes it easier. The fact you made a stack 3 props high means that this wasn't useless and you don't need a video, although reading the other posts saying it works should have also tipped you off to that. The problem is with something that you're doing wrong.

 

If you can make it 3 high then you can make it 30 high. The only difference is that you'd need to be higher off the ground so your cursor can still reach the top of the stack, which means using scaffolding (although you can stack Float Piles 4 high in Deathmatch and 6 high in Race while still staying on the ground).

 

I have a few ideas about which part of the instructions you're not following, but I have no interest in helping you. I'm not a big believer in "the squeaky wheel gets the grease". The normal wheels should get the grease and the defective squeaky ones should be thrown away. I'm just glad that someone so rude and ungrateful has been unable to benefit from my work. I hope no one else helps you either, at least until you've managed to show a little class.

Edited December 15, 2013 by AzraelX

[Hypertion 59]

Good stuff, must know for making more complex creations

[AzraelX 283]

Added "Water Ramp" to the list of acceptable foundations That should be fun.

[Pong Lenis 8]

 

 

 

 

Wtf, make a video or something this is useless..

 

... It doesn't become harder to stack things as the stack gets higher, it actually makes it easier. The fact you made a stack 3 props high means that this wasn't useless and you don't need a video, although reading the other posts saying it works should have also tipped you off to that. The problem is with something that you're doing wrong.

 

If you can make it 3 high then you can make it 30 high. The only difference is that you'd need to be higher off the ground so your cursor can still reach the top of the stack, which means using scaffolding (although you can stack Float Piles 4 high in Deathmatch and 6 high in Race while still staying on the ground).

 

I have a few ideas about which part of the instructions you're not following, but I have no interest in helping you. I'm not a big believer in "the squeaky wheel gets the grease". The normal wheels should get the grease and the defective squeaky ones should be thrown away. I'm just glad that someone so rude and ungrateful has been unable to benefit from my work. I hope no one else helps you either, at least until you've managed to show a little class.

 

 

 

Wow, a little criticism must have really hurt your feelings?? All those word you felt the need to say in reply to this little sentence, sorry but i find that (as you said it) "rude and ungrateful".. Hoping that someone will fail and no one will help them because he criticised your not to good instructions.. And yes, there were like 4 replies before i wrote that so i guess EVERYBODY else got it, right?

 

Like most poeple here i appreciate your effort to make this instructions, but as always in this forum someone is gonna disagree, troll or maybe just curse your a off, the difference is how you take that criticism. And you failed, therefore i loose all respect for you as well..

 

Anyway i dont need you help bro and i dont want it, i found a nice video showing me how to do it..

[AndyGanteks 8,996]

Great work man, kudos for this!

[an0nym0uz 9]

Big Thx!

[AzraelX 283]

Glad you guys are enjoying it If you publish a map that uses this extensively, feel free to share it here along with how it's used.

 

I've been working on more ways to utilize this in Races, and I just added some of that information to the OP under Tips & Tricks for Races. The new information is mostly centered around the ability to place checkpoints on top of props. This can make for some pretty unique setups.

 

There's a few interesting things in the Race map I've been using to work on this, so I'll most likely link some of the areas together with checkpoints and publish it when it's finished.

 

That's the end of the content worth reading in this post

 

must have really hurt your feelings??

Sorry, you're confused, although that's nothing new. Pointing out the fact that you're a petulant child doesn't mean you hurt my feels, although I obviously hurt yours. Maybe you should learn how to take criticism, right after you learn how to use quote tags. You should also remember the embarrassment you're feeling right now, and think of it the next time you're planning to dump another load of your socially-awkward blubbering onto the internet.

Nice narcissistic wall of text, by the way. And you wonder why people don't want to help you Too funny.

Edited December 16, 2013 by AzraelX

[Pong Lenis 8]

 

must have really hurt your feelings??

Sorry, you're confused, although that's nothing new. Pointing out the fact that you're a petulant child doesn't mean you hurt my feels, although I obviously hurt yours. Maybe you should learn how to take criticism, right after you learn how to use quote tags. You should also remember the embarrassment you're feeling right now, and think of it the next time you're planning to dump another load of your socially-awkward blubbering onto the internet.

Nice narcissistic wall of text, by the way. And you wonder why people don't want to help you Too funny.

 

 

 

 

 

"Pointing out the fact that you're a petulant child doesn't mean you hurt my feels, although I obviously hurt yours"

 

Yes, who sound like the child here?

 

 

 

"Maybe you should learn how to take criticism, right after you learn how to use quote tags."

 

I like how you turned my own argument against me (criticism), and then added a personal attack about being grammatically correct (when you just used the word "feels" for feelings yourself). You sir, are a internett genius!

 

 

 

"You should also remember the embarrassment you're feeling right now, and think of it the next time you're planning to dump another load of your socially-awkward blubbering onto the internet."

 

This one is a classic! Seriously, read through the comments between us and think about who should be embarrassed here? I am feeling very pleased about this, and i only have you to thank..

 

 

 

"And you wonder why people don't want to help you"

 

Ok, lets get this straight! I never asked anyone here for help with this issue, and especially not you! second, no one here have said they are not going to help me either, only you! So, your arguments are irrelevant..

 

 

 

Good luck in your real life, if this is how you handle situations where people criticise your work.. Seriously take breath..

[GunWrath 3,133]

Back on topic or I'll shut this down.

[AzraelX 283]

Sounds good

 

I just updated the OP with a critical piece of information regarding stacking checkpoints in races: If you remove the props you stacked it on, the checkpoint will be deleted the next time you test the race. It won't be in the race, and after you end the test, it won't be in the editor either.

