Terrain

:"Sand" redirects here. For child sandpits, see Sandpit.
Terrain is an area of land, usually referred for just a lot but not limited in that scope. Players can modify it by terraforming or painting it through build mode tools. Elements can affect the said terrain, such as snow and rain. Certain objects, especially outdoor plants, can only be place on empty terrain (unless cheats are used); likewise, some objects can only be placed on floor tiles and cannot be placed on terrain. There are also certain interactions and activities limited to empty terrain that can't be performed anywhere else, including but not limited to catching insects or bugs, collecting, doing various snow activities (making snow angels, building snowmen and having snowball fights), having water balloon fights, watching stars, etc.
==The Sims==
In The Sims, terrain editing is very simplistic compared to later games. Players can raise, lower, and level the terrain as a basic form of terraforming, although Sims will typically have difficulty using objects placed on a slope. In addition, players cannot build walls near or on sloped tiles, nor can they add floor tiles of any kind. When the player adjusts the terrain, the grass will die off and will grow back on its own over time. Terraforming costs a small amount of money to complete depending on the extent of the changes done to the terrain.
With Hot Date, players could add water to the terrain (previously, this was only possible through the use of cheats) that allowed for natural ponds and rivers. Hot Date also introduced a grass tool that allows the player to add or remove grass manually.
Unlike later games, Sims do not have the option to cloud watch or stargaze on empty terrain. If Vacation is installed, Sims can build snowmen or sandcastles on terrain, depending on which area of Vacation Island they were on. They can also rent a metal detector and will roam around the lot, uncovering buried items on empty terrain.
==The Sims 2==
===Editing===
Terrain editing in The Sims 2 is more variable than in The Sims. Editing the terrain no longer kills off grass, and floor tiles can be placed on sloped terrain. In addition, while The Sims was limited to basic hills, slopes, and valleys, The Sims 2 allows for much more extreme slopes and creations to be made. Players can level and smooth the terrain in addition to being able to raise and lower it. The Sims 2 also introduces a "Flatten Lot" tool that will instantly level the lot when used. Like in The Sims: Hot Date, ponds can be created anywhere on the terrain.
The Sims 2 also introduces terrain paints that allow for the terrain to be customized. By default, lots will take on the terrain type of the neighborhood it is placed in. For example, a lot placed in a desert-themed neighborhood will have desert terrain paint by default. Players can override the default terrain and paint their own using the "Terrain Brush" tool in build mode. Only exposed terrain (that is, terrain not covered by floor tiles) can be painted. Terrain paint can be removed later on by selecting the tool and ctrl-clicking on the terrain paint.
FreeTime introduced the modifyNeighborhoodTerrain cheat, which allows the player to adjust the height of terrain in the neighborhood view.
====List of terrain paint====
Object name 	Price	Description 	Game
Desert Dirt 	§1 	Some dirty desert for more arid climates. 	
Darker Grass 	§1 	This grass is a bit lusher and has grown a bit more. That's why it's darker!	
Light Pavement	§1 	Pave that ground! But lightly, lightly! 	
===Interactions===
Sims can watch clouds during the day and stargaze at night; these interactions can be done on empty terrain located outdoors. Weeds can grow from puddles left on empty terrain, which will need to be pulled. In The Sims 2, certain insects may spawn depending of the time on the day: butterflies by day and fireflies by night. Sims and dogs can dig on any piece of empty terrain. If FreeTime is installed, Sims can only birdwatch and collect bugs outside—the latter of which will not be available on any outdoor floor tiles. In the winter, snow-related interactions, such as making snowmen and having snowball fights, are only available on empty terrain.
==The Sims 3==
===Editing===
Terrain paints in The Sims 3 are free of charge, unlike previous games.
