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let me start by saying that this is just how i go about doing it! there's no right or wrong way!! here's just what i found that works for me and my islands!
let me start by saying that this is just how i go about doing it! there's no right or wrong way!! here's just what i found that works for me and my islands!
1.) https://eugeneration.github.io/HappyIslandDesigner/
this is the end all be all of tools, however it doesn't work on mobile very well.
there is an option to upload a screenshot of your island map. then you can trace over the parts of your island you can't move (river outlets, land outlet, etc.) +
this is the end all be all of tools, however it doesn't work on mobile very well.
there is an option to upload a screenshot of your island map. then you can trace over the parts of your island you can't move (river outlets, land outlet, etc.) +
once you're done tracing, you can remove your map from the background and start filling in the things you want! it's a godsend!
2.) there are several parts of your island that are unable to be edited! your pier, the piece of land that sticks out into the ocean, resident services, where your rivers meet the ocean, the airport, and anything within one space of the beach! plan accordingly!
3.) start with small areas unless you absolutely have a concrete visual plan you're going to follow! taking on too much without direction can be VERY overwhelming!
4.) down the left side of your map you will see the letters A-F, and on the bottom you will see the numbers 1-7. each one of the complete squares (for example B2) has 16 spaces. 1 space = 1 dig hole or 1 path square
5.) every building is 4 spaces deep/back. the dimensions are as follows:
museum and nooks 7x4
player houses and able sisters 5x4
villager houses and campsite 4x4
resident services 12x10 (but you can't move this one)
museum and nooks 7x4
player houses and able sisters 5x4
villager houses and campsite 4x4
resident services 12x10 (but you can't move this one)
6.) starting with cliffs!
if you attempt to break a cliff that has other parts of the cliff surrounding it, it will create a corner. meaning that you have to hit it again to break it completely. to prevent having to shave everything off two hits at a time +
if you attempt to break a cliff that has other parts of the cliff surrounding it, it will create a corner. meaning that you have to hit it again to break it completely. to prevent having to shave everything off two hits at a time +
break a line as far down as you'd like to go, then skip a line, and do it again until you have your desired dimensions. go back through and remove the ones you left; they will break in one hit because there's nothing to the side of them! (in this example i cleared this area) +
when building cliffs, create an outline first. for the example shown i already had a planned map on happy island designer so i referenced rough coordinates (ex: bottom of A2 and A3 to middle of B2 and B3). if you don't, turn your map onto "always on" on the map menu in the +
nook phone so you can get a rough idea of what you like. if you're precise, i would pull the big map up every once and a while to check if you like it! DO THE OUTLINE FIRST! ALWAYS!!!! if you hate it, you can take it down! +
when filling them in, section them off into pieces as shown above and below! it can feel never ending to try and do the whole thing, so try and break it into sections doable for you. the sections you see above took me roughly 5 minutes or less to fill in! +
when actually filling them in, i go top to bottom. i go all the way to the left, fill in the space i was standing in, then all the way to the right and fill in that space. i repeat this until i hit the bottom, then i do the next section. +
if you accidentally break a piece into a corner, build the one next to it, it will automatically snap back into the full piece! +
when adding decorations to the outline, keep in mind to make a rounded corner on each side you have to have at least three wide. what i mean is, if there isn't one in the middle, you can't have them both be corners facing each other!
7.) rivers!
when filling in rivers, or just in general, standing diagonally and trying to do something will usually end up in you breaking a piece accidentally or placing one accidentally. it can be tedious. i always recommend to face head-on whatever you're trying to do! +
when filling in rivers, or just in general, standing diagonally and trying to do something will usually end up in you breaking a piece accidentally or placing one accidentally. it can be tedious. i always recommend to face head-on whatever you're trying to do! +
when creating rivers, the normal width (i believe) is 4 spaces wide. to keep your river consistently wide throughout, do the edges first! if making a new river entirely (as i did) then create your starting point and mark your end point so you know they line up! +
you can go back and break everything between once you're done! i usually go back and break all the rough edges into corners/halves that way it looks smoother!
check the thread under my pinned tweet for some of the custom paths i have used/will use if interested! i'll add more tips as i remember them! ask questions!