 

Figured I should get that out there ASAP before someone makes the same mistake I just did

[mewzors 1]

omg im doing it now and it works! wtf its crazy lol

 

i got death maze you cant see over walls now (:<

 

very awesome ty!!

[qop 145]

Holy crap, this is what I've been looking for! Thank you so much

 

+1 should be stickied!

Edited December 16, 2013 by qop

[Shootinalloveryourface 3,817]

Wow, this is awesome mate, surprised this thread hasn't had many replies.

 

I used your guide to make an extended large ramp (x3) via the float piles. Read your guide and then spent a few minutes fiddling about until I got it right. Really good work you've done here.

 

I ended up doing this with a slightly different method though. I was on a BMX and at ground level stayed in a 3rd person view, tried to place the float and ramps on top, and when I got close (on top but slightly off) I switched to the overhead view and could then stack the item. Then I could just place an item on the ground quick and easy and move it straight onto the pile.

 

Thought I'd go through the effort of explaining that considering how detailed you made the guide.

[AzraelX 283]

You're welcome

 

@shooting, that sounds pretty handy, I'll have to give it a try

 

Updated the OP with more information. If you've read it before, the important addition you'll want to know is that 5 Float Piles are the same height as 4 LCC.

 

Visually, it appears the 4 LCC are slightly taller, but functionally they create a single surface which you can place items on. Items placed on this merged surface will graphically line up with the top of the Float Pile, depressing into the LCC a little.

 

This is especially useful to know when extending the Large Ramp. If you reach the point where you need a 5-block high 3x2 foundation of Float Piles, you can instead replace the entire thing with a single 4-block high stack of LCC, since a Large Ramp can be placed directly on the LCC. If you want to continue extending the Large Ramp past that, you'll need to use a stack of LCC that's 2 blocks wide, since another 3x2 foundation of Float Piles will have to go on top of that.

 

I'm making a pretty high ramp for this testing map, which will probably make it into a published version afterwards. So far it's 8 ramps long

Edited December 17, 2013 by AzraelX

[FlamesofDeceit 4]

thank you for this.

[AzraelX 283]

Small Ramps have been changed to orange, since they can be stacked indefinitely if they alternate directions. Additionally, placing items on top of these is an easy way to change the angle of a stack.

 

I switched to the overhead view ... Then I could just place an item on the ground quick and easy and move it straight onto the pile.

I wanted to draw attention to this post again. I've been doing tests based on this, and it's resulted in a much easier method of placing items.

 

After an item has been placed, highlighting it will give you an "Edit" option. This is the critical option for easy stacking. When editing an item, it removes the "maximum distance away from you" requirement, which is useful in its own right. However, having no distance requirement results in something far more useful than that, and it's being described in the above quote.

 

When you edit an item in aerial view, you can then stack the item, as long as you're placing it on an acceptable surface.

 

Being able to stack items without leaving aerial view is extremely useful, and makes the process both faster and easier. You can simply place the item on the ground, edit it, and then stack it; all while still using aerial view. The OP has been updated with this information.

 

Thanks again to shootingallovertheplace for his excellent contribution to this collection of information.

Edited December 20, 2013 by AzraelX

[mochakaboom 119]

Damn, I really want to see what kind of tracks and deathmatches you made.

[Aizcold 26]

Damn, I really want to see what kind of tracks and deathmatches you made.

I agree, please place some links to your creations when they are done. Would like to have a look at the crazy stuff you made and perhaps use them as inspiration for my own creations later.

 

Great guide by the way. I have so far just stuck to making Grand Prix style races and rally races, but when I get bored of that I'll definitely move on to making some crazy ramp or other stacked creation.

[AzraelX 283]

Well, I managed to string some of the stacked stuff together into a race, although I'm still moving a few things around to balance it

 

If you were to see the race in its current form, one thing that'd be fairly obvious is "some of this stuff is impossible, even with this guide".

 

That's because of a neat trick I found recently, which lets you place props almost anywhere, as long as there's a surface for them. It allows you to bypass the "this area must be clear" error, so you can overlap props and place them halfway into buildings, things like that. I've added it to the Tips & Tricks section, it's the second thing listed.

 

To summarize it though, you basically just select "Edit" on a prop to start. You move it to the edge of a prop or terrain so it's hanging over, and it'll turn semi-transparent. Then you slide it off the edge, so it drops straight down onto the surface you want to place it on. If the surface is valid, it will sometimes offer the "Place" option for an instant, before it realizes there's props/terrain too close to it and becomes invalid. If you press "Place" right when this happens, it'll actually be placed there, even though it's clipping into other things.

 

The reason you want to be editing an item is because the "Place" button doesn't actually do anything unless the "Place" option is available, so you can spam it with no worries. You'll most likely need to slide the prop off the edge, onto the target surface, and repeat this multiple times while spamming "Place" in order to get it to work. Doing it this way makes it fairly easy, otherwise the timing would be too difficult.

 

If you don't see the "Place" option becoming available at all, even after sliding the prop off multiple times, then there's a problem with the spot you're trying to place it (generally because the target surface isn't valid, either because there's not enough room to place it, or because it's too steep). However, I've managed to accidentally place a ramp completely vertical with the ground, so it appears to be possible to ignore steepness in some circumstances. I wouldn't be terribly surprised if it was possible to ignore the size of the surface as well, but for normal circumstances this is definitely still a requirement.

 

After placing an item like this, you'll most likely be forced to immediately "Edit" it because you were spamming the "Place" button, and the two actions share the same button. If this happens, just cancel the edit and it'll go back to wherever you just managed to place it.

[RAS_ZeroZ 863]

thank you for this... i have a really novel idea that I hope will work.

[Billybob217 14]

This is great thankyou This gives so much potential