how to work sims 4 camera

[ShellyO572]

I just recently purchased the Sims 4 and was playing in the tutorial for 3 hours trying to get the camera to rotate other than in video mode. Is there another way? I played Sims 3 years ago for a bit on my daughters computer so I know how it is supposed to work and it isn't. Please any help would be appreciative. I do have another question if it's okay to ask here, Since I just downloaded and installed Sims 4 and some other packs and stuff, do I need to download patches for the game? Again any help on either question would be awesome.

[puzzlezaddict · Accepted solution]

@ShellyO572 @PugLove888  There's a camera icon in the upper right corner, a little to the left of the three dots on the far right.  Click the camera icon, then choose the Sims 3 camera instead of the Sims 4 one.  Then, if you want, click the original camera icon again to close the menu.

[holger1405]

@ShellyO572 

I moved your thread to the Sims 4 board.

[PugLove888]

@ShellyO572, the game in Origin should tell you if you need to update or not.  Otherwise you should be OK .  I think the patches build on each other, so I think you perhaps would only need to download one, if any.

As for the camera, the camera controls for TS4 are different from the ones in TS3, so they will take some getting used to. But if you can't wait to figure them out, you can change the controls to the Sims 3-style of camera if you want! 

1) First click on the 3 dots in the upper right corner that say Options Menu

2) Then that will open a box.  Choose the option that says Game Options

3) Next choose on the left side the option that says Game Camera

4) Finally put a check in the box that says The Sims 3 Camera .  Then in the bottom right of the box click the button that says Apply Changes.

Please tell us if this works or if you have any problems! 

[puzzlezaddict · Accepted solution]

@ShellyO572 @PugLove888  There's a camera icon in the upper right corner, a little to the left of the three dots on the far right.  Click the camera icon, then choose the Sims 3 camera instead of the Sims 4 one.  Then, if you want, click the original camera icon again to close the menu.

[PugLove888]

@puzzlezaddict, thanks !    I never knew that! 

[ShellyO572]

Oh sweetheart I thank you so much for your help I am so lost, lol I love the Sims and I really only played the first one more than the 3rd. I'm loving being able to play with the game! I use the camera to turn around in the game while I am building and decorating. I have no idea how to do that in 4 and the camera lets me get around to do that. If you can give me any more ideas I would truly appreciate your input 😊. Thanks again!

[ShellyO572]

Thank you for letting me know I had forgotten about the great people who play the Sims! I appreciate that I am sure it will be a great help!

[puzzlezaddict]

@ShellyO572  If you're looking for more info on how Sims 4 works, or how to make it work with your preferences, please do ask.  For any feature in the game, there are people here who use it regularly and would be happy to describe how to use it, or share some tips they find useful when playing.  Just describe what you're trying to do, or some aspect you miss from one of the earlier games, and I'm sure someone will know how to help.

[PugLove888]

@ShellyO572, it is kind of hard for me to describe how to move the camera because after 6 years it is something that I do without really thinking about it!  Also, I don't know how your mouse is.

But to rotate your view hold down your right mouse button while moving the mouse from side to side.  To zoom in or out you can rotate your mouse wheel.  To scroll the camera around to another area you can either just place the cursor at the edge of the screen so that the camera will move in that direction, or you can press the mouse wheel without rotating it and just move the mouse in that direction while holding it down.  You can also use the keyboard commands W,A,S,D, Z, and X to move the camera. 

My suggestion is to just play around with it and it will eventually become natural to you!  I was tempted to use the Sims 3 camera, and still have to in a few situations, but about 98% of the time I use the Sims 4 camera!   This is one of those things, like riding a bike, that you just have to do in order to get the hang of it and feel comfortable!

As you can tell TS4 (as well as TS3) is a lot different since the view can be rotated an any angle, unlike the 4 angles you were stuck with in Sims 1!
If I find any better descriptions of camera control , I will add a link.
Feel free to ask more questions!  Happy Simming!

[SheriGR]

@PugLove888 Like you, I don't even think about it, and do most by muscle memory on movement. This bites me on the butt, though, as I play Sims 4 Camera normally, but lately I switch to Sims 3 Camera to get certain camera angles for screenshots or when checking something I'm building, then I forget I have it on and go turn or pan/drag in the way I would with Sims 4 camera and find myself rotating a selected room or some other shocking  and destructive thing. Gotta love "Command/Control + z". Man, I wish they had that in real life!

@ShellyO572 There's a great list of 'hot keys' in this Carls Guide: https://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/controls.php

He has tons of great guides!