====Grass====
Image	Name 	Notes	Darkness	Game
 	Dry Grass 	 	2 	
 	Autumn Grass 	 	3 	
 	Moved Lawn 	 	6 	
 	Bluegrass 	 	8 	
 	Short Dark Grass 	 	11 	
 	Hidden Springs Green Grass	 	5 	(Unknown patch)
 	Hidden Springs Grass 	 	12 	(Unknown patch)
 	Hidden Springs Dry Grass 	 	23 	(Unknown patch)
 	Summer Grass 	 	1 	
 	Bermuda Grass 	 	13 	
 	Grass 	 	15 	
 	Light Nile Grass 	 	9 	
 	Herbes des Champs 	 	17 	
 	Dark Nile Grass 	 	19 	
 	Lush Lawn 	 	21 	
 	Painted Grass 	 	24 	
 	Prickly Grass 	 	10 	
 	Pasture 	 	14 	
 	Light Grass 	 	18 	
 	Dark Grass 	 	22 	
 	Great Grass 	 	4 	
 	Great Grass Dark Edition 	 	20 	
 	Light Rural Grass 	 	7 	
 	Dark Rural Grass 	 	16 	
====Flower====
Image	Name 	Notes	Game
 	Clover 	 	
 	Yellow Flowers 	 	
 	Pink Flowers 	 	
 	Purple Flowers 	 	
 	Mature Lavender Flower Rows	 	
 	Lavender Flower Rows 	 	
 	White Flowers 	 	
 	Orange Flowers 	 	
====Sand====
Image	Name 	Notes	Game
 	Sand 	 	
 	Raked Sand 	 	
 	Dark Sand 	 	
 	Dusty Dirt 	 	
 	Dirty Dirt 	 	
 	Light Dirt 	 	
 	Dark Dirt 	 	
 	Fine Sand 	 	
 	Gritty Sand 	 	
 	Mixed Dirt 	 	
 	Nile River Bed 	 	
 	Bleached Dirt 	 	
 	Coastal Sand 	 	
 	Hill Dirt 	 	
 	Shifty Sand 	 	
 	Rock 	 	
 	Sandy Sand 	 	
 	Ocean Floor 	 	
 	Simulated Dirt Trail	 	
====Stones & Pavers====
Image	Name 	Notes	Game
 	Large Shale 	 	
 	Flagstone 	 	
 	Asphalt 	 	
 	Slate Stones 	 	
 	Grey Flagstone 	 	
 	Fine Shale 	 	
 	Fine Granite 	 	
 	Gravel 	 	
 	Red Cobblestone 	 	
 	Granite 	 	
 	River Rocks 	 	
 	Shale 	 	
 	Monte Vista Stone 	 	(Patch 55)
 	Aurora Skies Rock 	 	(Patch 55)
 	Aurora Skies Geothermal	 	(Patch 55)
 	Aurora Skies Soil 	 	(Patch 55)
 	Light Asphalt 	 	(Unknown patch)
 	Dark Asphalt 	 	(Unknown patch)
 	Red Flagston 	 	
 	Tan Siltstone 	 	
 	Brown Siltstone 	 	
 	Sandstone 	 	
 	Dark Limestone 	 	
 	Limestone 	 	
 	Arched Cobblestone 	 	
 	Light Granite 	 	
 	Asphalt 	 	
 	Pebbles 	 	
 	Dark Limestone 	 	
 	Ranch Asphalt 	 	
 	Street Asphalt 	 	
 	Sidewalk 	 	
 	Concrete Footpath 	 	
 	Side to Walk On 	 	
 	Rocky Top 	 	
 	Brick Herringbone 	 	
 	Concrete Cover 	 	
 	Light Concrete Cover 	 	
====Misc.====
Image	Name 	Notes	Game
 	Pond 	 	
 	Redwood Mulch 	 	
 	Pine Needles 	 	
 	Tanbark Mulch 	 	
 	Weeds 	 	
 	Paver Crystal 	 	
 	Lunar Lakes Mulch 	 	(Unknown patch)
 	Lunar Lakes Mud 	 	(Unknown patch)
 	Simharan Badlands 	 	
 	Dirt Nature Trail 	 	
 	Grassy Nature Trail	 	
===Interactions===
*The collecting system in The Sims 3 comes with collectible spawners. These spawners only spawn collectibles on terrain. Sims can only grow plants on terrain, unless they use a planter bowl.
*In Ambitions, Sims can build the miner with the inventing skill, which allows them to start drilling on any open terrain.
*In The Sims 3: Pets, horses can graze on grass and flower terrains, as well as the Weeds miscellaneous terrain.
*In Seasons, as many seasonal activities, such as raking leaves, making snowmen, and constructing igloos, can only be done on empty terrain. 
*With the patch followed by The Sims 3: Island Paradise release, Sims of all ages can build sandcastles or play with sand in areas that are painted with any sand or ocean floor terrain, similar to how sandpits work for child Sims only. The sprayed lot doesn't have to be on or as a beach for these interactions to be available.
==The Sims 4==
Terraforming did not come with the initial release of The Sims 4, but was reintroduced with patch 73.
Outdoor Retreat reintroduced cloudgazing and stargazing into the game. Like The Sims 2, Sims can only do this on empty terrain.
Much like The Sims 2: Seasons and The Sims 3: Seasons, The Sims 4: Seasons introduces seasonal activities that can only be done on empty terrain.
Category:Architecture
Category:Objects added to The Sims 3 base game in patches
Category:Objects in World Adventures
Category:Objects in Showtime